Multiple Disadvantage: What about the children?

Abstract

It is well-recognised in the Australian and international literature that experiencing disadvantage can create a range of difficulties for parents. The impact of multiple disadvantage-such as unemployment and financial stress-upon parents can be particularly detrimental to their wellbeing, with poor health and reduced economic security often-reported outcomes. A challenge is creating policy that draws on what is known about those children who, despite adversity, do not experience clinically significant social and emotional difficulties or those who recover quickly from such adversity.

Using data from multiple waves of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) and the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC), this presentation will explore how parents' experiences of multiple major life events affect their children. Data from the two studies, will be drawn upon to investigate how parents' experiences of job loss, financial stress and other major adverse life events over time relates to social and emotional wellbeing of their children at age 6/7. This presentation will examine the influence of factors associated with children who 'thrive' despite these times of adversity. It will then draw implications for policy.