Outcome: Involved and empowered

This means: 

• they contribute positively at home, at school and in their communities
• they exercise kaitiakitanga: care of the land and connection to nature
• they have their voices, perspectives, and opinions listened to and taken into account
• they are supported to exercise increasing autonomy as they age, and to be responsible citizens.
• they, and their families, are supported to make healthy choices around relationships, sexual health, alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

Young people are experts in their own lives and need to be heard on matters that affect them. Feeling a sense of value and belonging is a powerful motivator to contribute at home or in communities.

Youth driven enterprises, initiatives and campaigns are common and show young people’s motivation and ability to galvanise their peers and influence change. Young people need opportunities and information to exercise kaitiakitanga now and for the future.

Let us speak our minds because only us young people/children know what we want to have good lives. This can be done by getting to know us and talking to us.

Focus and key actions

We want to ensure children and young people are listened to and taken seriously when decisions are made that affect them, including at school, in State care, and in decision-making more broadly. Children and young people deserve good, accessible information to help them make informed choices about their lives. 

Current policies and actions under this outcome are focussed on:

• Increasing child and youth voice and participation
• Advocating for children and young people’s rights
• Encouraging positive choices and contributions

Indicators

Indicators are used to measure the outcomes in the most direct and simplest way possible. The specific indicators that are relevant to this outcome are:

• Involvement in community
• Representation of youth voice
• Making positive choices
• Criminal offending

You can learn more about these measures on the Indicators page.