Connection to community, culture and support

Last updated August 2021

Some data is available on WA children’s connection to culture, community and support. 

Overview

This indicator considers WA children’s connection to culture and community and whether they know how to get help if they have any emotional and health concerns.

Children benefit from a connection to culture and community as it provides them with a positive sense of identity and encourages supportive relationships and role models. Children also need relationships with adults that are stable, caring and supportive, enabling them to ask for help if they have any worries or concerns.

In the Commissioner’s 2019 Speaking Out Survey, nearly three-quarters (73.1%) of Year 4 to Year 6 WA students report that they feel like they belong in their community.

Three-quarters (75.0%) of Year 4 to Year 6 Aboriginal students reported that they know their family’s country, while 7.8 per cent did not know and 17.2 per cent were not sure.

Areas of concern

There is limited research and data exploring WA children’s connection to their community and culture.

There is no data publicly available on whether WA children in care feel sufficiently connected to their culture or community.

No data is available on whether WA children aged 6 to 11 years with disability feel connected to their culture and community or are able to get the support they need for any emotional or other issues.

Last updated August 2021

Feeling connected to community and culture is critical for children aged six to 11 years as it encourages a sense of belonging, a positive sense of identity and the development of respectful and responsive relationships.^1,2

A sense of belonging and connectedness can be strengthened in multiple ways including, participation in cultural or community-based activities, spending time with grandparents, learning about family history, and enjoying positive relationships with adults outside of the home. Through these diverse experiences children develop a positive sense of self and identity. It can also provide children with additional support and role models within, and outside, of the family.³

Connection to culture and community is also related to children’s participation in their own lives and in the broader community. It increases children’s understanding of their rights and responsibilities, and strengthens their interest and skills in becoming active contributors to their world.⁴

Children have the right to have their voices heard and be actively involved in decisions affecting their lives.⁵ Refer to the Autonomy and voice indicator for children aged 6 to 11 years for more information on children’s active sense of participation in their lives and their communities.

Connection to culture and community can take many forms including participation in sporting clubs, cultural events, religious organisations and community groups (e.g. scouts). It can also include relationships with neighbours and accessibility of local outdoor spaces.

Having a connection and sense of belonging in a community can be more difficult for some children. In particular, children with disability, culturally and linguistically diverse children, Aboriginal children, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or intersex (LGBTI) children can experience discrimination and bullying that limits their ability to feel connected and supported within their broader community.^6,7,8

In 2019, the Commissioner conducted the Speaking Out Survey (SOS19) which sought the views of a broadly representative sample of 4,912 Year 4 to Year 12 students in WA on factors influencing their wellbeing, including a range of questions on culture and community.⁹

In this survey, four-fifths (80.9%) of students in Year 4 to Year 6 reported being born in Australia, the next most common country of birth was New Zealand (3.8%), England (3.4%) and India (1.3%). 

Students were asked what cultural background they have and were able to select multiple responses. Almost two-thirds (63.4%) of students in Year 4 to Year 6 reported having an Australian cultural background and 7.1 per cent reported having an Aboriginal Australian background.¹⁰

Having an English cultural background (24.8%) was the most common background besides Australian. Smaller proportions of students reported having Scottish (9.8%), Italian (6.9%), Irish (6.4%), Indian (5.0%), and Chinese (4.0%) backgrounds.

Most students (90.4%) in Year 4 to Year 6 reported speaking English at home, the next most common languages spoken at home were Cantonese/Mandarin (1.8%), Filipino/Tagalog (1.0%) and Vietnamese (1.0%).¹¹

In SOS19, students were asked whether they felt like they belonged in their community.

Overall, nearly three-quarters (73.1%) of Year 4 to Year 6 students reported they feel like they belong in their community, 5.4 per cent disagreed, while 21.5 per cent said they did not know.

There were no significant differences in responses between male and female students or between geographic locations.

Proportion of Year 4 to Year 6 students who feel like they belong in their community by various characteristics, per cent, WA, 2019

Source: Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2020, Speaking Out Survey 2019 Data Tables [unpublished]

Students in regional locations were significantly less likely than students in metropolitan areas to agree a lot that there are outdoor places to go in their local area (81.1% compared to 90.4%). Students in regional locations were also significantly less likely than metropolitan students to agree that their neighbours are friendly (66.5% compared to 76.2%).¹²

Nearly three-quarters (74.2%) of all Year 4 to Year 6 students agree that their neighbours are friendly, while 6.2 per cent disagree that their neighbours are friendly, and 19.5 per cent said they don’t know.

Female Year 4 to 6 students were significantly more likely to agree that they have friendly neighbours (76.9%) compared to their male counterparts (72.6%).

Students in SOS19 were also asked how often they usually spend time practising or playing a sport (like footy training, gymnastics, swimming) outside of school. While this is not a direct measure of connection to community, being involved in community-based sport or other physical activities have been shown to improve people’s sense of community connectedness.¹³

Overall, more than one-in-five (22.6%) of Year 4 to Year 6 students reported practising or playing a sport outside of school less than once a week (8.4%) or hardly ever or never (14.2%).

Female students were significantly less likely than male students to play or practise a sport every day or almost every day outside of school (33.4% compared to 42.4%).

Similar responses were reported between children across geographical regions.

Further analysis of SOS19 results show that there is a statistically significant relationship between playing sport and belonging, such that students who play sport regularly are more likely to feel like they belong in their community (and vice versa).¹⁴

In 2017–18, the ABS collected data on children’s participation in selected creative activities including drama, singing, dancing and art and craft outside of school hours. These activities could be at home or at community venues.

While, this data does not directly measure a sense of connection, it does provide some information on WA children's engagement in community and culture.

Overall, around two-thirds of children aged between five and 11 years participated in some form of creative activity outside of school hours.

In 2012 and prior years, the Australian Bureau of Statistics collected data on children’s participation in cultural and leisure activities.¹⁵

As children get older, their participation in organised sports and activities outside of school and the family home increases. Most WA children aged nine to 11 years (81.5%) participate in some cultural activities or organised sport. 

Male children are more likely to be involved in an organised sport than female children. However, female children are more likely to be involved in dancing and/or attendance at cultural venues and events.

This survey did not consider children’s involvement in community groups such as scouts, nor did it report on children’s involvement in religious organisations.

This survey is not planned to be repeated.

No data is available on WA children’s access to, or use of, public spaces, including parks or playgrounds.

A study using data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children found that male children and young people who lived in a neighbourhood with more green space (open parkland/public spaces) were marginally more likely than other children and young people to do more physical activity and engage in less sedentary activity. There was no significant relationship for female children and young people.¹⁶

Children’s use of technology

Technology enables many children to be in contact with friends and family, providing a source of connection and sense of community.

While many social media applications do not allow children under 13 years of age to create an account, there are still many ways that children talk to their friends and family over the internet. These can include Facetime, iMessage, text messages or through games such as Minecraft or Roblox.  

In SOS19, 43.0 per cent of students in Year 4 to Year 6 reported they spend time using the internet on a smartphone or computer every day or almost every day when they are not at school.¹⁷

In 2020, the Australian Communications and Media Authority published the Kids and mobiles – How Australian children are using mobile phones report, which looked at mobile phone ownership and usage amongst Australian children and young people.¹⁸ This survey is conducted by Roy Morgan and involves interviewing approximately 2,500 children and young people annually.¹⁹

This survey found that one-quarter (25.0%) of children aged 6 to 7 years, 30.7 per cent of children aged 8 to 9 years and 46.5 per cent of children aged 10 to 11 years own or use a mobile phone.²⁰

Further, 63.8 per cent of children aged 10 to 11 years sent or received texts through a mobile phone, 46.4 per cent sent or received picture messages and 42.5 per cent called their friends.

There has been limited research on children’s online experiences and how it impacts their sense of connection to community and/or culture. There are however recognised disadvantages, in particular that technology can expose children to bullying and unsafe contact with strangers.^21,22

Not all children and young people have access to the internet. Research has found that Australians with low levels of income, education and employment are significantly less likely to be digitally connected.²³ While children aged 6 to 11 years generally do not use social media or other tools, it is becoming more important for access to educational resources.²⁴

No data is available on WA children’s experiences of connectedness through technology.

The increased popularity of social networking services and whether and how they are used by children aged 6 to 11 years will be critical to monitor in the future.

Aboriginal children

Culture is central to the wellbeing of Aboriginal people.²⁵ There is considerable evidence that highlights the positive associations between culture and wellbeing, including across key indicators such as health, education and employment.^26,27 Aboriginal people commonly identify their culture as a factor that builds resilience, moderates the impact of stressful circumstances and supports recovery from adversity.^28,29

In the Commissioner’s consultations, Aboriginal children and young people have explained how culture is particularly important for their wellbeing.³⁰ This includes being connected to country, learning and speaking their own language, respect for elders, sharing and being close to family, listening to stories about culture and taking part in traditional activities and cultural events.³¹

Aboriginal languages are a critical component of culture and provide Aboriginal children and young people with an important platform for cultural knowledge and heritage to be passed on. Speaking and learning traditional languages improves the wellbeing of Aboriginal children by providing a sense of belonging and empowerment.³² In the Commissioner’s 2015 consultation with Aboriginal children and young people, Aboriginal children and young people spoke about how learning and speaking an Aboriginal language was particularly important to them.³³

In SOS19, over one-quarter (27.3%) of Aboriginal Year 4 to Year 6 students reported that they talk Aboriginal languages at home a lot (9.5%) or some (17.8%).

Aboriginal students (Years 4 to 12) in remote locations are more likely to speak an Aboriginal language than students in metropolitan or regional areas.

Only 20.7 per cent of Aboriginal children and young people in remote locations do not speak an Aboriginal language (compared to 41% in regional and metropolitan areas).

This result is relatively consistent with the 2014–15 Australian Bureau of Statistics National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS) which collected data on a range of demographic, social, environmental and economic characteristics, including languages spoken and cultural participation. Data is available on Australian children and young people aged four to 14 years based on parent and carer reports.

In this survey, twenty-five per cent (25.7%) of Aboriginal children and young people aged four to 14 years living in non-remote locations were reported as speaking an Aboriginal language.

The ABS survey further reported that two-thirds (66.2%) of Aboriginal children and young people aged four to 14 years living in remote locations speak an Aboriginal language.³⁴ In remote locations, for 30.7 per cent of Aboriginal children aged four to 14 years, the main language spoken at home is an Aboriginal language.³⁵

In SOS19, three-quarters (75.7%) of Aboriginal children in Years 4 to 6 feel like they belong in their community. This is similar to the proportion of non-Aboriginal Year 4 to Year 6 students who feel like they belong in their community.

Although the sample sizes were not large enough to be statistically significant, a greater proportion of Aboriginal children in Years 4 to 6 played or practised sport outside of school every day than non-Aboriginal children (44.4% compared to 37.4%).

Proportion of Year 4 to Year 6 students reporting how much time they spend practising or playing a sport outside of school by Aboriginal status, per cent, WA, 2019

Source: Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2020, Speaking Out Survey 2019 Data Tables [unpublished]

In SOS19, WA Aboriginal children and young people were asked whether they know their family’s country. Three-quarters (75.0%) of Year 4 to Year 6 students reported that they know their family’s country, while 7.8 per cent did not know and 17.2 per cent were not sure.

Three-quarters (75.2%) of Year 4 to Year 12 students in the metropolitan area and remote regions (76.1%) reported that they know their family’s country, while a marginally lower proportion of students (69.4%) in regional locations know their family’s country.

In regional locations, 30.6 per cent of Aboriginal Year 4 to Year 12 students either do not know their family’s country or are not sure (metropolitan: 24.7%, remote: 23.8%).

Of the Year 4 to Year 12 students who know their family’s country, 80.2 per cent spend time on their family’s country. A greater proportion of students in regional and remote areas than the metropolitan area spend time on their family’s country.

Over one-half (51.6%) of Year 4 to Year 6 students do cultural and traditional activities with their family, this is slightly higher than the proportion of students in Years 7 to 12 (46.0%).

These results differ from the ABS 2014–15 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS) where parents and/or carers reported that almost three-quarters (73.8%) of Aboriginal children and young people aged four to 14 years living in non-remote locations were involved in selected cultural events, ceremonies or organisations in the last 12 months.

In remote areas, a slightly higher proportion (79.8%) of Aboriginal children and young people aged four to 14 years were reported to be involved in selected cultural events, ceremonies or organisations in the last 12 months.³⁶

The difference between the SOS19 results and the findings in the ABS survey may be related to differences in parent-reported and child-reported data, the different form of the question and how it may have been interpreted. 

Culturally and linguistically diverse children

For culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) children, connection to culture and community is also important. For this diverse group of children, it is critical they maintain connections to their own culture and community which support their sense of identity and belonging.^37,38 It is also important that they are able to develop connections with the broader Australian community to assist in learning a new language, adjusting to a new culture and systems and engaging in school.^39,40

Data from the 2016 Census of Population and Housing shows that 18.3 per cent of 6 to 11 year-olds in WA were born outside of Oceania and Antarctica. The most common stated region of birth after Australia and New Zealand is North West Europe (4.1%), followed by South East Asia (2.8%) and Sub-Saharan African (1.8%).⁴¹

In WA, 17.5 per cent of people spoke a language other than English at home in 2016. Other than English, Mandarin was the most common with 1.9 per cent of people speaking this language at home. The next most common languages were Italian, Filipino/Tagalog and Vietnamese.⁴²

Some children and young people from CALD backgrounds (and their families) experience language barriers, feeling torn between cultures, intergenerational conflict, racism and discrimination, bullying and resettlement stress.⁴³ These issues hinder children and young people’s ability to feel connected and like they belong in Australia.

In 2016 the Commissioner asked almost 300 children and young people from CALD communities in WA about the positive things in their lives, the challenges they face, their experiences settling in Australia and their hopes for the future.⁴⁴ These children and young people were asked to rate how easy or hard they found settling in, or ‘fitting in’, to Australia. Just over half of the children and young people who completed this question found settling in ‘quite easy’ or ‘very easy’. A further 38 per cent found settling in ‘okay’.⁴⁵

For more information on children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and their connections to community and culture refer to the following resources:

Centre for Multicultural Youth 2014, Migrant and refugee young people negotiating adolescence in Australia, Centre for Multicultural Youth.

Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2016, Children and Young People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds Speak Out, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA.

Office of Multicultural Interests 2009, Not drowning, waving: Culturally and linguistically diverse young people at risk in Western Australia, WA Government.

Endnotes

1. Noble-Carr D et al 2014, Improving practice: The importance of connections in establishing positive identity and meaning in the lives of vulnerable young people, Children and Youth Services Review, Vol 47, No 3.
2. Lenzi M et al 2013, Neighborhood social connectedness and adolescent civic engagement: An integrative model, Journal of Environmental Psychology, Vol 34.
3. Foster CE 2017, Connectedness to family, school, peers, and community in socially vulnerable adolescents, Children and Youth Services Review, Vol 81.
4. Lenzi M et al 2013, Neighborhood social connectedness and adolescent civic engagement: An integrative model, Journal of Environmental Psychology, Vol 34.
5. United Nations Human Rights, Office of the High Commission, United Nations Conventions on the rights of the child, Article 12, United Nations.
6. Robinson S et al 2014, In the picture: understanding belonging and connection for young people with cognitive disability in regional communities through photorich research: final report, Centre for Children and Young People, Southern Cross University.
7. Wyn J et al 2018, Multicultural Youth Australia Census Status Report 2017/18, Youth Research Centre, University of Melbourne, p. 17-20.
8. Morandini J et al 2015, Minority stress and community connectedness among gay, lesbian and bisexual Australians: a comparison of rural and metropolitan localities, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, Vol 39, No 3.
9. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2020, Speaking Out Survey: The views of WA children and young people on their wellbeing - a summary report, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA.
10. Note: Students were able to choose multiple cultural backgrounds, therefore the ‘Australian’ background may include students who also reported having an Aboriginal Australian background.
11. Note: Students were able to choose multiple cultural backgrounds, therefore the ‘Australian’ background may include students who also reported having an Aboriginal Australian background.
12. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2020, Speaking Out Survey 2019 Data Tables, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA [unpublished].
13. Hoye R et al 2015, Involvement in sport and social connectedness, International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Vol 50, No 1, pp. 3–21.
14. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2020, Speaking Out Survey 2019 Data Tables, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA [unpublished].
15. The definition of ‘cultural activities’ in this survey is relatively narrow and does not include some activities within community based groups (for example, attending religious activities).
16. Sanders T et al 2015, The influence of neighbourhood green space on children’s physical activity and screen time: findings from the longitudinal study of Australian children, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Vol 12, No 1.
17. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2020, Speaking Out Survey 2019 Data Tables, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA [unpublished].
18. Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) 2020, Kids and mobiles: how Australian children are using mobile phones, Australian Government [online].
19. Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) 2020, Kids and mobiles: how Australian children are using mobile phones - Methodology, Australian Government.
20. Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) 2020, Kids and mobiles: how Australian children are using mobile phones – accessibility data file, Australian Government.
21. Haddon L & Vincent J 2014, European children and their carers’ understanding of use, risks and safety issues relating to convergent mobile media, Unicatt, p. 47.
22. Wu Y et al 2016, A Systematic Review of Recent Research on Adolescent Social Connectedness and Mental Health with Internet Technology Use, Adolescent Research Review, Vol 1, No 2.
23. Thomas J et al 2018, Measuring Australia’s Digital Divide: The Australian Digital Inclusion Index 2018, RMIT University.
24. Ibid.
25. Gee G et al 2014, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social and Emotional Wellbeing, in Dudgeon P et al (eds) 2014, Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice – Second edition, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research/Kulunga Research Network, p. 61.
26. Commonwealth Government 2013, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013-2023, Commonwealth Government, p. 9.
27. Dockery AM 2011, Traditional culture and the wellbeing of Indigenous Australians: an analysis of the 2008 NATSISS, Curtin University.
28. Zubrick SR et al 2014, Social Determinants of Social and Emotional Wellbeing in Dudgeon P et al (eds) 2014, Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice – Second edition, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research/Kulunga Research Network, p. 104.
29. Bamblett M 2006, Self-determination and Culture as Protective Factors for Aboriginal Children, Developing Practice: The Child, Youth and Family Work Journal, No 16.
30. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2011, Speaking out about wellbeing: Aboriginal children and young people speak out about culture and identity, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA.
31. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2015, “Listen to Us” Using the views of WA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people to improve policy and service delivery, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA.
32. Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Indigenous Australian Languages [website].
33. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2011, Speaking out about wellbeing: Aboriginal children and young people speak out about culture and identity, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA.
34. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2016, 4714.0 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, Australia, 2014–15, Table 7.3 Selected characteristics, by remoteness, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 4–14 years, ABS.
35. Ibid.
36. Ibid.
37. WA Office of Multicultural Interests 2009, Not drowning, waving: Culturally and linguistically diverse young people at risk in Western Australia, p. 17.
38. Centre for Multicultural Youth 2014, Migrant and refugee young people negotiating adolescence in Australia, Centre for Multicultural Youth.
39. Francis S and Cornfoot S 2007, Multicultural Youth in Australia: Settlement and Transition, Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth.
40. Centre for Multicultural Youth 2014, Migrant and refugee young people negotiating adolescence in Australia, Centre for Multicultural Youth.
41. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2020, Census of Population and Housing, 2016, TableBuilder – Dataset 2016 Census – Cultural Diversity, ABS.
42. .id the population experts, Western Australia Community Profile – Language Spoken at Home [website], sourced from the ABS 2016 Census.
43. WA Office of Multicultural Interests 2009, Not drowning, waving: Culturally and linguistically diverse young people at risk in Western Australia, p. 5.
44. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2016, Children and Young People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds Speak Out, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA.
45. Ibid, p. 17.

Last updated August 2021

In addition to feeling a connection to culture and community, children need relationships with adults that are stable, caring and supportive, enabling them to ask for help if they have any worries or concerns. It is also important that children aged 6 to 11 years know how to access help and support from available programs and services.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused sudden and unexpected changes for children across WA. For many children in WA, this has been their first experience of significant upheaval to everyday routines and being physically isolated from family members, friends and support networks. Preliminary data shows that due to the pandemic children are feeling worried about mental health, school, the impact on family life and feeling lonely.¹

Emotional and health concerns have the potential to impact children’s behaviours, relationships and ability to learn. Gaining support when facing challenges facilitates social and emotional development.² However, research shows that children are often hesitant to ask for help.^3,4,5

Help may be informal, through quality relationships with adults including parents, neighbours and teachers or through formal systems such as school counsellors or Kids Helpline.⁶

In 2019, the Commissioner for Children and Young People (the Commissioner) conducted the Speaking Out Survey (SOS19) which sought the views of a broadly representative sample of Year 4 to Year 12 students in WA on factors influencing their wellbeing, including a range of questions about supportive relationships.

In this survey, 86.8 per cent of Year 4 to Year 6 students reported that it was very much true or pretty much true that there is a parent or another adult they can talk to about their problems.

There was no difference between male and female students in this age group (86.4% of male students compared to 86.6% of female students).

Overall, 4.7 per cent of Year 4 to Year 6 students reported that it was not at all true that there is a parent or another adult they can talk to about their problems. There were no significant differences between regions.

Students in Year 4 to Year 6 were also asked: If you were having any serious problems, is there an adult you would feel okay talking to? A large majority (82.9%) of Year 4 to Year 6 students responded that they would have an adult they feel okay talking to, 3.7 per cent responded that they do not have an adult they feel okay talking to and significant minority (13.4%) were not sure.

For further information on supportive relationships refer to the Supportive relationships indicator for age group 6 to 11 years.

In 2020, Kids Helpline received an estimated 11,548 contacts from WA children and young people aged 5 to 25 years. This represents an increase of 8 per cent on 2019 contacts (10,731 contacts).⁷ In contrast, the number of contacts Australia-wide increased by 21 per cent from 2019 to 2020 – which was partly attributed to COVID-19 and the impact of the Black Summer bushfires in NSW and Victoria.⁸

The majority of Kids Helpline contacts from WA were from female children and young people (67.0%). The most common reasons WA children and young people sought help was for mental health concerns (29.0%), emotional wellbeing (26.0%), family relationship issues (19.0%) and suicide-related concerns (14.0%).⁹

National School Opinion Survey

Teachers can be a good source of support for primary school students.

In the 2016 National School Opinion Survey,¹⁰ 70 per cent of participating Year 5 to Year 6 students in WA government schools either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement 'I can talk to my teachers about my concerns'. Seventeen per cent neither agreed nor disagreed with this statement, while 11 per cent disagreed or strongly disagreed.¹¹

National School Opinion Survey, 2016: Proportion of Year 5 and Year 6 WA government school students saying they can talk to teachers about their concerns

Source: National School Opinion Survey 2016, custom report prepared by WA Department of Education for the Commissioner for Children and Young People WA [unpublished]

There is limited data on how Aboriginal children in WA access help when they need it. The Australian Bureau of Statistics conducts the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS) which collects information on a range of demographic, social, environmental and economic characteristics. The last survey was in 2014–15.

The survey asked whether the participants aged 15 years and over were able to get support in time of crisis from outside their home. They found that 93.2 per cent of Aboriginal young people aged 15 to 24 years around Australia were able to get support in time of crisis from outside the household. This question was not included in the children’s survey.¹²

No data is available on children who come from a culturally and linguistically diverse background or children who identify as LGBTI.

Endnotes

1. yourtown and the Australian Human Rights Commission 2020, Impacts of COVID-19 on children and young people who contact Kids Helpline, Australian Human Rights Commission, p. 12.
2. National Scientific Council on the Developing Child 2015, Supportive Relationships and Active Skill-Building Strengthen the Foundations of Resilience: Working Paper 13, Center for Child Development, Harvard University.
3. Oh E et al 2015, Professional help seeking for young children with mental health problems, Australian Journal of Psychology, Vol 67, No 3.
4. Rickwood DJ et al 2007, When and how do young people seek professional help for mental health problems? Medical Journal of Australia, Vol 187 No 7.
5. Lubman D et al 2014, Bridging the gap: Educating family members from migrant communities about seeking help for depression, anxiety and substance misuse in young people, Beyond Blue.
6. National Scientific Council on the Developing Child 2015, Supportive Relationships and Active Skill-Building Strengthen the Foundations of Resilience: Working Paper 13, Center for Child Development, Harvard University.
7. yourtown 2021, Kids Helpline Insights 2020 Statistical Summary WA, yourtown, p. 2.
8. yourtown 2021, Insights 2020: Insights into young people in Australia, yourtown, p. 7.
9. yourtown 2021, Kids Helpline Insights 2020 Statistical Summary WA, yourtown, p. 4.
10. All WA government schools are required to administer parent, student and staff National School Opinion Surveys (NSOS) at least every two years, commencing in 2014. The Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) was responsible for the development and implementation of the NSOS. The WA Department of Education and individual schools can add additional questions to the survey. In WA, the first complete (although non-mandatory) implementation of the survey was conducted in government schools in 2016. The next survey was conducted in 2018. The data should be interpreted with caution as the survey is relatively new and there is a consequent lack of an agreed baseline for results.
11. National School Opinion Survey 2016, custom report prepared by WA Department of Education for the Commissioner for Children and Young People WA [unpublished]
12. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2016, 4714.0 - National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, 2014-15, Data Item List, ABS.

Last updated August 2021

At 30 June 2021 there were approximately 1,906 children aged six to 11 years in out-of-home care in WA, more than half (57.0%) of whom were Aboriginal.¹

A connection to culture and community and access to support is even more essential for children in care than other children. Feeling part of a culture, community or neighbourhood can be very challenging for children in care as they are often living in an environment separate from their family. It can also be difficult for children in care, who are highly vulnerable, to access help when they have any concerns or worries.

It is important that all children in care are able to feel connected to their community and culture, however it is essential for Aboriginal children, as culture is particularly critical for their identity and wellbeing, and can be difficult to maintain in the child protection system.² Furthermore, Aboriginal children are significantly overrepresented in the child protection system and are more likely to have permanent placements away from their family and community.³

There are a number of mechanisms that are designed to support Aboriginal children’s connection to culture while in care. These include compliance with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle and having a cultural support plan, which is a measure under Standard 10 of the National Standards in Out-of-Home Care.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle (ATSICPP) consists of five inter-related elements: prevention, partnership, placement, participation and connection. For further information on the ATSICPP and how it can be implemented in practice refer to the SNAICC guide to support implementation.

There is limited data on the experiences of cultural connection for WA Aboriginal children aged 6 to 11 years in out-of-home care.

There is currently no nationally agreed measure to report on whether children have been placed into care in line with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle.⁴ Action 1.3 of the Fourth Action Plan of the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children is to develop a nationally consistent approach to measuring the application of the five elements of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle (ATSICPP).

AIHW report on the proportion of Aboriginal children and young people aged 0 to 17 years in out-of-home care placed with extended family or other Aboriginal caregivers (representing compliance with the Placement component of the ATSICPP). In 2018–19, AIHW reported that 61.2 per cent of Aboriginal children and young people in care in WA were placed with Aboriginal relatives or extended family members (kin), other relatives or with other Aboriginal caregivers (including family group homes and residential care run by Aboriginal caregivers).⁵ 

For more information on Aboriginal young people in care and their connection to community and support refer to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle measure in the Safe in the home indicator.

A cultural support plan is another tool to ensure that Aboriginal children in care remain connected to their culture and country. All Aboriginal children and young people in care are required to have a cultural support plan that outlines how they will be safely supported to maintain contact with their family, friends, community and culture.⁶ 

At 30 June 2018, 76.9 per cent of WA Aboriginal children and young people in out-of-home care had a documented care plan, which includes the cultural support plan.⁷ 

That is, more than 20 per cent of Aboriginal children and young people in out-of-home care in WA did not have a cultural support plan even though it is a Departmental requirement.⁸   

Furthermore, a national survey of children and young people aged 10 to 18 years in out-of-home care found that of the 374 Aboriginal children and young people who responded that a cultural support plan was relevant to them, only 17.9 per cent knew if they had a cultural support plan.⁹

For more information on Aboriginal children in care and their connection to culture refer to:

SNAICC – National Voice for our Children, University of Melbourne and Griffith University 2018, The Family Matters Report 2018, Measuring trends to turn the tide on the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care in Australia, Family Matters.

For further information on WA children in out-of-home care and the ATSICPP refer to the Safe in the home Indicator.

There is no data available on whether WA children in care feel sufficiently connected to their culture or community.

Feeling supported by the adults in their daily lives and knowing how to access additional support are key issues for children in care.

In 2016 the Commissioner for Children and Young People WA explored whether children and young people in care know how to speak up about issues or concerns, and the enabling factors and barriers to raising concerns about issues that affect them. A total of 96 WA children and young people participated in the consultation.¹⁰

The children and young people in this consultation nominated their carer, case worker and friends as people they would speak to if they were worried or unhappy about something in their life. They also note that if their concerns are not addressed by the people they confide in, this often reduces their confidence or desire to raise issues in the future.¹¹

Children and young people rarely make official complaints directly; most complaints received by government agencies in relation to children are made on behalf of the child or young person by a parent or another adult.¹²

In this consultation, strong themes emerged on the barriers to speaking up that many children and young people in care face, including:

• fear of the consequences
• being told not to speak up
• not knowing how to or not having the words to articulate concerns
• not having anyone to speak to or anyone who would listen
• fear of not being believed
• isolation and lack of privacy
• a lack of confidence or feeling scared
• shame
• an imbalance of power.

This highlights how important it is that children in care understand their rights to voice their concerns, are informed on who they can talk to and how they can access help, feel confident and have access to people and services to support them.

In 2018 CREATE Foundation conducted a national survey of children and young people in care where respondents¹³ were asked how concerned they felt carers, caseworkers, birth parents, other family members (not living with them), and their friends were in achieving what was best for them. CREATE found that most of the participants felt that their carers had a high level of concern for them, while they felt their caseworker had less concern, which CREATE noted was disappointing.¹⁴

There is no reliable data on the proportion of WA children in care who feel that are supported or know how to get help and support.

Endnotes

1. Department of Communities 2021, Custom report provided by Department of Communities, WA Government [unpublished].
2. Krakouer J et al 2018, “We Live and Breathe Through Culture”: Conceptualising Cultural Connection for Indigenous Australian Children in Out-of home Care, Australian Social Work, Vol 71 No 3.
3. Child Family Community Australia (CFCA) 2019, Child Protection and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, Australian Institute of Family Studies.
4. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2018, Indicator Quick Reference Guide: National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children – outlines that Placement of Indigenous children (compliance) has no data and that an indicator is still to be developed.
5. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2020, Child protection Australia 2018–19, Table S5.12: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care, by relationship of carer and state or territory, 30 June 2019, AIHW.
6. Department of Social Services 2009, An outline of National Standards for out-of-home care, National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children, p. 12.
7. Information provided to the Commissioner for Children and Young People WA by the Department of Communities.
8. Department for Child Protection and Family Support 2016, Outcomes Framework for Children in Out-of-Home Care 2015-16 Baseline Indicator Report, WA Government, p. 14.
9. McDowall, JJ 2019, Out of Home Care in Australia: Children and young people’s views after five years of national standards, CREATE Foundation, p. 66.
10. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2016, Speaking Out About Raising Concerns in Care, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA.
11. Ibid, p. 9.
12. Commissioner for Children and Young People, Complaints Monitoring Survey Report 2015, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA, p. 3.
13. The survey included 99 children and young people in WA (from a WA population sample size of 1,953). The CREATE report outlines considerable difficulty in recruiting children and young people to participate in the survey and they note that the final samples were not random and the data produced cannot be considered technically ‘representative’. However, they do note that the samples produced were close to the population for age, sex and Aboriginal status.  Refer McDowall JJ 2018, Out-of-home care in Australia: Children and young people’s views after five years of National Standards, CREATE Foundation for more information on methodology.
14. McDowall JJ 2018, Out-of-home care in Australia: Children and young people’s views after five years of National Standards, CREATE Foundation, p. 45.

Last updated August 2021

The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates 22,400 WA children (11.5%) aged six to 11 years had reported disability in 2018.¹

Children with disability can find it challenging to feel connected to their community and to feel able to ask for help for any concerns or worries. People with disability, including children and young people, often experience social exclusion and barriers to meaningful participation in the community.² For some, this can be the nature of their support needs, however more frequently it is a culture of low expectations, lack of opportunity, inaccessible processes and social and cultural barriers.³ 

There has been limited research on WA children with disability and their experiences of feeling connected to their community and whether they know how to get help for any concerns or worries.

In 2013 the Commissioner for Children and Young People consulted with 233 WA children and young people with disability asking them questions about their lives. In this consultation the children and young people highlighted a lack of access to activities such as playing in sport or participating in groups and some felt they did not get enough support to participate fully in school. However, a number of children and young people also reported they were connected and felt part of their community.⁴

In 2019, the Commissioner for Children and Young People (the Commissioner) conducted the Speaking Out Survey which sought the views of a broadly representative sample of 4,912 Year 4 to Year 12 students in WA on factors influencing their wellbeing.⁵ This survey was conducted across mainstream schools in WA and special schools for students with disability were not included in the sample.

In this survey, 315 Year 7 to Year 12 students with a long-term disability answered questions about their wellbeing. For more information on these students’ views refer to the Connection to culture, community and support indicator for the 12 to 17 years age group.

No data is available on whether WA children aged 6 to 11 years with disability feel connected to their culture and community or are able to get the support they need for any emotional or other issues.

All children, regardless of the range of their abilities, must be seen as active and valued citizens who have the right to participate in community life to its full extent. This includes their ability to be a part of their community and get help on health and emotional worries when they need it. 

Endnotes

1. Data is sourced from a custom report provided to the Commissioner for Children and Young People WA by the Australian Bureau of Statistics based on the 2018 Disability, Ageing and Carers survey. The ABS uses the following definition of disability: ‘In the context of health experience, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICFDH) defines disability as an umbrella term for impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions. In this survey, a person has a disability if they report they have a limitation, restriction or impairment, which has lasted, or is likely to last, for at least six months and restricts everyday activities’. Australian Bureau of Statistics 2019, Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia, 2018, Glossary.
2. National People with Disabilities and Carer Council, SHUT OUT: The Experience of People with Disabilities and their Families in Australia: National Disability Strategy Consultation Report, Australian Government.
3. Simmons C and Robinson S 2014, Strengthening Participation of Children and Young People with Disability in Advocacy, Children with Disability Australia.
4. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2013, Speaking out about disability: The views of WA children and young people with disability, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA
5. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2020, Speaking Out Survey: The views of WA children and young people on their wellbeing - a summary report, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA.

Last updated August 2021

Connection to culture, community and support is critical for the wellbeing of children and young people.

Through the Commissioner’s consultations with children and young people across WA, some clear messages have been highlighted about connection to community and culture. Many children and young people said they wanted adults and the broader community to acknowledge the things that were important to them.

Aboriginal children noted that connection to their culture and values were critical to their wellbeing. This included learning about their culture, spending time with their family and listening to stories. A key aspect of Aboriginal peoples’ identity is the deep spiritual connection with the land and their connection to their community.¹

Culturally and linguistically diverse children and young people explained how learning English was critical to their sense of belonging and that their family and friends were very important to them. They also wanted more widespread understanding about cultural difference and more culturally appropriate service delivery.²

Other children and young people expressed the need for individualised acknowledgement. They said they wanted to feel personally valued and appreciated.

Many children and young people who have participated in the Commissioner’s various consultations have identified sport, exercise and fitness as among the things that mattered most to them. They also discussed some of the barriers to getting involved in sporting activities that happened outside of school, including transportation, financial costs, inadequate facilities and equipment, a lack of role models, geographic isolation, parental restrictions and study.³

Communities which thrive provide opportunities for children aged 6 to 11 years to be active and connected in a way that builds supportive relationships and develops their sense of self. Some key policy strategies include:⁴

• policies and programs which improve and promote access to community-based recreational or cultural activities for children and young people
• supporting all children and their parents, including those with disability and living in regional or remote areas, to overcome barriers to participation in playgroups, organised sport and other activities
• the creation of more community-based environments that provide space for safe unstructured outdoor play.

There are many organisations that provide opportunities for children and young people to feel connected to their culture and community and offer support if they need it. These include schools, local governments and community-based sporting and other groups. These organisations should be encouraged to be inclusive and accessible for all children and young people, including those with disability, with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, who are LGBTI and Aboriginal children.   

Health services and programs, including mental health services, also need to be accessible and visible to children if they need help.

It is also vital that children have supportive relationships and feel confident to ask for help if they have any emotional worries or health concerns. Emerging international research highlights that many of the most vulnerable children and young people in a community do not receive the help they need from intensive support services. Rather, the majority of children and young people who do receive intensive support services are not those in greatest need.⁵ However, many vulnerable children and young people do receive more informal assistance and support from civil society and the broader community.⁶

The broader community, including families, neighbours, school staff and other local community members, play a significant role in supporting vulnerable children and young people, both to mitigate the need for service intervention early on and later if children and young people fall through gaps in the service system.

Research into resilience also highlights the importance of having at least one stable, caring and supportive relationship between a child and the important adults in their life.⁷ Opportunities to participate in cultural and community activities that enable them to build relationships with people outside of their immediate family are therefore important.

Being acknowledged and respected within culture and community is linked to cultural safety which can be defined as ‘an environment that is safe for people: where there is no assault, challenge or denial of their identity, of who they are and what they need. It is about shared respect, shared meaning, shared knowledge and experience, of learning, living and working together with dignity and truly listening’.⁸

Cultural safety in health services is about providing quality health care that fits with the cultural values and norms of the person accessing the service, which may differ from the practitioner’s own and/or the dominant culture.⁹

There remains an ongoing need for a range of holistic Aboriginal-led health and wellbeing programs that draw from, and help to foster, strong cultural connections better supporting Aboriginal families and their children. There also needs to be greater focus on developing the Aboriginal workforce across all settings and the entire service continuum to a level that more adequately reflects the proportion of Aboriginal children and young people who require a program or service.

Ensuring services are culturally safe and inclusive of diversity is important for all children, but especially for Aboriginal children, children who are culturally and linguistically diverse, LGBTI children, and children with a disability. Children are more likely to ask for help and access available services if they are respectful and culturally safe places.^10,11

Data gaps

There is no publicly available information on whether children in care feel connected to their communities and cultures and supported if they need help for health or emotional worries.

Endnotes

1. Dudgeon P et al 2014, Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research/Kulunga Research Network, p. 5.
2. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2016, Children and Young People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds Speak Out, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA.
3. Commissioner for Children and Young People Commissioner for Children and Young People 2018, Policy Brief March 2018: Recreation, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA.
4. Preventative Health Taskforce 2008, Australia: The Healthiest Country by 2020: A discussion paper prepared by the National Preventative Health Taskforce, Australian Government.
5. Little M et al 2015, Bringing Everything I Am Into One Place, Dartington Social Research Unit and Lankelly Chase, p. 50-51.
6. Little M 2017, Conference paper: Relational Social Policy - Implications for Policy and Evidence, Evidence for impact: International and local perspectives on improving outcomes for children and young people, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne.
7. National Scientific Council on the Developing Child 2015, Supportive Relationships and Active Skill-Building Strengthen the Foundations of Resilience: Working Paper 13, Center for Child Development, Harvard University.
8. Cited in Williams R 2008, Cultural safety; what does it mean for our work practice? Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, Vol 23 No 2, pp. 213-214 from Eckermann A et al 1994, Binan Goonj: bridging cultures in Aboriginal health, University of New England Press.
9. Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) 2018, Cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people: A background paper to inform work on child safe organisations, ARHC.
10. Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA), Cultural Safety – Factsheet, AIDA.
11. National LGBTI Health Alliance 2013, LGBTI Cultural Competency Framework - Including LGBTI people in mental health and suicide prevention organisations, National LGBTI Health Alliance.

For further information on connections to culture, community and support refer to the following resources:

• Commissioner for Children and Young People Commissioner for Children and Young People 2018, Policy Brief March 2018: Recreation, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA.
• Kids helpline 2018, Empowering young people to ask for help [website].
• Krakouer J et al 2018, “We Live and Breathe Through Culture”: Conceptualising Cultural Connection for Indigenous Australian Children in Out-of-home Care, Australian Social Work, Vol 71 No 3.
• SNAICC – National Voice for our Children, University of Melbourne and Griffith University 2018, The Family Matters Report 2018, Measuring trends to turn the tide on the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care in Australia, Family Matters.
• Wyn J et al 2018, Multicultural Youth Australia Census Status Report 2017/18, Youth Research Centre, University of Melbourne.