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Research
Parental Challenges, Facilitators and Needs Associated with Supporting and Accepting Their Trans Child’s GenderParental support is strongly correlated with protective factors for trans youth yet most experience parental rejection or ambivalence regarding their gender. Many parents report a desire to support their child but indicate lack of understanding and support as key barriers. We aimed to develop a nuanced understanding of the challenges and facilitators experienced by Australian parents in developing understanding, support and acceptance of their child’s gender and their needs to do so.
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How does the school built environment impact students’ bullying behaviour? A scoping reviewSchool bullying is a public health concern affecting the physical and mental health of children and young people. While school-based interventions to prevent bullying have been developed internationally, the effectiveness of many interventions has been mixed and modest.
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‘It’s All About Context’: Building School Capacity to Implement a Whole-School Approach to BullyingStudent bullying behaviours are a significant social issue in schools worldwide. Whilst school staff have access to quality bullying prevention interventions, schools can face significant challenges implementing the whole-school approach required to address the complexity of these behaviours.
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School-based bullying intervention programs in Australia and New ZealandKevin Natasha Helen Runions Pearce Monks BSc (Hons) BEd MA PhD PhD (Public Health), PostGrad Dip (Health Promotion), BApp Sc MPH BA(Psych) PhD
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Why do Victims become Perpetrators of Peer Bullying? Moral Disengagement in the Cycle of ViolencePrevious studies have shown that there is overlap between victimization and the perpetration of bullying, and social and motivational variables are known to mediate this relationship. However, the effects of different moral disengagement strategies have not been studied, despite the fact that they exert a major influence on aggressive behavior.
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Adolescent education outcomes and maltreatment: The role of pre-existing adversity, level of child protection involvement, and school attendanceMaltreated children are at high risk for low educational achievement, however few studies have accounted for confounding risk factors that commonly co-occur (including child, family and neighbourhood risk factors) and results have been mixed, particularly for adolescents.
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Efficacy of the Aussie Optimism Program: Promoting Pro-social Behavior and Preventing Suicidality in Primary School Students. A Randomised-Controlled TrialAussie Optimism Program with teacher training along with coaching may have the potential to positively impact on suicidality and pro-social behavior in the pre-adolescent years
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Family Involvement in a Whole-School Bullying Intervention: Mothers’ and Fathers’ Communication and Influence with ChildrenThese results highlight the importance of working with both male and female caregivers when addressing children’s bullying behaviour.
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CybersafetyEven in the safety of their home, there are many risky places a child or teenager can visit online. This can be due to the content they see, who they come into contact with, and personal information they share.

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Young ambassadors keep researchers on their toesFlat out trying hard to keep up with the ever-changing threats from cyberbullying, The Kids Research Institute Australia counts itself fortunate to have youth on its side.