A call to arms has been issued by young people as they fight to be heard on issues that affect them, but on which they're not consulted.
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Students are calling for more serious discussions to take place at school to help address and overcome problems faced by young people, and advocates for children have added their voice to the call for more genuine consultation with youth.
The call from students came after they were consulted for a report into violent extremism and social exclusion titled, 'If only we had asked him to play soccer', prepared by the ACT government in conjunction with the ACT commissioner for children and young people.
The student consultation was facilitated by ACT Human Rights Commission's Gabrielle McKinnon and consultant and former commissioner for children and young people Alasdair Roy at 15 sessions across eight ACT schools, with about 200 students in years 7 to 11.
When asked what the students liked most about the consultation, they said they liked saying their opinion, actually being listened to and having their opinions cared about, and their voices heard.
Former commissioner Mr Roy said it was certainly not the first time he'd heard the request from young people.
He said children not being listened to was a routine complaint with every issue.
"A few years ago I asked children what the best and worst thing about being a young person in Australia was," Mr Roy said.
"Freedom and opportunity were the best things, which is fantastic, kids are excited about being young in Australia.
"In terms of the worst thing, 25 per cent of kids said not being taken seriously because they're young."
Mr Roy said young people were acutely aware they were not listened to by adults.
"I think we are getting better at it now, I think more adults now get why it's important to listen to children and young people and adults and agencies are coming to the conclusion it isn't silly and it's something we should do.
"I think we need to shift a little bit further so it becomes routine," Mr Roy said.
In the ACT, commissioner for children and young people Jodie Griffiths-Cook said engaging with young people was supported by law and clearly stated in government provisions.
"Young people appreciate the opportunity to openly and honestly express their views about contemporary social and political issues that affect their lives," Ms Griffiths-Cook said.
"Many of our consultations with children and young people produce great insights and information."
Ms Griffiths-Cook said it was well within a child's rights to be involved with discussions and decision-making that impacted their lives.
"Children and young people know the most about what is important to them, and that it is children and young people themselves who frequently have the best ideas and the newest ideas about how to change things and make things better."
Despite the strong views held by the commissioner that children should always be consulted, she said there was definite room for improvement in society when it came to engaging with children and young people.
National Children's Commissioner Megan Mitchell agreed, saying decision makers needed to take steps to ensure that the voices of children and young people were included at all stages of the policy process.
"Having a voice in decision-making not only empowers children and young people, but also helps adults to get things right," Ms Mitchell said.
She said in recent years there had been an increasing acceptance in Australian law and policy that children and young people should have an opportunity to express their views in matters that affect their lives.
"In particular, there have been some encouraging signs of efforts to include children and young people's views, opinions and experiences in making improvements to out-of-home care practices and service delivery.
"But, too often adults design systems and make decisions for children and young people without talking to them. For example, despite amendments to the Family Law Act to include reference to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, it is still rare to hear directly from children in family law proceedings in Australia."
Ms Mitchell said Australia currently had the best chance to engage children and young people and listen to their views.
"With the proliferation of digital platforms we have a greater opportunity than ever before to increase the participation of children and young people in government and community decision making.
"One of the core aspects of my work is to ensure that the voices of children are meaningfully incorporated into the decisions and processes that affect them," she said.
"I am consistently impressed with their insights and wisdom."
During the consultation into the social exclusion and violent extremism report, students produced great insights and information.
Ms Griffiths-Cook said the views expressed were both informative and pragmatic, and provided a solid foundation to support the recommendations in the report.
"I am rarely surprised although I am frequently impressed by the maturity and insight displayed by children and young people," she said.
