ISBN: 0477103359 9780477103350

Category: Unavailable

Page count: 305

In October 2009, the Prime Minister requested that the Office of the Chief Science Advisor review the scientific understandings related to the high rate of social morbidity associated with being an adolescent in New Zealand. A number of leading academics and health practitioners from a variety of disciplines, with expertise in domains of relevance, were invited to form a Taskforce co-chaired by Professor Harlene Hayne. Adolescents in New Zealand relative to those in other developed countries have a high rate of social morbidity. While most adolescents are resilient to the complexities of the social milieu in which they live, at least 20% of young New Zealanders will exhibit behaviours and emotions or have experiences that lead to long-term consequences affecting the rest of their lives.