Protecting the masses

Adolescence offers opportunities to stand on our own two feet and make choices that shape the adults we become. Associate Professor Alison Hutton is heartily in favour of this first taste of freedom continuing throughout adulthood and has made a career out of ensuring that as many people as possible live to enjoy it.

Teenage events such as Schoolies Week and music festivals have earned headlines for accidents, drug overdoses and occasional deaths, but Associate Professor Hutton takes up the challenge of harm minimisation at mass gatherings with relish.

“I’ve been a practising nurse and I’m a mother. Of course a part of me wants to tell young people to go home to bed when I’m at some events; but I know that wouldn’t work – if I was in their shoes I wouldn’t take any notice!” Associate Professor Hutton said.

“We have to identify better ways to enable young people to enjoy the freedom and excitement of gathering in large groups at events while encouraging a better approach to reducing risks and encouraging safety.

“Young people need support event when they are having fun, so what can we do (as organisers of volunteer organisations) to help protect young people? It’s an incredibly fine line balancing act.”

A regular face at Schoolies, outdoor music festivals and even the Royal Adelaide Show, Associate Professor Hutton’s work has been recognised by the World Health Organisation and is helping inform policy changes, so that support at events for young people is more effective.

Her work has unpicked the motivation for young people’s attendance at events and how they can find what they are looking for by attending, but in a safer way.

“People use events to escape the humdrum of daily life,” Associate Professor Hutton said.

“I want to enable event organisers to run their events knowing they have done as much as they can to limit the risks and ensure that young people have the outlets that give them the best chance of enjoying their experience in a safe and supportive manner, even if they choose to spend their time consuming alcohol and eating junk food.

“My research is being shared with the South Australian Police, event venues and medical teams, and there is lots of potential for it to be used interstate and internationally.

“We need to implement real-time, positive intervention strategies for major events – it’s not good enough to wait and respond after someone has been hurt, or worse. It’s about being proactive and pre-empting possible issues, and implementing strategies to avoid them becoming a risk.

“Young people need our support when enjoying themselves. For many, it is the most memorable part of their lives. We want to contribute in ways that ensure those memories are treasured because of the positive contribution they will make to their future lives as adults.”