Australian Secondary Schools Survey Release with Professor Jennifer Power

In this impactful conversation, Professor Jennifer Power sits down with Winnie to share the latest findings from the 8th iteration of the Australian Secondary Students and Sexual Health (SSASH) Study, Australia’s most comprehensive national snapshot of young people’s sexual health, relationships and wellbeing. 

As the Lead Investigator of SSASH and Associate Professor at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS), Jennifer unpacks what the data reveals about current gaps and emerging trends, highlighting why evidence-based, inclusive and responsive approaches are critical to supporting young people.  

For more than three decades, SSASH has shaped how we understand and respond to young people’s sexual health, influencing policy, education, and sexual health promotion. 

This episode was recorded in April 2025

References  

Jennifer Power | About | La Trobe University   

8th Australian survey of secondary students and sexual health, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, Our work, Sexual health and wellbeing, La Trobe University 

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The Australian Child Maltreatment Study, a nationally representative survey of child abuse and neglect in Australia, found that among participants aged 16–24 who had ever been in a relationship: 

• 44% had experienced psychological violence 

• 25% had experienced physical violence 

• 18% had experienced sexual violence (Mathews et al., 2025). 

Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), a nationally representative study that has followed approximately 10,000 children and their families since 2004, reported that, in 2018, 29% of 18–19-year-olds had experienced at least one form of intimate partner violence in the 12 months prior to the survey. Specifically: 

• 25% had experienced emotional abuse 

• 12% had experienced physical violence 

• 8% had experienced sexual abuse. 

Hobbs, C. (2022). Young, in love and in danger: Teen domestic violence and abuse in Tasmania : research report.  

Mathews, B., Hegarty, K. L., MacMillan, H. L., Madzoska, M., Erskine, H. E., Pacella, R., ... & Cubitt, T. (2025). The prevalence of intimate partner violence in Australia: a national survey. Medical Journal of Australia, 222(9), 440-448. 

O’Donnell, K., Rioseco, P., Vittiglia, A., Rowland, B., & Mundy, L. (2023). Intimate partner violence among Australian 18–19 year olds. Canberra; Australian Institute of Family Studies. 

Credits     

Host: Winnie Adamson 

Guest: Jennifer Power 

Producers: Maddy Stratten & Winnie Adamson  

Editing: Winnie Adamson  

Music: Little Pastries Instrumental (descript)   

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To hear more about Professor Jennifer Power’s work, listen to her previous episode of On The Couch Society, Social Scripts & the Study of Sex