How is loneliness impacting young people in Australia?

Many Australian families may be surprised to learn that young people experience loneliness more than any other age group. While schools are vital for helping kids make friends and find support, they can also be places where some students feel left out or isolated. Although it might seem obvious that bullying and negative social experiences contribute to loneliness, the full impact of these challenges—especially how they play out in daily school life—hasn’t been fully explored.  

In this episode, host Nadia Rossi speaks with Amber Brock-Fabel (Founder, SA Youth Forum) and Dr Ben Lohmeyer (Senior Lecturer in Social Policy, College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University). In this conversation, Amber and Ben share the findings from their co-designed study on loneliness and its relationship with young people’s experiences of bullying and overall wellbeing. They talk about the rise of loneliness amongst young people in Australia, the importance of creating safe spaces for young people within and outside of the school environment and how parents may better understand what their children might be facing at school—and ways to support them. 

In this episode you will hear: 

• Amber and Ben share what led them to research the connection between loneliness and bullying in young people [00:06:53].
•   About how young people are feeling and their experiences of loneliness [00:10:55].
•  Links between social systems, loneliness and young people’s experiences of bullying  [00:12:50].
•   The role of safe spaces for young people within and outside of the school environment  [00:17:52].

Further information and resources:
 

Affective economies of loneliness in school: Bullying, violence and undesirable social connections. Lohmeyer, B., & South Australian Youth Forum. (2025). Critical Studies in Education. Advance online publication. DOI: 10.1080/17508487.2025.2555310.  

In focus: Childhood bullying 

Supporting children who experience bullying   

Supporting children who engage in bullying  

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