Youth Assist - Building Better Lives

07/09/2026

Cats or dogs… who wins your heart? 🐾

Some of us love the big excited welcome at the door. Others are perfectly happy being judged silently from across the room.

Either way, pets have a way of becoming part of the family.

They make us laugh, keep us company, get us outside, teach kids about care and responsibility, and somehow always seem to know when we need them close.

And of course, they come with plenty of personality too… from cats choosing the cardboard box over the expensive bed, to dogs hearing the word walk from three rooms away.

So which side are you on?

🐶 Team Dog
🐱 Team Cat
Or happily both?

Read “Cats and Dogs: Who Wins Your Heart?” in Issue 23 of Empowered Queensland.
https://trauma-assist.com.au/23rd-edition-empowered-digital-magazine/

07/09/2026

From awareness to action: Parents call for greater access to resources helping prevent child s*xual abuse

A child protection alliance is calling for child s*xual abuse prevention information to be distributed proactively to all parents and caregivers to help keep kids safe.

It comes after a national survey of more than 1000 Australian parents and caregivers* found 8 in 10 (80%) wanted this information, but most (60.5%) did not know where to find it.

The e-kidna alliance – made up of Act for Kids, Bravehearts and the Daniel Morcombe Foundation – set out to understand how easily parents and caregivers could access information to help prevent child s*xual abuse, with support from the Queensland Family and Child Commission.

6th-12th September-National Child Protection Week, e-Kidna is calling for federal and state governments to invest in universal, accessible and evidence-informed child s*xual abuse prevention by embedding protective behaviours education across health and early childhood services. Read more here: https://bit.ly/4dmlTF9

05/09/2026

Let's talk about consent. A lot of people think consent is complicated, but it can be as simple as...
✅ Consent sounds like: "Yes" / "I want to" / "I'm comfortable with that"
❌ Consent doesn't sound like: Silence / "I'm not sure" / "Maybe" / Someone being pressured, guilted, scared or too intoxicated to decide
Consent needs to be freely given, informed and ongoing. Anyone can change their mind at any time.

While consent is essential in s*x and relationships, it's also something we can practise every day. Whether it's asking before posting a photo of someone, checking if a friend wants a hug, or respecting a person's boundaries, consent is about respecting each other's choices, comfort and autonomy.

If something has happened to you and you're unsure how to feel about it, or you just want to talk things through, support is available.
📞 1800RESPECT
📱

Anytime. Any Reason.

02/09/2026

When did happiness get so complicated? 💛

Sometimes it’s not the big holiday, the perfect weekend or winning the lottery.

Sometimes it’s the last Tim Tam, every green light on the way home, clean sheets, a coffee in peace, your dog choosing your lap… or someone cancelling plans you secretly didn’t want to attend anyway. 😄

These little moments are called micro joys — tiny flashes of comfort, pleasure or amusement that can make an ordinary day feel just that little bit better.

They won’t fix everything. But they can absolutely improve the next five minutes.

✨ Read “Exploring Micro Joys” in Issue 23 of Empowered Queensland — free online. https://trauma-assist.com.au/23rd-edition-empowered-digital-magazine/

02/09/2026

Respect shouldn’t be something young people have to figure out the hard way. 💗

Relationships, consent, boundaries, pressure, online behaviour and knowing when something doesn’t feel right can be confusing territory.

Love Bites gives young people aged 11 to 17 a space to talk about the real stuff, ask questions and build the skills to recognise healthier, more respectful relationships.

For teens, it’s about understanding what respect should actually look and feel like.

For schools and youth organisations, it’s a practical way to start conversations that can make a real difference.

💬 Could Love Bites work in your school or community?

Read more in Issue 23 of Empowered Queensland @ Trauma Assist - Wide Bay or enquire about bringing the program to your young people @ Napcan

02/09/2026

Issue 23 of Empowered Queensland is out now, with articles about the things families and young people are actually navigating.

We cover mental wellbeing, R U OK?, staying safe, consent, healthy relationships, FASD and getting support when life feels overwhelming.

There’s practical information about supporting young people, child safety, foster care, recognising when someone may be struggling and starting conversations that matter.

And it’s not all serious. There are lighter reads on micro joys, pets, food, dads and the little things that can make an ordinary day feel better.

Some pages might start a conversation at home. Others might help you understand each other a little better.

💙 Issue 23 is free to read online. No subscription needed.
https://trauma-assist.com.au/23rd-edition-empowered-digital-magazine/

Take a look, read what speaks to you and share something useful with someone you care about.

01/09/2026

You know… that special wardrobe on the floor where clean clothes, dirty clothes and “I might wear that again” clothes all live together?

You clean your room and promise yourself, “I’m actually going to keep it tidy this time.”

Three days later… the floordrobe is back. 😩

Instead of waiting until you can’t see the carpet, try a 5-minute reset:

👕 Dirty clothes → washing basket
👚 Clean clothes → wardrobe
🤔 Might wear it again → give it ONE designated spot
🥤 Cups and rubbish → out
👟 Shoes → somewhere you won't trip over them
🛏️ Quick straighten of the bed

Your room doesn't need to be Instagram-perfect.

The goal is simple: less floordrobe, more actual floor. 😂🙌

31/08/2026

Hey Mom,
Please keep pursuing me. When my door is shut, keep knocking. When my words are few, keep talking. When my mood is low, keep smiling. When I snap at you, stay. When I walk away, stay close behind. Please don’t give up. Please keep pursuing me. I need you now more than ever.
~ Your Teen

And this is our job, after all. We certainly pursued them as babies.

No matter how exhausted we were, we dragged our bodies out of bed at all hours of the night to feed them, re-bundle them, and make sure they were safe and protected. We pursued them as toddlers as we followed them around while they learned how to use their legs to walk and then to run.

We continued to pursue them no matter how messy, frustrating, difficult, unpredictable, or exhausting they were for us. We pursued them because we knew their lives depended on it. We pursued them because we love them.

So... why should it stop now?

READ MORE IN THE COMMENT BELOW

28/08/2026

Connection and belonging play an important role in the lives of children and young people–both offline and online. But experiences such as seeking acceptance, validation or a sense of belonging can also shape a young person’s vulnerability to online risks.

During National Child Protection Week, the eSafety Commissioner is hosting a free webinar for professionals working with children and young people exploring how connection, identity and belonging can influence online experiences.

The webinar will explore:
🔹how offline experiences can shape vulnerability online
🔹why some children and young people may be more at risk
🔹strategies professionals can use to support safer online engagement.

It will also introduce eSafety’s new contextual safeguarding resource, designed to help professionals identify and respond to the broader factors that can contribute to online risk.

Creating safe online environments is an important part of becoming a child safe organisation. This webinar can support organisations to strengthen practices under Child Safe Standard 8 - Physical and online environments, while building staff knowledge and skills under Child Safe Standard 7 - Knowledge, skills, and awareness.

Join the free webinar online to learn more about supporting safer online experiences for children and young people.
📅Wednesday 9 September 2026
⏰3.45pm AEST
🔗https://www.esafety.gov.au/educators/training-for-professionals/educators-and-youth-serving-professionals

28/08/2026

“This time, it WON'T happen.” “I’ll just sit and listen and nod my head.” “No matter what, I won’t get riled up or raise my voice.”
Our intentions are usually so good when it comes to communicating with our teens. But darn it, they make it so hard, sometimes, don’t they?
Most conversations between teens and their parents about potentially contentious topics start off fine. But ask teenagers how they predict those conversations will end and, well… most assume, “Not well,” which is exactly why they avoid the conversation in the first place.
Whether we’re talking to our kids about their lack of effort in school, that they’re always breaking curfew, or that we’ve asked them 10 times to clean their room and they still haven’t done it, talking with our kids about “heated” subjects takes a bit of skill on our part.
And, if we’re being honest with ourselves, there are a few things our teens do that can really push us over the edge…
https://bit.ly/3UGVrQ9

If conversations with your teen tend to get heated or your teen shuts down, try using the SOFTEN approach to build a connection.