12-20 September 2026
Over the last decade, widespread concern that social media is harming young people, and the recurring cycles of moral panic that often accompany new technologies, have been growing. But is this really new? Drawing on the available evidence, Dr. Chris Ferguson will...
Presenter: Dr. Stephan Natynczuk (Spare Krab Adventure Therapy) Abstract: What does borshch have to teach us about meaningful, helpful, and useful conversations? In this session, I will take a playful look at the ingredients of a good conversation and, using the...
Young people can often find themselves in the crosshairs of intersecting crises - crises that can be exacerbated by the vulnerabilities of youth and the disregard that can be present for young people’s wellbeing and needs. Not only are young people grappling with...
How does GenAI imagine a child? Or an Australian? And why does it matter? Ask generative AI to show you an image of a child and you’ll get a few standard results. But dig deeper and it will reveal how harmful biases can be baked into the core of these tools. In this...
Presenter: Doug Moczynski Abstract: Have you ever paused to consider how the young people you work with perceive you? Through your words, actions, and presence, the example you set shapes what meaning they make from their experience. Are you actively creating...
Digital literacy for children is complex; even for our youngest children. The ability to use a range of digital technologies, to critically engage with those technologies, and the texts they offer is important. But so too is developing children’s capacities to react...
This forum is held in conjunction with our partner organisation the Department for Child Protection. The message this year for National Child Protection Week (3-9 September) is that ‘Every child in every community needs a fair go’ and will be complemented with the...