Founder of First Nations LGBQTI suicide prevention body Black Rainbow says that for Indigenous youths, Arts and Sports programs are band-aid solutions.
The Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia’s CEO, Ross Wortham told the ABC that at risk youth should have better access to art and sport, telling an inquiry that programs had to appeal to vulnerable youth before they hit crisis point.
Mr Wortham says that with suicide rates being so high in Western Australia – a recent report finding that indigenous people in the Kimberly are 7 times more likely to commit suicide, it is crucial that cultural and sports programs are funded.
Dameyon Bonson says that the effectiveness of Arts and Sports programs needs to be measured before they are offered as a solution to youth suicide and detention.
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