Parents

• What your teenager should know about staying safe
• What parents should know about Schoolies
• The Parent's Guide to Alcohol and a Safer Schoolies
• Safer Schoolies Initiative
  • Grant recipients
  • Safer Schoolies safety services
  • Airlie Beach
  • Gold Coast
  • Magnetic Island
  • Yeppoon

What your teenager should know about staying safe

No matter what a graduating Year 12 student decides to do to mark the end of their secondary schooling, there is important health and safety information they need to know.

Talking to your teenager before they attend any Schoolies occasion will go a long way to ensuring they have a safe and enjoyable start to life after school.

Here are some topics to help get you started:

• General information about Schoolies
• Health and safety
• Alcohol and drugs
• Accommodation

Talking to your teenager before they attend any Schoolies occasion will go a long way to ensuring they have a safe and enjoyable start to life after school.

General information about Schoolies

Safer Schoolies activities are only for graduating Year 12 students or TAFE equivalent only.

Toolies (those past Year 12) and foolies (yet to get through Year 12) should respect the safety of schoolies and stay away. Parents should encourage their teenagers who are not Year 12 graduates to stay at home.

The Queensland Government is committed to educating and informing graduating Year 12 students, and their parents, about health and safety, and personal rights and responsibilities to make Schoolies as safe as possible.

This includes a highly-visible police presence in Schoolies precincts; additional emergency services and alcohol and drug-free activities for schoolies only.

Health and Safety

• In an emergency your teenager should phone triple zero (000). If there is a Schoolies activity happening nearby, locate a volunteer or police officer to help.
• In your teenager’s mobile phone, under ‘ICE’, save the name and number of the person to be contacted In Case of Emergency (ICE).
• Talk to your teenager about the importance of doing the right thing and being responsible — for themselves and their mates.
• Talk about how your teenager can stay safe — ensure they have a list of key contact numbers, know and understand their accommodation’s house rules, and know how to get around safely.
• Ask for the contact numbers of the other young people staying in your teenager’s accommodation, and importantly, their parents’ contact numbers.
• Try to speak to the parents of the young people your teenager is staying with to encourage open dialogue.
• Establish a ‘check-in with home’ arrangement — it could be a quick phone call or even a text message to let you know your child is safe.
• Establish a plan for ‘checking-out’. Know how and when your teenager is coming home and encourage them to communicate this to the group.
• Talk to your teenager about what ‘unsafe’ means for both of you and let them know it’s okay to come home early.
• Talk to your teenager about the friends they are staying with — are they sensible and responsible friends who can read danger signs and will keep an eye out for each other?
• It’s important to remind your teenager to always have some form of identification on them. A school photo ID, driver’s licence, passport or 18+ Card is a MUST.
• Encourage your teenager to always walk with a friend or in a group and be aware of traffic. If they are ever alone, they should ask an official volunteer for help to get home.
• Remind your teenager to respect the people who live and work in the community where they are staying.
• Be part of the growing trend of parents catching up with their teenager and friends during Schoolies, by meeting up for lunch or dinner, going shopping or doing a holiday activity together.

Alcohol and Drugs

In previous years some parents have chosen to purchase liquor for their teenagers for Schoolies. This is now illegal with fines of up to $6000.

• Police now have new powers to seize alcohol that has the potential to cause harm to minors or that has been provided to minors without appropriate adult supervision.
• Police can now confiscate alcohol in cars and public places and dispose of alcohol they reasonably suspect is destined for unsupervised consumption by minors.
• Providing alcohol to underage children in private places where there is no responsible supervision is not only dangerous, it is now illegal.

Some things you and your teenager should know about drugs and alcohol:

• Underage drinking or possession of liquor in a public place could result in a fine of up to $1875.
• If your teenager is underage and found in licensed premises, they could be fined up to $1875.
• Drink spiking can happen — remind your teenager to keep their drink with them at all times and not accept drinks from people they don't know or trust. Drinking out of bottles or cans, rather than a glass, is recommended.
• Talk to your teenager about knowing their limits. If they choose to drink alcohol, discuss being responsible. Some simple tips for you to share include limiting drinks, know their strength, have water between drinks, eat something, and know that only time will make you sober.
• Illicit drugs have no manufacturing controls and are extremely dangerous, particularly when mixed with alcohol.
• In Queensland, 17-year-olds convicted of drug offences are tried through the adult court system — drug convictions affect employability and the ability to travel overseas.

Accommodation

• Your teenagers should obtain a copy of their accommodation contract from their accommodation provider, not just the booking agent, and check the terms and conditions.
• Make sure they get a receipt if they have to pay a bond.
• If they change or cancel their booking, your teenagers may face a fee or lose their deposit.
• If the agent or owner cancels their booking, they should receive all their money back.
• If your teenagers have a dispute with the accommodation manager or booking agent, follow these steps:

  Step 1

  Check responsibilities under the booking terms and conditions, house rules and/or accommodation agreement.

  Step 2

  Try and work with the accommodation manager or booking agent to reach an agreement. Accommodation managers must have a complaint handling process in place, and a written complaint should be lodged immediately if treatment has been unfair.

  Step 3

  Call the Office of Fair Trading for advice on 13 13 04.

  Step 4

  If an agreement cannot be reached, contact the Department of Justice and Attorney-General's Alternative Dispute Resolution Branch on 1800 017 288. You should lodge a formal written complaint with the Office of Fair Trading by calling 13 13 04 or online at www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au.

If your teenagers must pay a bond they should get a receipt and claim back the bond money as soon as possible after the event.

Don’t forget to print a list of key contacts for your teenager to take with them to Schoolies.

Last updated: 27 October 2008

In an emergency, your teenagers should phone triple zero (000). If there is a Schoolies activity happening nearby, locate a volunteer or police officer to help.

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Queensland Government