Resilience is a concept used frequently among researchers and educational and health authorities in discussions of attempts aimed at reducing social, emotional and educational problems among our children and young people. The central role of schools in the lives of children has logically meant the involvement of schools in any programs aimed at building resilience in children and adolescents. However, those who would be most intimately involved in implementing such programs are often confused by the concept and what is expected of them to build resilience on a daily basis. This paper seeks to clarify some of this confusion by highlighting some of the main findings about resilience in the existing literature. It then seeks to consider how this knowledge can be considered within each of the areas that will be needed to work as an integrated whole to achieve lasting results, as well as considering some of the issues that may hinder that goal.

Indigenous students are not attaining the same educational and employment outcomes as non-Indigenous students. Psychological constructs have been demonstrated by research with non-Indigenous Australians to impact upon desirable educational outcomes; however, there is a dearth of Aboriginal education research that has identified psychological constructs of salience to Indigenous students. The purpose of this study was to: (a) evaluate the self-concepts of Indigenous secondary students; (b) identify Indigenous students' aspirations; (c) elucidate Indigenous students' perceptions of barriers faced in attaining their aspirations; and (d) compare and contrast the pattern of results for Indigenous students to results for non-Indigenous students from the same schools. A total of 1686 students (517 Indigenous and 1151 non-Indigenous) from urban and rural regions from three Australian States participated. Indigenous students displayed statistically significantly lower academic (school, maths, verbal) self-concepts in comparison to non-Indigenous students. Significantly more Indigenous students in comparison to non-Indigenous students aspired to leaving school early, attending Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions and were less likely to know much about what sort of job or further education and training they could pursue after leaving school. Indigenous students also rated nine potential barriers with significantly higher scores compared to non-Indigenous students in regard to limiting or stopping them from achieving what they want to do. The results have important implications for career education and counselling interventions in educational contexts.

This article describes a professional and research journey that has focussed on developing and evaluating programs and strategies which am, to enhance upper primary school students' self-percepttons, including self-esteem self-concepts and self-talk. The journey started with the development and evaluation of an 8-session program to enhance children's global self-esteem (Burnett, 1983; Ritchie & Burnett, 1985) and continued until an investigation of how teacher feedback can be used to enhance academic self-concepts, specifically in mathematics and reading (Burnett, 1999, 2003).

Same-sex attracted youths comprise 10% to 11% of the secondary school population although not all of those who experience same-sex attraction will adopt a gay, lesbian, transgender or transsexual lifestyle. Most, if not all, will experience homophobia in one or more of its forms. Many of these young people will cope well with the heterocentric attitudes and prejudices prevalent in secondary schools and the wider community and make the transition into adulthood having learned how to mask their sexual preferences or develop effective coping mechanisms to deal with homophobia. Some will succumb to the pressures they experience and seek less ideal solutions that include drug use and promiscuity. Some will take their own lives. This article draws attention to the complications of same-sex attraction and argues for a school and community response that recognises and appreciates the positive contributions that diversity of sexual preference brings to any community.

Recent epidemiological studies in Australia have found that adolescent mental health issues are an important public health problem (Sawyer et al., 2001). These problems are often manifested in the classroom. As many as one in five Australian children aged from 4 to 17 have significant mental health concerns (Zubrick, Silburn, Burton, & Blair, 2000). However, only one in four of these young people receive professional help (Sawyer et al., 2001). To assist in preventing these problems, schools in Australia have been trialling innovative strategies in mental health promotion, prevention and intervention such as the Gatehouse Project and MindMatters. When selected or indicated prevention strategies are employed there is a need for identification of those students either at-risk or who have mild symptoms of a disorder. This process needs to be efficient and effective, using multiple informants and multi-methods. This article reports on the process utilised by two Australian high schools that trialled an identification process for at-risk students for anxiety/depression using indicated prevention programs. The benefits of using teachers, support staff and student self-identification are discussed.

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and questioning adolescents are a sizeable, albeit relatively invisible, minority within our education system. As a result, school counsellors and psychologists will encounter students who are same-sex attracted. Many school counsellors and psychologists who identify same-sex attracted students and see said issues as important will refer these students to specialist services within the community. Such referrals are not always the most appropriate way to handle same-sex attraction issues. School counsellors and psychologist have the professional characteristics required to create a therapeutic alliance and know the behavioural strategies needed to help same-sex attracted students deal with the issues, some related to same-sex attraction, likely to bring such students into contact with counselling or psychological services. It is suggested that school counsellors and psychologists add some basic knowledge, awareness, and skill relating to same-sex attraction to their professional development and, when possible, address the concerns of their sexual minority students directly and through systemic interventions. Reasons why school counsellors and psychologists are in an opportune position to support same-sex attracted students are given. Moreover, some of the knowledge, awareness and skills needed for competent work with same-sex attracted students are outlined. Finally, sexual minority resources are provided.

This article describes the history, development and status of MindMatters Plus (MM+). MM+ is a project developed within the context of MindMatters (MM), an ongoing initiative which aims to promote mental health within Australian secondary schools. MM+ is an integral component of the MM suite of initiatives and is consistent with its underlying philosophy of developing student resilience through a “whole of school”, capacity-building approach. The specific goal of MM+ is to develop best practice approaches to improving the mental health outcomes of secondary school students with high support mental health needs (SWHSNs) and is achieved in several ways: (1) assisting schools in early identification; (2) facilitating the implementation of preventative and other interventions; (3) developing new initiatives and refining existing processes, policies and strategies and; (4) encouraging the development of timely and accessible networks of care with external agencies and community partnerships.