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What is the project about?

This project aimed to understand better how young people experience poverty and other forms of social disadvantage. Its focus is on finding out more about how young people in NSW between the ages of 12 and 16 (in school years 7-10) perceive and experience material deprivation (‘missing out’) and social exclusion (‘being left out’). 

The project identifies poverty as a situation where people do not have enough income to achieve a minimum standard of living. The approach drew on information provided by young people about what things they agree everyone should have – things like some pocket money each week to spend on yourself and an annual holiday with family. Using this approach means that young people themselves have a say in how their disadvantaged status is identified, measured and assessed.

These kinds of studies are often conducted on adults, so this is the first time the approach has been applied to young people in Australia.

The results provided policymakers with better information about the kinds of problems that young people encounter so that they can design better policy responses.

Where is the study happening?

The project involved a sample of young people studying in years 7-10 in NSW Government schools and some young people accessing services by The Smith Family.

Who is doing the research?

The research was b