The Valuing Children Initiative Survey 2023

Exploring Australian Adults’ Attitudes Towards Children for a Better Future

The Exploring Australian Adults’ Attitudes Towards Children for a Better Future 2023 which surveyed 1008 adults across Australia was commissioned by the Valuing Children Initiative and conducted by The University of Western Australia, Edith Cowan University and Curtin University compared results from the same survey conducted in 2016.

Adults' attitudes about children have changed to ‘fortunate’, ‘tech savvy’ and ‘honest’ and less ‘selfish’, ‘lazy’ or ‘spoilt’ according to ground-breaking new research into adults’ attitudes towards children.

Australian adults also believe that governments give ‘too little’ consideration to children when making decisions while 75 per cent of adults agreed the best interests of children should be considered in all decision making.

This attitude survey provides a pathway to action to value children. By understanding how adults see children, we can challenge or amplify those ideas with information campaigns and mechanisms such as the Child and Youth Impact Assessment Tool that empower children in our decision-making processes. This ensures that we construct their world ‘with them’, not ‘to them’.

The report made six recommendations including new mechanisms to amplify children’s voices, greater support for families to facilitate children’s development, school-based programs that empower children, better advocacy for children’s rights and further research that impact children’s lives.