A new program hopes to build youth resilience and deliver early intervention for young people across Queensland.
The AMAYDA Resilience Program (ARP) will be delivered by not-for-profit organisation BullyProof Australia – the program provides young people with the tools to tackle social issues that contribute to young people disengaging from education and potentially going down the path of youth crime.
BullyProof Australia has begun delivering the program at 40 participating Queensland schools, with plans to expand the program to more in the coming months.
Boxing champion ambassador
Co-founder and former World boxing champion Jeff Horn has thrown his support as an Ambassador for the program.
In addition, ARP will now form part of the QPS’ School Support Officer program, with the expansion planned to focus on schools in key locations including Cairns, Townsville, Gold Coast and Toowoomba.
The program includes practical solutions and support for a wide range of social issues including bullying and trouble at school, which can often contribute to young people becoming disengaged.
Making positive choices
By providing behavioural education and support on relationship building, communication strategies and physical skills young people will be given the tools they need to make positive choices and prevent them from engaging in offending behaviour.
The Queensland Government has supported the program with $11.5 million in funding.
Minister for Police and Corrective Services and Minister for Fire and Emergency Services, Mark Ryan, says it is known that a big piece of the puzzle in the fight against youth crime, is preventing young people from going down that path to begin with. ‘This program gives teachers and young people crucial tools to tackle issues that lead young people astray including bullying and trouble at school.
Bullies and bullied at higher risk of criminal behaviour
Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll says that research shows that both victims of bullying and the bullies themselves are at higher risk of criminal behaviour in their formative years.
‘The preventative approach of this program will allow us to intervene and positively influence young people at a critical period of their development,’ she said. ‘Engaging them not just in AMAYDA Resilience Program but with officers who are part of the QPS’ School Support Program. We can start building relationships that will allow officers to redirect young people down a positive path and keep our communities safe.’
Jeff Horn says he was bullied at school. ‘I am a former school teacher and now have my own children at school, so I feel passionately about working with kids in schools.
Change the culture at schools
‘The AMAYDA Resilience Program has run for five years with great success. The goal is to change the culture at schools so that all students and teachers feel safe, happy, respected, appreciated and liked, which is an ideal learning environment.
‘The AMAYDA Resilience Program is an early intervention program that gets kids back on the rails before they go too far. This is exciting because our most valuable asset is our children and this will help protect them.
‘This investment by the Queensland Government will help thousands of children by encouraging vital traits of respect, courage, resilience and integrity.
‘I am excited about what this expansion of the program will bring.’
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