Mission Australia’s 2019 Youth Survey Report has revealed that a concern for the environmental is rapidly growing among young Australians.
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According to the new findings, in which 25,000 15-19-year-old Aussies were surveyed, 34.2% expressed that the environment was an important issue in this country. This more than triples Mission Australia’s findings from 2018, in which only 9.2% of young folk expressed environmental concern.
However, when the participants were asked if they felt as though they had a real say in important issues, only 7.2% felt like they had a voice “all of the time in public affairs”.
“These results clearly indicate that young people in Australia feel disenfranchised and are deeply concerned about a range of important issues. Feeling ignored is perhaps driving young people to engage in other ways to be heard, such as climate strikes,” Mission Australia CEO James Toomey said in a statement.
“It’s vital that all young people have opportunities and forums available to them so they can speak up and shape public matters and policy. Young people’s concerns must be considered when forming policies that affect their lives and futures. Young people must be part of the design of programs or services for young people. They are, after all, the experts in what it is to be a young person in Australia today.”
Aside from the environment, 36.2% of Aussies surveyed stated that mental health was an important issue, primarily concerning stress, school or study problems, mental illness and body image.
