Semen secrets: how a previous sexual partner can influence another male’s offspring

Scientists have discovered a new form of non-genetic inheritance, showing for the first time that offspring can resemble a mother’s previous sexual partner – in flies at least.

This confronting idea, known as telegony, dates back to ancient Greek times, but was discredited in the early 20^th Century with the advent of genetics.

To test it out, UNSW Australia scientists Dr Angela Crean, Professor Russell Bonduriansky and Dr Anna Kopps manipulated the size of male flies and studied their offspring.

They found that the size of the young was determined by the size of the first male the mother mated with, rather than the second male that sired the offspring.

“Our discovery complicates our entire view of how variation is transmitted across generations, but also opens up exciting new possibilities and avenues of research. Just as we think we have things figured out, nature throws us a curve ball and shows us how much we still have to learn,” says lead author Dr Crean.

The researchers propose that the effect is due to molecules in the seminal fluid of the first mate being absorbed by the female’s immature eggs and then influencing the growth of offspring of a subsequent mate.

The study is published in the journal Ecology Letters.

The team produced large and small male flies by feeding them diets as larvae that were high or low in nutrients. They then mated the immature females with either a large or a small male.

Once the females had matured, they were mated again with either a big or a small male, and their offspring were studied.

“We found that even though the second male sired the offspring, offspring size was determined by what the mother’s previous mating partner ate as a maggot,” says Dr Crean.

Despite major advances in genetics, many questions remain about how some traits are inherited.

“We know that features that run in families are not just influenced by the genes that are passed down from parents to their children. Various non-genetic inheritance mechanisms make it possible for maternal or paternal environmental factors to influence characteristics of a child,” says Dr Crean.

In the flies, for example, it has been shown that males that are well-fed as larvae go on to produce big offspring.

“Our new findings take this to a whole new level – showing a male can also transmit some of his acquired features to offspring sired by other males,” she says. “But we don’t know yet whether this applies to other species.”

The idea of telegony – that a male can leave a mark on his mate’s body that influences her offspring to a different male – originated with the Greek philosopher Aristotle. It was a concern to royalty in the 1300s and still popular as a scientific hypothesis in the 1800s but rejected in the early 1900s as incompatible with the new science of genetics.

(Source: UNSW, Ecology Letters)

Reversing the effects of binge drinking on youth mental health

Alcohol binge drinking is bad at any age. But binge drinking if you’re young and have a mental health issue is a recipe for disaster.

The good news is that intervening early with appropriate treatments can reverse the harmful effects of excessive drinking on developing brains and minds, according to new research led by the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Research Institute.

“Alcohol is the elephant in the room when it comes to young people with mental health issues,” says the BMRI’s Dr Daniel Hermens.

“Binge drinking worsens mental health symptoms and causes a range of chemical and structural impacts on developing brains that affect memory and decision-making that are similar to the effects that occur older, life-long binge drinkers.”

The prevalence of binge drinking among young people aged 12 to 17 years is between two and three per cent but four times that level among similar aged young people with bipolar and other mood disorders.

According to Dr Hermens, young people with mental health problems who drink to get drunk several times per week risk structural and neurochemical changes to the brain’s hippocampus, which is responsible for working and long term memory. It also causes discernable effects in the forebrain, which is vital for executive decision-making.

“These alcohol-related effects compound mental health issues and make it harder to concentrate, focus, and learn new tasks at a life stage when the brain is experiencing its most dynamic period of change within the human lifespan,” says Dr Hermens.

“Young people who drink heavily are more likely to make risky, dangerous choices at a time when they’re learning new life skills, including sexual experimentation, driving and finding their way into the workforce. That’s a volatile cocktail.”

Twenty two year old Rachael Laidler began heavy drinking at the age of 19 as a way to cope with mood swings she experienced as a result of bi-polar disorder. “Drinking heavily was a distraction from the intense highs and lows I felt,” says Rachael.

“It’s also true that heavy drinking was just the done thing among all the people I knew and partied with at the time. I didn’t realise I had a drinking problem – I thought that meant drinking at home alone, and I never did that.”

Today, Rachael has her life back on track thanks to confronting her drinking and seeking expert help through services at Headspace and U Space, a specialist inpatient service for young adults with mental health issues based at St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Sydney.

Rachael hasn’t drunk alcohol for 11 months and now has a range of healthy coping skills and support networks to call when she feels depressed or overly anxious.

“Now the bad days feel tiny compared to the massive mood swings I felt when I was self medicating with alcohol,” says Rachael, who is studying business administration and volunteering with the NSW Consumer Advisory Group on Mental Health. “I’m proud of myself, and I’m proud of what I am going to achieve in the future.”

Rachael’s psychiatrist, Dr Elizabeth Scott of the University of Sydney, says Rachael’s experience is “all too common” among young people with mental illnesses.

“Regrettably, using alcohol and other drugs to diminish feelings like anxiety, sadness and depression is all too common among people with mental health issues,” says Dr Scott, who is also Director of U Space at St Vincent’s Private Hospital.

“Once a person become reliant on alcohol or other drugs to feel less anxious or depressed, it adds another layer of complexity, and lessens their capacity for recovery.

One of the greatest challenges facing young people with mental illness is the lack of adequate and accessible services, especially in remote and rural areas, according to Dr Scott.

“Few services are equipped to meet the needs of young people facing the twin challenges of mental illness and alcohol and drug dependency.

“If a young person had cancer, or serious trauma or a major infectious disease, they could expect to receive care from an expert team. That’s not the case with mental illness and poly drug use. Yet the scale of this problem is like an iceberg – it’s massive but largely unseen.”

Meanwhile, where can young people seek help? “If you’re a young person and think you have a mental health issue, or you have a problem with drug and alcohol use – talk to your friends, see your GP, get on the web and find a Headspace service – there are about 90 of these around the country.”

(Source: The University of Sydney)

Social media puts body-conscious girls off sport

A growing number of teenage girls are shying away from sports in high school because Facebook and Instagram are making them self-conscious about their bodies, a new Flinders University study reveals.

The study, led by Associate Professor Claire Drummond, found that adolescent girls are becoming increasingly disengaged in physical activity for a number of reasons, including high levels of body dissatisfaction associated with social media.

The research, which was undertaken from May to August, interviewed 75 girls between the ages of 13 and 17 from five Adelaide schools in a bid to build a better picture of why teenage girls participate – or don’t participate – in sports.

Ultimately, the study aimed to increase understanding of the underlying reasons for adolescent girls’ PA-related decisions by examining psychosocial influences such as attitudes and perceptions, as well as sociocultural influences such as the role of friends and family.

Associate Professor Drummond said there was a strong connection between social media and poor body image, with sites such Facebook and Instragram being “somewhat detrimental” to girls and their perseverance of regular PA.

“A lot of the girls who were interviewed actually spend a fair bit of time on ‘fitspo’ [fitness inspiration] pages. The problem is a lot of these pages contain images of fitness models with six packs and skinny bodies that are completely unattainable to everyday young women,” Associate Professor Drummond, based in the School of Health Sciences, said.

“A lot of the girls said they don’t have the time to look like that so what’s the point in trying,” she said.

“There was a strong feeling of guilt because they didn’t have bodies like the fitness models they follow on social media, and this was particularly evident in the 14-15 age group.”

Among other findings; girls were less likely to engage in school sports activities in the company of adolescent boys, with the research showing a difference between girls who tried new forms of PA at co-ed schools compared with those from single-sexed schools.

While all girls recognised the importance of PA, Professor Drummond said many older adolescents lacked the time to engage in regular PA due to study and work commitments.

“After Year 10, physical education (PE) isn’t compulsory in schools so a lot of the girls dropped it because they felt it wasn’t as important as some of their other studies.

“The ones who were engaging in regular PA tended to stop participating around exam time when they became increasingly time poor, which is a shame because research shows PE can actually help clear your mind and help you study better.”

Associate Professor Drummond said the social aspect of PA was important to girls, and they recognised it alleviated stress, made them feel good and created a sense of achievement.

She said the findings highlighted the need for more research and awareness about the role of social media in shaping girls’ body image, as well as educational incentives to keep girls involved in PE beyond Year 10.

“Girls will disengage in sports when they feel discouraged, self-conscious or when they are being bullied or made to feel embarrassed by a lack of sporting ability.

“While schools are doing the best they can, they need to be aware of the increasing role of social media in shaping girls’ perceptions of their bodies, and the impact this has on their participation in sport.

“Schools could also explore the possibility of running split PE classes at co-ed schools to alleviate the embarrassment girls feel about participating in sports with boys, and look at extra incentives, perhaps through grades, to reward girls who participate in sport, not just on their ability but also on their attempt.”

Associate Professor Drummond presented her findings at the 4th International Conference on Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise at Loughborough University in the UK earlier this month, and is now writing a paper to be submitted for international publication.

(Source: Flinders University)

Father and son program to reduce aggressive behaviour

Fathers will be critical to the successful treatment of their sons’ aggressive and antisocial conduct in a UNSW-led project, which has today been awarded a $2.6 million grant from the Movember Foundation.

“Disorders of violence, aggression and antisocial behaviour occur most commonly in males and often begin early in life. If left untreated, they signal a high-risk factor for mental disorders in adulthood,” says UNSW’s Professor Mark Dadds, who will lead the ‘Like Father Like Son’ project.

“But if conduct problems are caught early they can be treated relatively inexpensively using evidence-based parent-training programs. And outcomes are vastly improved when fathers participate.”

The project is one of three Movember grants awarded to UNSW reseachers. The largest – $2.9 million over three years – is led by UNSW’s Dr Sam Harvey and delivered through the Black Dog Institute. It will see around 60,000 Australian men in high-risk workforces receive specialised and interactive mental health care via a proven yet anonymous source – their mobile phone.

The Movember Foundation is a leading global organisation committed to changing the face of men’s health. It challenges men to grow moustaches during the month of November to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health.

Jeremy Macvean, Movember’s Asia Pacific Director, said the partnership enabled the Foundation to reach men and boys across Australia from all walks of life.

“The investment in this project shows how important the support of the Movember community is to raise funds and awareness for men’s health.”

Professor Dadds is Director of the UNSW Child Behaviour Research Clinic in the School of Psychology, which has developed a treatment approach that enlists parents as therapists and trains them to manage their child’s difficult behaviours.

This evidence-based treatment, which requires about six to 12 sessions of one hour per week, featured earlier this year in a three-part documentary on ABC TV, called Kids on Speed?

The Movember Foundation will provide $2,634,400 over three years to Professor Dadds’ team. The project, Like Father Like Son: A National Approach to Violence, Antisocial Behaviour and the Mental Health of Men and Boys, will involve other researchers from UNSW as well as from the University of Sydney, the Australian Catholic University and the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.

There are many reasons why fathers are much less likely than mothers to be involved in mental health therapy for their children, says Professor Dadds.

“Many clinics only open 9 to 5 and this is hard for working people. Some men may also not feel comfortable doing the training, or feel it is women’s business.

“Other men may be struggling with their own health and psychological problems and the program needs to address these in order to help them be more effective parents.”

The Movember funding will help equip mental health workers with the skills to customise interventions to meet each family’s unique needs. “The more severe the problems and the greater the range of problems, the more the treatment needs to be tailored for the child and the family,” says Professor Dadds.

The UNSW team will also use cutting-edge multimedia technology to develop web-based programs that fathers can access on all digital devices to learn advanced parenting strategies to manage their child’s aggression and antisocial behaviour.

(Source: UNSW)

Struggle to juggle still hardest for women

Mothers juggling paid work and care responsibilities are still struggling to find work-life balance in 2014, according to the latest Australian Work and Life Index (AWALI) national report from the University of South Australia’s Centre for Work + Life.

Women who are caring for children as well as participating in paid work report the worst work-life balance of all workers in the 2014 AWALI survey – a finding that has been consistent since the research was first conducted in 2007.

But the 2014 report, titled The Persistent Challenge: Living, Working and Caring in Australia in 2014, highlights that the caring responsibilities of the current workforce are increasingly diverse and go well beyond the care of children:

Nearly 20% of Australian employees are caring for an elderly person or someone with a chronic illness or disability, while 44% of employees are parents.
The majority of workers aged over 45 are providing care and assistance to an elderly person; 70% of men and almost 85% of women in this age group report they are juggling paid work and caring for an elderly relative or friend.

The study indicates that these other types of care responsibilities are associated with an equivalent increase in work-life interference as child care, and workers combining child care with other care responsibilities experience extremely high levels of work-life interference.

Centre for Work + Life Acting Director and co-author of the AWALI 2014 report Dr Natalie Skinner says it is important that government and organisational policies recognise the work-life strains faced by these types of carers.

“Our research reveals that many Australian workers are struggling with balancing paid work and caring responsibilities which go beyond those with young children. This trend is set to continue as the population ages and people are remaining in the paid workforce for longer,” Dr Skinner says.

AWALI interviewed more than 2600 working Australians across a range of different industries and occupations, living in capital cities and regional areas, from different age groups and backgrounds, to build a representative picture of the experience of working in Australia in 2014.

“This survey is important because it measures where we’re at in terms of Australians’ experiences of paid work and how it impacts on other areas of our lives,” Dr Skinner says.

“The findings are useful in evaluating the effectiveness of government and organisational policies such as paid parental leave schemes and the right to request flexible work arrangements.”

With the 2014 report again finding that working mothers have the highest work-life interference, nearly 60% of women reported they feel chronically pressed for time.

This is compared to just under half of men who feel the same way, as women continue to do the majority of domestic work while also trying to balance paid work.

The 2014 AWALI also shows that workers with caring responsibilities other than young children, such as caring for an elderly relative or an older child with a disability are experiencing high levels of strain.

“Our research shows that caring for an elderly person or someone with a chronic illness or disability has the equivalent work-life interference as caring for a young child,” Dr Skinner says.

“As a society we need to recognise the unpaid care work that is undertaken on a daily basis by ordinary Australians who are also juggling paid work responsibilities. We need to see a shift in attitude and real actions in the workplace backed up by policies that support these employees.”

Working long hours (48+ per week), working more hours per week than preferred, and unsocial hours (evenings, nights and weekends) are also associated with higher levels of work-life interference. Managers, machinery operators and drivers, corporate professionals and community service workers are among the occupations with the worst work-life balance.

Dr Skinner says the gaps that often emerge between policy and practice are widely observed.

She says initiatives to address working time require a holistic approach that examines the factors encouraging or requiring long hours, inflexible schedules or forgoing leave entitlements. These include workloads, performance expectations, implicit and explicit rewards for long hours (links to promotions and other rewards), staffing levels, job design and organisational culture.

“There is an expectation and cultural assumption that workers are willing and able to prioritise work over other life activities such as care for children or elders,” she says.

(Source: University of South Australia)

Inspiring teachers the key to inspired science learning

Scientists, education experts and experienced teachers have collaborated on a new professional program aiming to generate “radical change” in high school science teaching.

Launching on 7 October, U @ Uni Inspiring Science Teaching is a free professional learning program for year 7-10 science teachers from selected schools in South West Sydney and regional NSW.

The program, an initiative of the Faculty of Science at the University of Technology, Sydney, aims to enhance teachers’ knowledge, skills and capacity to engage with students from diverse backgrounds and to inspire science teaching and learning through the establishment of a “community of practice”.

The program consists of five days of face-to-face discussions, hands-on science activities and workshops and will run twice; during term 4 2014 and again in January 2015.

It focuses on hard-to-teach topics in chemistry and physics, with reference to stage 4 and 5 of the NSW science syllabus.

“Science teachers face many challenges that seem to be common amongst all teachers, for example how to make a particular topic interesting and easy to understand for students,” said Professor Tony Baker, UTS’s Head of School, Chemistry and Forensic Science.

“However, teachers serving in disadvantaged communities have additional challenges specific to their environment and often have less support and resources.

“We want to see greater uptake of science subjects by students in low-SES areas. We want to support teachers in inspiring their students about science and improve learning outcomes, particularly in chemistry and physics.

“Knowing how students learn is important, having a strong background in the science is also important. Teachers who effectively put these together give students a great learning opportunity.

“As part of this project, we are establishing a science teaching community of practice so that teachers will be able to support each other and continue to network and collaborate long after the workshops are over.”

Professor Baker said the project had been developed in consultation with an advisory committee with input from current science teachers, head teachers, principals and education experts.

Teachers who attend the 2014 program will become UTS:Science Champions and be given the opportunity to mentor the next group of participants and to assist with the development and delivery of the program in 2015.

Further information on the program is available on the UTS:Science webpages.

(Source: University of Technology, Sydney)

Diet and exercise during pregnancy has hidden benefits

It might not be obvious on the scales, but healthy eating and increased physical activity from walking during pregnancy is directly associated with a range of improved outcomes at birth, according to researchers from the University of Adelaide.

Results of the world’s biggest study of its kind – offering healthy eating and exercise advice to pregnant women who are overweight or obese – are published today in two papers in the journal BMC Medicine.

“While it might have been expected that healthier eating and increased physical activity during pregnancy would be associated with differences in weight gain, our findings highlight that weight gain in pregnancy is not an ideal measure of pregnancy health,” says study leader Professor Jodie Dodd, from the University of Adelaide’s Robinson Research Institute and the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

“Importantly, however, these changes in diet and physical activity were directly associated with significant improvements in outcomes for babies.

“Women who received dietary and lifestyle advice increased the number of servings they consumed per day of fruits and vegetables, while reducing the percentage of energy in their diet derived from saturated fats.

“Women were also successful in increasing their physical activity, with about 15-20 minutes of brisk walking on most days of the week,” Professor Dodd says.

Study leaders have previously reported a significant reduction in the number of babies born over 4kg to women who received the diet and lifestyle advice during pregnancy. The researchers can now report a range of other benefits for these babies, including a reduced chance of moderate to severe respiratory distress syndrome and reduced length of stay in hospital.

“Approximately 50% of women are overweight or obese during pregnancy. Until this study was conducted, there had been little evidence about the overall benefits of dietary and lifestyle interventions on this group of women,” says study co-author Dr Rosalie Grivell from the University’s Robinson Research Institute.

“Our hope is that by following some simple, practical and achievable lifestyle advice, pregnant women can improve their health and the outcomes for their babies. We would, of course, recommend that these lifestyle changes be adopted as much as possible before women become pregnant,” Dr Grivell says.

This study has been funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

(Source: The University of Adelaide, BMC Medicine)

Staying in the game

Have you ever wondered why you enjoy playing one sport over another? And if it’s a team sport, why you seem to favour a specific position? Or if you’re not the sporty type, have you ever stopped to think why? PhD candidate Tom Lovell is exploring ways to overcome factors that affect our relationship with sports from childhood, with the aim of boosting lifelong engagement.

The decision to take up or drop out of playing sports can be complex and varied. Factors such as good genes, early exposure and motivation all play a role in keeping people in the game or on the sidelines.

A growing body of international research suggests there are other factors that can help – or hinder – an individual’s ability to participate in sport, particularly throughout childhood and adolescence.

The relative age effect (RAE) is one of them. This phenomenon is created by the cut-off dates for children’s age group competitions, which means there is up to a 12-month age gap between players. For a primary schooler, having almost a whole year to grow and develop over peers in the same competition can be a huge advantage.

Older children within a competitive age bracket are more likely to be seen as better athletes by their coaches and therefore more likely to be identified as talented. Such bias in team selection often has a compounding effect, with more practise, experience and positive reinforcement given to these athletes.

On the other hand, younger athletes competing in the same age group are not provided with the same level of coaching or exposure to higher levels of competition, and often drop out of competitive sport or physical activity altogether.

While it’s difficult to identify numbers of children who drop out of sports specifically due to RAE, a 2012 study by Robin van den Honert of Macquarie University found that in Australia, 42.45% of elite youth soccer players aged 14 to 15 were born in the first quarter of the year, while just 11.97% were born in the fourth quarter.

So what can be done to combat the effects of RAE?

Professor of Sport and Exercise Science Aaron Coutts and PhD candidate Tom Lovell might have the answer. The UTS Health Sport and Exercise Discipline Group have partnered with Knox Grammar School, an independent boys school on Sydney’s North Shore, to examine sports participation and athletic development.

One of their studies included looking at 300 students over three years to investigate the biases that may influence sports dropout, and develop strategies to improve and maximise participation.

“We started this project in March 2012 and our first move was to look at different youth sports and how RAE works in each,” explains Coutts. “We aimed to determine how it affects athletic development and participation of individuals in those sports.”

The research team started with soccer, focusing on students in Years 6 to 12 playing in the top three teams of each year group.

“At Knox Grammar, rather than grouping players by age group they use year groups, which may include up to an 18-month range of ages,” says Coutts. “This means children who would be the oldest in a typical age competition – with a 12-month range – would be in the youngest third of their school grade-based competition.

“Consequently, RAE was not as strong as other research in elite sports. However, related forms of bias that include biological maturity, physical, social and skills-related tendencies affected the level players were selected in or the positions they played.”

To learn more about these biases, Lovell and Coutts tracked the boys over three years to observe changes in maturation, physical performance and team selection.

“We looked at the influence of biological age, physical capacity and coordination on team selection,” explains Lovell. “Were the boys who were selected into the better teams older or more physically developed? And how did this impact their physical performance?

“We cross-referenced this information with each player’s match variables using GPS, heart rate monitors and video analysis to measure both physical activity and skill involvement during matches – how far they ran and how many touches they got on the ball – and found all these factors were influenced by physical profiles.”

The team also found the positions boys were selected for were influenced by physical measures such as speed, strength and maturity status.

“This typically resulted in the taller, earlier maturing players being relegated to defensive positions, as defined by the coach,” says Lovell. “Unfortunately, this selection bias may limit their opportunity to develop other skills from playing different positions.”

Using the soccer study results, and data collected on over 1500 Knox Grammar students in other sports studies, Lovell and Coutts have provided a new insight into how this may impact sports participation and athletic development. The good news is, younger players need not throw in the towel, says Lovell.

“We are proposing a more holistic approach to team selection that relies on multi-dimensional systems of athletic potential. We hope to build an evidence-based system including measures such as coordination and skill, which aren’t as influenced by age, maturity or physical development.

“These can refer to observing the many facets of performance such as physical, psychological, technical and tactical. Measuring capacities such as coordination and skill – motor competence testing and dribble tests for soccer – can provide a much more accurate insight into whether someone will progress in the sport.

“In our opinion, these are more important for identifying future ability rather than physical capacity or size.”

Lovell and Coutts also recommend against early specialisation. Lovell concedes it can be hard to argue with a coach, and often a change of mindset is required.

“We’re working to educate coaches to understand the impact RAE and other selection biases have on development. It’s about reminding them of the bigger picture – which isn’t about winning in the Under 13s, but developing players with a long-term vision to maximise their potential in five to 10 years’ time.”

Lovell and Coutts are working with Knox Sports Academy and the school’s Head of Athletic Development Corey Bocking, to implement these recommendations, which fit with the school’s directive of promoting sports participation and long-term athletic development.

“Later down the track we hope to use this research to educate and direct talent-development programs in elite youth sport, as well as participation in sporting clubs and school sports ,” says Lovell.

“It’s time to level the playing field. Let’s give these young athletes the opportunity to enjoy a lifetime of physical activity, regardless of relative age.”

(Source: University of Technology, Sydney)

Win a $165 makeup prize pack containing an assortment of ulta3 products! – Winner

Congratulations to our winner! We hope you enjoy your prize! We had a difficult time choosing the winner, as there were a lot of very creative, funny and inspiring answers.

Name	Suburb	State
A Gorton	Cranebrook	NSW

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Why every child’s voice needs to count in society

As children are increasingly able to claim their voice in society, UniSA Dean and Head of School: Education, Professor Stephen Dobson says it is important to recognise that it is still only well-educated middle class children who dominate.

Prof Dobson will be looking at why and how we should be listening to children at UniSA’s annual de Lissa Oration on October 16 with the topic, Paradise Lost and Gained: “Capturing” the Voice of the Child in the 21st Century.

“Children still have a long way to go in garnering a significant voice in society, but it is true that a small minority of better educated and more affluent children tend to dominate and quieter or disengaged children go unheard,” Prof Dobson says.

His oration will explore the shifts that have taken place in the way children engage with society and how they are perceived by society throughout history.

“Change in attitudes to children has accelerated in the past few centuries,” Prof Dobson says.

“In the Middle Ages it was very much the case that the child was considered subservient, malleable, someone to literally ‘be seen but not heard’.

“Between1870-1940, children were given greater consideration and greater protection evidenced by the industrial changes of the era and the introduction of reforming, child labour laws and, in the UK, the Education Act.

“More recently, between 1945 and 1975, we have seen the emergence of the notion of the ‘vulnerable’ child – the child left alone as more women enter the workforce.

“The latest stage is the participatory child – the authority of the parent disappears, as children today tend to challenge and negotiate on everything and are less disciplined and less subservient.”

But Prof Dobson argues the privilege of being a participatory child is an experience that does not extend to every child.

“Our research took us to a few schools where we saw children, aged eight and nine, in meetings, on the children’s board and in other fora and we found that it is usually verbal, middle class children whose voices dominate,” he says.

“The ambition – the Paradise Gained – is that all children’s voices can be heard equally, but the reality is it is usually just the voices of the few.”

Prof Dobson says finding ways to enhance inclusion for all children despite their background is a challenge for educators and the whole of society.

The value of capturing children’s voices is of growing importance though, as identified recently by Professor Pauline Harris, de Lissa Chair, who will be introducing the oration, and whose research in this area is captured in her book: Children as Citizens.

Prof Harris explains that children and young people’s views have informed the review of SA’s Strategic Plan and a review of one local government’s social plan.

“Children’s views have also been used to inform proposed legislation and the SA Government’s Every Chance for Every Child policy,” Prof Harris says.

“Children count and their views absolutely can make a difference in helping to shape the world around them. It’s important to listen and important to encourage participation.”

The de Lissa Oration is an annual event that takes place during Children’s Week, and is named in honor of Lillian de Lissa, who was a world renowned early childhood educator and reformer whose significant work in South Australia and overseas has left a lasting legacy.

(Source: University of South Australia)

Parenthub

Semen secrets: how a previous sexual partner can influence another male’s offspring

Reversing the effects of binge drinking on youth mental health

Father and son program to reduce aggressive behaviour

Struggle to juggle still hardest for women

Inspiring teachers the key to inspired science learning

Diet and exercise during pregnancy has hidden benefits

Staying in the game

Win a $165 makeup prize pack containing an assortment of ulta3 products! – Winner

Why every child’s voice needs to count in society

Monthly Newsletter

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