Bullying, conflict and homelessness are wreaking havoc in the lives of disadvantaged children, according to a report by the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People.

Advocate Andrew Johnson surveyed almost 3,000 people aged under the age 25 about their struggles with education, employment, housing, and family violence.



The major report includes perspectives from more than 2,000 rural children and young people, who also identified poor transport as a significant problem.

Mr Johnson said disadvantaged youth deserved a louder voice in shaping policy, and many young people had offered ideas for positive solutions.

"Children and young people have something valuable to say about what would improve their own lives," he said.

Bush transport unaffordable, unreliable

The report reveals poor transport is a "considerable challenge" that prevents kids in the bush getting to jobs, services and education.

What young people are saying about life in 2018 1 in 4 young people have experienced bullying

1 in 4 young people have experienced bullying 1 in 5 rural youth say their transport is not working well

1 in 5 rural youth say their transport is not working well Three quarters of youth feel government should improve education

Three quarters of youth feel government should improve education Only 3 per cent of youth say housing is "working well" in NSW

A fifth of all participants said more frequent bus and train services were needed where they lived.

One young woman said her options were so limited that she spent up to six hours a day commuting to and from school.

The high cost of tickets was another major issue, with one rural boy saying he found himself "begging the bus driver for a ride" after being "kicked out of home late at night".

Other children said they often walked long distances or resorted to hitchhiking with strangers.

The report recommends solutions such as offering emergency Opal card top-ups or free driving lessons to regional children in need.

Lack of affordable housing a generational crisis

The report also confirms that housing is at crisis point for disadvantaged youth.

It finds homelessness and couch-surfing is on the rise, especially in regional areas, and only 3 per cent of youth think the housing sector is "working well".

One young man said his rent was so high he often skipped meals.

"After rent is taken out, which is highly subsidised, I have no money left for the week." he said.

Those in temporary accommodation spoke of long waiting lists to access sometimes dirty and dangerous emergency shelters.

"My experiences of temporary accommodation were similar to that of a crack den," one teen said.

Youth advocacy group Yfoundations chief executive Zoe Robinson said the growing housing shortage was pushing vulnerable youth into homelessness across the state.

"Affordable housing is a constant issue because there is no affordable housing," she said.

"The houses that are available are houses that no-one should live in, let alone vulnerable young people."

The report suggests funding an emergency hotline that would help at-risk youth access government services by providing a one-stop shop.

Family violence pushing youth onto the streets

The report also highlights family violence as another trigger behind youth homelessness.

Dale Foster, 28, left his home on the Hunter Valley as a teenager and lived on the streets of Sydney for more than 10 years.

Friends Owen Davis (L) and Dale Foster have recently escaped homelessness after more than a decade on the streets. ( Supplied: Avani Dias )

"I had a really bad upbringing, my parents drank a lot, did a lot of drugs so I was put through a lot of physical and mental abuse," he said.

"I wanted to leave when I was a lot younger and I'd bring it up at school but no one took me seriously. You talk to counsellors at school but they just brush it off, they didn't.

"I had to come to the big city because on the Hunter Valley, everything was for adults and there was one youth refuge but that was it."

Dale Foster said he had to use public transport to reach youth services but he ended up accumulating numerous fines in the process.

"There're trains and buses but without money I don't know how many thousands of dollars of fines I've racked up from being homeless and catching a train somewhere," he said.

"Because I had to get to the next refuge to get more assistance, I had around $15,000 accumulated in fines and 99 per cent of that was from train fines," he said.

Children demand more education, less discrimination

Education was cited as a number one priority by children and young people, who saw it as their gateway to opportunity.

Three quarters of those interviewed said funding better education would "improve their lives", and almost a third felt the quality of teaching should be lifted.

Many children said their teachers did not help struggling students enough, and could spend more time "explaining things".

The report found some children felt unwelcome at school, and negative attitudes from teachers stopped them from learning.

Some spoke of encountering racism, sexism and homophobia in their classrooms or wider communities.

A quarter of youth also reported bullying, ranging from schoolyard conflicts to cyber-bullying.

Positive solutions for schools

Despite facing challenges, disadvantaged students enjoyed learning and had positive suggestions for their schooling.

A quarter wanted more "life training" in areas such as cooking and personal finances to prepare them for "how the world works".

Others asked for more support for kids with different learning needs, and more flexible hours.

Children in juvenile detention also raised the issue of long, unsupervised suspensions where they had "nothing to do for long periods" as a catalyst for getting into trouble with the law.

The report recommends alternatives to out-of-school suspensions — such as providing virtual classrooms or supervised study centres — to keep at-risk students off the streets.

Major findings to be delivered to government

Mr Johnson said today's young people inspired him with their optimism, altruism and positive ideas for their future in the face of adversity.

"They are outward looking, they are solutions focused, but primarily they are looking out for each other," he said.

"And we can see from the report they come up with some very valuable suggestions about what can help them transition into a better life, what can help them get into employment."

The 2018 NSW Advocate for Children and Young People's report will be officially launched tomorrow.