We work with young people every day, supporting them, advocating for them, encouraging and empowering them to make change, but do we really understand them?

We work with young people every day, supporting them, advocating for them, encouraging and empowering them to make change, but do we really understand them? There have been so many changes in the world recently and young people are dealing with the brunt of it, in the way of sexting, cyber bullying, obesity, introduction of novel psychoactive substances as well as hitting puberty earlier than we used to.

Some of the ‘for sures’ that we still know are that young people are going to take risks during adolescents, they are going to turn to their peers for support, guidance and advice and they are going to make mistakes. Risk taking behaviour may appear in many different ways some young people might develop new friendships, cut school, take drugs, or lash out at loved ones. As workers we can aim to increase a young person’s protective factors and decrease their risk factors, by strengthening links to family, community, and self.