Researching the safety of Indigenous children and youth: an urban perspective

Injury is one of the leading causes of Indigenous mortality in Australia and safety in Indigenous communities has become increasingly prominent in commentary on Indigenous communities. However, our knowledge of urban Indigenous people and their experiences has been largely ignored in these debates; most of the discussions to date have focused on remote areas, despite the fact that around one-third of Indigenous Australians live in urban settings. This paper reports on the Safe Koori Kids study, which addressed the safety of Indigenous children, carried out in Sydney\u27s outer metropolitan area of Campbelltown between 2006 and 2009 (Clapham et al. 2006a, 2006b). The study aimed to increase our understanding of the broad range of factors involved in injury in Indigenous communities and to create a culturally acceptable and effective intervention program by addressing child and youth resilience. The program, delivered to Indigenous and non-Indigenous primary-aged children across 11 primary schools and evaluated in five of these schools, drew on local knowledge and resources to address safety issues. The program was underpinned by recognising that a multitude of factors affect the safety of children and families. Additionally, the program embedded positive messages to reinforce the cultural identity of Indigenous people living in urban areas. The theme of connections and reconnections embedded in our study emerged as children responded positively to the way urban Indigenous identity was represented in the program. Researchers recorded an increase in self-efficacy in questionnaire responses among the primary-aged children after the program was delivered over one school term in five schools. Qualitative data collected from teachers also revealed that Indigenous children responded to the program with an increased sense of achievement and pride in Aboriginal heritage. Improving the safety of Indigenous children in urban areas is complex and currently not well understood. Intervention programs need to incorporate a much better comprehension of the factors that increase the vulnerability of urban Indigenous children. Safety programs must recognise the social and cultural context in which children live, draw on local resources and reinforce a sense of pride in Indigenous identity to build resilience among vulnerable children

Child injury in an urban Australian indigenous community: the safe koori kids intervention

Objective To design and evaluate an intervention targeting urban indigenous Australian children in order to increase their self-effi cacy, knowledge and attitudes towards safety. Methods The Safe Koori Kids intervention was developed and delivered to 790 children primary school aged children (13% indigenous) in 24 middle and upper primary classes across fi ve schools in Sydney, Australia. The intervention, consisting of fi ve safety modules, was evaluated using a mixed-methods approach. A pre-test post-test research design was applied to evaluate changes in key outcomes namely child self-effi cacy, knowledge and attitudes towards safety. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from teachers. Findings There was a signifi cant increase (p\u3c0.05) in self-effi cacy among children from pre- to post-intervention for both Indigenous (6%) and non-Indigenous children (2%). Safety knowledge among Indigenous children increased from pre- to post intervention by 17% (p\u3c0.01) and non-Indigenous children by 15%, (p\u3c0.01). However, there were no signifi cant improvements in attitudes towards safety (indigenous children 2%, p=0.288, non-Indigenous children 1%, p=0.0721). Overall, Indigenous children scored lower than non-Indigenous children post intervention on self-effi cacy (75%:77%), knowledge (56%:63%) and attitudes towards safety (79%:84%). Teacher focus groups provided further evidence of the programs impact on children\u27s safety knowledge and attitudes. Conclusions The study contributes to our limited knowledge about effective child injury prevention for disadvantaged Indigenous minorities in high income countries. This is the fi rst intervention of its type in an urban indigenous setting in Australia which has positively contributed to the resilience of indigenous children and families with respect to safety and their environment

Aboriginal young people’s perspectives and experiences of accessing sexual health services and sex education in Australia: A qualitative study

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Aboriginal) young people seek information and access health services for their sexual health needs. This study examined Aboriginal young people’s perspectives on sexual health services and sex education in Australia. Overall, 51 Aboriginal people aged 16–26 years were interviewed by peer researchers in Sydney, Australia in 2019–2020. The findings suggest that the internet was used to assess information quickly and confidentially, but Aboriginal young people questioned its reliability and accuracy. Family, Elders and peers were seen as sources of advice because they had real-life experience and highlighted intergenerational learning that occurs in Aboriginal communities. School-based sex education programmes had mixed reviews, with a preference for programmes delivered by external specialists providing anonymity, clear and accurate information about sex and relationships and positive approaches to sex education, including how to gain consent before sex. There was a need identified for school-based programmes to better consider the needs of Aboriginal young people, including those who identified as LGBTQI + . Aboriginal Medical Services were highly valued for providing culturally safe access to services, while sexual health clinics were valued for providing specialised confidential clinical services with low levels of judgement