The Cronulla riot and its aftermath. The Prime Minister has hit out at some aspects of Muslim culture, declaring there is a fragment which is utterly antagonistic to our kind of society and the Treasurer has raised the spectre of sharia law, saying people who want it should live in Saudi Arabia or Iran but not Australia. Peter Costello has also criticized what he calls 'misguided, mushy multiculturalism'.
nsight has decided to give adults the flick and instead ask 13-year-olds to tell us what matters to them.
"I think we're just like one person." - Bridgette and Paula Powers.
Australian values are back in the news. The Federal Government wants new immigrants to take a test showing they understand Australian emblems and history, and have a reasonable standard of English before becoming eligible for citizenship. So what are these Australian values everyone keeps talking about?
Will a slowing economy lower house prices in Australia? The Housing Industry Association says housing affordability is at a 24-year low. Yet economists are divided over whether Australia's troubled economy will work for or against those struggling to buy a home or maintain a mortgage. Economist Steven Keen has claimed Australia is heading for the worst recession since the Great Depression, and predicts housing prices will drop by over 40 per cent. The ANZ’s Saul Eslake warns this is a dangerous assumption, while economic journalist Ross Gittins believes we are in uncharted waters, with household debt at an all-time high. Home owners mortgaged to the hilt, economists, housing and construction representatives, government and opposition meet on Insight to discuss who could benefit from a big economic dip.
What is courage? What makes some people go where others won't, or come to the rescue while others stand by? Have you ever wondered what you would do in a situation that required courage? How do you think you would act? Insight brings together some amazing people who have had the chance to find out. Host Jenny Brockie talks to the courageous and the not-so-brave about why they reacted the way they did in some extreme situations. So what exactly is courage? Can it be learnt? Are some people just reckless or perhaps addicted to risk? And is there a downside to being courageous? Insight takes a good look at the pros and cons of being brave.
With an economy on the rocks, what do Americans think of Barack Obama and John McCain? For the next two weeks, Insight comes to you from the USA. Jenny Brockie is in New York talking to insiders from both camps plus swing voters from key states about the Presidential candidates, their policies, and what to expect in the final weeks of the campaign. Don't miss Insight's unique look at the US Presidential election. And next week: a second special episode of Insight in America, focusing on young people.
Is the American Dream still alive? Insight, in New York, brings together young Americans from Brooklyn to the Bronx to ask: is the American Dream still alive? This group of racially and socially divided youngsters bursts into passionate argument over success and failure in America's tough economic times, despite their determination to show Australians they're 'classier than that stuff on Jerry Springer'. Eric Brody made his first million before age 30 and is after 50 more. He is one of New York's most promising property developers, and says the current economic catastrophe facing the States doesn't faze him at all. He is joined by Aja Monet, a 21-year-old spoken word artist from Harlem, who says the neighbourhood's African American residents will soon be priced out of their homes and replaced by wealthier white people. Adam Shephard set out to prove the American dream; that starting from nothing he could attain a house, car and savings, and he believes he did so. But could he only take a risk because his background allowed him the safety to do so? Shaquana Appelwhite is 18, lives in the projects and wants a mansion and 80 cars. As the world's most powerful country faces a real threat, Insight finds out how its future custodians plan on dealing with it.
Does child care have a negative effect on the development of children? There is conflicting evidence from Australia and across the world of the negative effects that child care has on children. Researchers in the UK and US have both found that exposure to long term for young children impacts on the way they relate to people for the rest of their lives. In Australia research has been done that is not seeing the same effects and claims that day care isn’t the problem it is the quality of that care. What is the current situation for parents in Australia? Do they have to put their children into day care because there is no other option or because they want to return to their careers? Click on Web Extra to explore child care from the perspective of some little attendees in one centre in Thornleigh.
Are kids becoming more violent at a younger age? Violence in children as young as 10 is increasing, with more girls participating than ever before. Insight looks at the changing face of youth crime by bringing together children who have found themselves on the wrong side of the law with victims, police, criminologists and social workers . The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has reported a spike in numbers of juvenile detainees. Studies have shown that the younger kids are when they first offend, the greater the risk of them ending up in the adult prison system. Insight talks to parents whose lives have been destroyed by their kids' trouble with the law. What motivates young people to act violently? And what role do peers and even technology play in an age where kids are committing child abuse? Is parenting at fault?
It’s the hottest word around – GREED. So to what extent is it to blame for the current global economic meltdown? How will Australia weather the storm? This week INSIGHT explores one of the seven deadliest sins – from Wall Street to our own backyard.
Are Australians safe when buying food and other products manufactured overseas? China and other developing nations are increasingly being relied upon as Australia's main suppliers of food, toys and manufactured goods. But this year, imports have been put under the spotlight following the melamine milk scandal in China, which resulted in the deaths of four babies and made 50,000 children ill. So what are the regulations governing our imported foods and products? Who is responsible, and which products are being checked and tested at the border?
What's the real value in tying the knot these days? Over the past 20 years the number of people getting married in Australia has dropped by almost a quarter, while the number of defacto couples has risen dramatically. New legislation will soon give separating de factos the same legal rights as separating married couples. So where does that leave marriage? Jenny Brockie talks to couples committed to the fairytale notion of marriage, people who have arranged marriages, de factos who've sworn off marriage forever, gay couples who've married and the many-times-married who still believe in finding the ideal mate.
What is the future for jobs in Australia given the global financial crisis? The government is predicting unemployment will hit 5.75 per cent by June 2010. But some economists say it could go as high as 10%. Insight brings together business leaders, economists and workers from retail, manufacturing, banking and mining to talk about job prospects. You'll hear from small business owners, tradesmen, bar workers and shop assistants about the changes they're noticing on the ground and how those changes are likely to affect jobs. Don't miss the last Insight for 2008 on the future for jobs in the coming year.
Is a crisis of confidence the biggest threat facing the Australian economy? Despite a raft of government stimulus policies, falling interest rates and a suite of measures still to come the economic crisis continues to deepen across the world. Parliament has just passed Australia’s most ambitious economic rescue package in history –but with business and consumer confidence dangerously low will it be enough to lift the mood? Join Insight for his intriguing look into the psychological forces driving the economy and the role confidence plays in shaping our future.
Will the risk of extreme weather change how we live? Where will it be safe to live as Australia's temperatures rise? In the wake of the devastating Victorian bushfires, Insight asks whether extreme weather events will force us to change the way we live. Australian climate scientists are warning there could be more bushfires in the south and more intense cyclones in the north. Some of our major cities are at risk. As many Victorians wrestle with how to rebuild their communities, Insight asks how well prepared the rest of us are for extreme events like cyclones and bushfires, and which parts of Australia are most at risk. Join us live from Melbourne as we talk to survivors of the recent bushfires, as well as cyclone victims, local councils, weather experts and building advisors about what to do next.
Why are more Australian women having Caesarean sections? The rate is up 50% over the last decade. But why? Are women themselves opting for caesareans over a natural birth? A recent government review of maternity services found that women should have access to more choices as to how their babies are delivered. One recommendation is that there should be a bigger role for midwives. But this remains a contentious issue. Insight brings together a studio full of pregnant women to talk about their experiences and expectations together with the Federal Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, obstetricians, midwives and GP's. So what real choices do women have, from elective Caesareans to homebirth? What are the risks? And with the rising cost of healthcare, what can we really afford? Ted Weaver, Clare Bowditch, Karen Guilliland and Hannah Dahlen participated in an online chat after the show to answer your questions.
If you've got a job, how do you hang onto it?If you've lost your job, what are your long term prospects? Insight brings together workers, CEOs and the assistant Treasurer, Chris Bowen to debate survival strategies for employees and employers as the unemployment rate climbs to 5.2%, and as 54,000 full time jobs were lost in February - the largest such fall in almost 2 decades. To hang onto their jobs, many thousands of workers are taking the pragmatic option of a 4 day week. Many thousands of others wait each week for the precarious prospect of one or two shifts to sustain them. At the other end of the equation, employers are being heavily squeezed by the banks with credit increasingly difficult to access.
Children as young as 14 are lining up for weight loss surgery. Do you eat your eggplant, broccoli and carrots? Children as young as 14 year are now lining up for weight loss surgery. With one in four considered overweight or obese, how did Australian kids get so fat?
Internet censorship is making headlines again. Find out what we discovered when we covered the issue last March. Debate has been raging over the Government’s plans to mandatory filter the internet with critics slamming the proposal as Chinese-style censorship. The Minister for Communications Stephen Conroy clearly outlined what content will make the blacklist and who will decide. Insight brings together the key players to thrash out the arguments for and against blocking the net.
Are executive salaries justifiable? A top executive in Australia can earn over $30 million whereas in the US it can be as high as $180 million. Business leaders argue that to attract international talent to Australia we have to pay top dollars to make us globally competitive. But can anyone’s job be worth that much? What results should an executive bring to a company to justify these salaries? Are Australian shareholders getting value for money? Join us as we bring together the major players in this debate - business leaders, board members, shareholders and Nick Sherry, Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law, who recently launched an enquiry into this issue.
Revisit one of our most talked about programs of this year. What do kids think about divorce and separation? Last year, over a quarter of Australia's children grew up in either a step or blended family or with just their mum or dad. Nearly one third of marriages now end in divorce and over a million kids grow up with their natural parent living elsewhere. While academics, psychologists, lawyers, and policy makers hotly debate the best way to care for kids after a relationship break-up - how often do we hear from the actual kids themselves? What's it like being a child of divorce? This special episode of Insight throws out the adults from this discussion and talks to the kids themselves. Incorporating a lively studio discussion with video diaries filmed with 12 - 20 year olds from around the country, we explore some of the myths surrounding the impact of divorce and separation on both young and old children. Does 50/50 parenting work for kids? Are kids as resilient as they can seem? Is there such a thing as a 'good' divorce? How long-term and far reaching can the impacts of divorce be on children?
How do youreinvent yourself in a time of recession? If you've been laid off or made redundant do you take this as an opportunity to do the job you’ve always wanted to do? And does what we do, chiefly define us as individuals? More and more people are being forced into questioning how they spend their working lives as the global recession bites. There are fundamentals like bills, mortgages and school fees to be paid, but even with these pressing issues, some people seize the opportunity to make dramatic changes in their working lives, no matter what the cost to their families. Tune in as we bring together writer and philosopher Alain de Botton author of new book 'The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work'; people who've reinvented themselves with all the consequences and those who dream of doing it.
How much sleep do we really need? Australians are sleeping less than they used to. But how much do we really need? And what's the impact on life and work when we're sleep deprived? One recent NSW study showed that almost 1 in 5 working adults are chronically sleep deprived. And apart from feeling sleepy and grumpy the next day, these people are running a bigger risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. With a third of our workforce now working between the hours of 7pm and 7am, it's now emerging that night shift workers are putting themselves at risk of developing similar health problems to those who are sleep deprived. The Danish Government has recently compensated 39 nurses and flight attendants who developed breast cancer after careers of working night shifts. They are currently the only government in the world who have formally recognised a link between working night shift and the onset of cancer. Up to 1.2 million Australians suffer from a range of sleep disorders from insomnia to sleep apnoea. Join Insight and a cast of insomniacs, shift workers, teenagers, emergency workers, new mums and sleep scientists for a fascinating discussion on Sleep. You can talk to our guests Ron Grunstein, Russell Foster and Chris Seton after the show on our Live Chat. You can also follow Insight on Twitter. Find out more about sleep disorders with these information sheets prepared by the Australasian Sleep Association on behalf of Sleep Disorders Australia, a support group for sleep disorder sufferers and their families.
What’s in your recycling bin and where does it go? Glass bottles, DVD players, milk cartons, banana skins, nappies, newspapers, pizza boxes, mobile phones, toothpaste tubes. Do you know what can and can't be recycled? Do you really know what happens when you put the wrong thing in the wrong bin? Each year we recycle more and more but do we recycle the right things and do we know what it costs? Who is responsible for clearing up your rubbish? Is recycling a waste of time and could it be better to just send everything to the tip? Join Insight with rubbish producers, throwers, collectors and recyclers as we talk garbage. Guests Gerard Van Rijswijk, Dave West and Kane Hardingham will be available for you to talk to after the show on our Live Chat.
In April 2006, Insight talked to 54 raucous 13 year olds about what matters to them. Three years later, at the sweet age of 16, we bring those kids back to see how life’s changed. Does Zabelle still think "30 would be a good age" to start having sex? Is Lionel in the running to be the next star player for the Parramatta Eels? Has Shane succumbed to peer pressure? And is Alex still being taunted by the boys for being a ballet dancer? Thirteen was remarkable for bringing together kids from the country and the city to talk openly about terrorism, peer pressure and the role of technology in their lives. It was the winner of a United Nations Media Peace Prize for Children’s Rights and Issues in 2006.
What's behind the recent increase in asylum seekers? More people are arriving in Australia by boat seeking asylum. 19 boats carrying asylum seekers have arrived in Australia since the Rudd Government abolished the previous government’s Temporary Protection Visas and Pacific Solution scheme. What’s behind the recent increase? The Opposition says the Government’s gone soft. But the Government says its policies are firm and international conflicts are to blame. How do we strike a balance between humanitarian responsibility and border protection?
Just how close are doctors and drug companies? Doctors and specialists are regularly offered gifts from drug companies. These range from pens and coffee mugs, to stethoscopes through to free trips to international conferences. Just last year, drug companies in Australia spent more than $62 million on educational events for doctors, and half of that amount was spent on hospitality such as meals. Do these handouts buy influence? Critics say they do; that gifts, sponsorships and hospitality affect the independence of the medical profession. Drug companies say that the educational events they sponsor are vital in keeping doctors up to date with new drugs and developments in medical research. Doctors and drug companies - just how close are they and what does that mean for you the patient?
Should we be worried? Tens of thousands of people across the globe have been infected with swine flu but with most people getting no more than a few sniffles what is all the fuss about? Business and tourism operators feel there has been an overreaction while public health officials and virus experts believe they had no other choice than to handle the situation the way they did. But what if the disease had been worse? Does this outbreak actually expose flaws in our preparedness? Would our hospitals cope if the illness was worse? Are our frontline medics safe? Join us on Insight with Chief Health Officers, virus experts, emergency doctors and swine flu patients as we discuss what did happen, what could have happened and what it means for our safety.
What’s behind the attacks on Indian students? Recent attacks on Indian students in particular has focused attention on the broader experiences of international students who have enrolled in Australian universities, TAFE's and private colleges. Stories of exploitation, poor accommodation and sub-standard colleges reveal a disturbing picture of what life is like for some of our international students. Some students are reluctant to register complaints for fear that they may jeopardise completion of their study and any chance of gaining permanent residency in Australia. Join us as we bring together international students, community leaders and the education sector and examine what's behind the attacks, why they're drawn to Australia for study and whether they're getting what they are paying for.
What's the mood on the ground where jobs are most at risk? Unemployment's on the rise. But what's the mood on the ground where jobs are most at risk? This week, Insight tests the waters in Logan in South east Queensland. Here, locals work mainly in the vulnerable industries, construction, manufacturing and retail. The federal government has already committed $42 billion in an economic stimulus package that they say will save some of these jobs. The big spending in areas such as infrastructure, schools and home insulation they predict will blunt the downturn. Has this government stimulus created jobs? Has it saved any? Join Insight as they take the temperature on the ground about jobs and job security among Logan locals. Insight asks what are the national implications for Prime Minister Rudd, as we take the temperature on the ground among the Logan locals about jobs.
Is it as simple as yes or no? Sexual consent – it’s a contentious issue yet one that remains at the core of all sexual encounters. But what exactly is consent? And who should be responsible for getting it? Don’t miss Insight as we bring together men and women to talk about sex and consent and what happens when it goes wrong.
Why are some girls so mean to each other, especially when they're friends? Girls and women live in a highly complex friend world that is foreign territory to men and boys. So how do girl friendships work? And what happens when you're on the outer? Join us as we explore the girl world.
Can we fix our ailing hospital emergency departments? Doctors and nurses say they're struggling to cope and this can sometimes lead to tragic consequences. According to one study, overcrowded emergency departments are responsible for up to 1,500 deaths a year, as high as the nation's road toll. Join us as we hear from doctors and nurses who work in emergency and the patients who turn up there. What every patient should know when an emergency arises.
Victoria's Somali community is in shock after the arrests of three of its own last month. The three Somali-Australian men have been charged over terror related offenses involving an alleged plan to attack a Sydney army base. Two of the men are also facing additional charges over alleged links to a foreign army -believed to be the Somali militant group al-Shabaab. The government has since proscribed al-Shabaab as a terrorist organisation with links to al- Qa'ida. Insight travels to Victoria to bring the local Somali community together to discuss recent events and to explore the challenges they face growing up in Australia.
Why does having a baby push some couples to the brink? The risk of depression and anxiety are heightened for women after birth – and can have devastating results. But what is less known is that about one in ten men also suffer from mental illness directly after the birth. Hormones don’t play as much of a part in peri natal depression (PND) as previously thought. Men can feel overwhelmed by new fatherhood – a world that is completely unfamiliar. They are often unprepared for the demands of supporting their partners, being the sole economic provider, combined with sleeplessness and coping with a new born. There aren’t any services for new fathers, should there be? The federal government is injecting $85 million into screening and treatments for depression in pregnant women and new mothers. But will it fix the problem? And are women who suffer severe PND helped by this injection? Are we doing enough to support men and women in the first year after a baby is born? What affect does depression have on the newborn?
Where do you do your shopping? Do you have any choice? Twenty five cents out of every retail dollar that Australians spend will go into the coffers of Woolworths and Wesfarmers. The two retail giants have the largest market share of any retailer across the developed world. Woolworths’ announcement that they are going into the hardware sector has led many to ask when will their dominance stop, while others understand that this is the nature of large business. Independent retailers are worried that they simply can’t compete. While consumer advocates are concerned what that will mean for choice and price. The Government claims that by relaxing competition laws and planning regulations it will be easier for new players to enter our supermarket sector giving consumers more choice. Australian food producers and manufacturers maintain that focusing so much on reducing prices for consumers is just another nail in the coffin for choice as it will force them out of business. Join us as we delve into the shopping basket to find out what choice we really have, and if consumers are the only ones with the power to take on Goliath.
Can the internet, food and sex be as addictive as drugs and alcohol? The internet, food and sex are part of everyday life, but can they be addictive too? Some say they can be. Those who have lost control over their online gaming, eating and sexual habits say these addictions are just as devastating as drugs and alcohol. And as scientists begin to learn more about addiction, they are beginning to agree. Amid reports of online gamers in China and South Korea dying at the keyboard, some psychologists and psychiatrists now believe that internet addiction should be classed as a mental disorder. But others argue that society has become addicted to being addicted. What is addiction? When does passion or obsession become addiction and how do we treat it? Join us as we talk to addicts of all kinds and from all walks of life for a fascinating discussion on the science of addiction.
Would you want to know if you were carrying a gene that could kill you? Genetic testing may be able to give you the answer. In Australia, we can now be tested for more than 400 different diseases including hereditary breast and bowel cancer and some forms of Alzheimers. But some conditions like early onset Alzheimers and Huntingtons disease, there is no cure. Many Australians who potentially carry these genes choose not to be tested, because they can’t bear to know what awaits them. But would you want to pass these diseases on to your children? With IVF advances in the screening of embryos, couples can make sure they don’t pass on these genes. But where do we draw the line? Should we screen out all known genetic diseases or just those that dramatically affect lifespan and quality of life? Join us as we talk to genetic experts, ethicists and families who’ve had to face some difficult decisions about how they live their lives and whether they have kids.
How does the criminal justice system deal with pedophiles? While most crimes of child sex abuse never make it near the criminal justice system, how does the system work for the offenders that do get reported? Most child sex offence cases get heard in the local court where the maximum sentence is two years. Are sentences too low? When child sex offenders do get to prison, what treatments are there available to help stop them re-offending? And what is the likelihood of the re-offending when released? And should communities be given the right to know if a pedophile is living in their neighbourhood? Insight will also look at the Serious Sex Offender legislation that allows some states to detain offenders after their sentence is served. Should some sex offenders never be released or be forced to undergo chemical castration and constant electronic tagging? Join us with judges, public defenders, criminologists, victims and an offender.
Will the Government deliver? This week we travel to Alice Springs to explore the issues surrounding Indigenous housing. Fixing Indigenous Housing was at the heart of the Labor Government’s promise to close the gap in Indigenous disadvantage. In what is the biggest project on remote housing ever, the Federal and Northern Territory Government dedicated $672 million to building 750 news homes, refurbishing 2,500 existing houses and rebuilding 230. But the project has come under scrutiny - a recent Government report into the project found delays, a gross underestimate of costs and excessive red tape. The Government has since announced it will take greater oversight of the program and has stuck to its commitments to deliver 750 new houses. But there are concerns the houses built under the program will be smaller and refurbishments will not be as robust as first planned. Meanwhile, Indigenous communities are growing more skeptical - they’re worried the program won’t tackle core health issues such as overcrowding or improve sub-standard conditions. For the first time ever we bring together all the key players to find out if the Government can deliver on its promise to fix Indigenous housing and close the gap in Indigenous disadvantage.
Can we make ourselves smarter? What is your IQ? New scientific research has unlocked the secrets of the adult brain. It is not hard wired but plastic. You can teach an old dog new tricks. Brain training is one of the fastest growing new industries. Some organisations claim they can make you more intelligent or unleash your genius. But can they and do they really work? If you could, would you make yourself smarter? And do we really know what intelligence is? Scientists, psychologists, Rhode scholars, millionaire’s and brain trainers join us as we journey along the neural pathways and dive into our brain.
How will Australia’s growing population put pressure on housing availability and house prices? The Federal Government’s Intergenerational Report says our population will increase 65% to almost 36 million people by 2050. From those numbers, Melbourne and Sydney may have to find homes for 7 million people. Brisbane would double its population by 2050. Australia already suffers from a housing shortage with the government's National Housing Supply Council estimating a shortfall of more than 200,000 dwellings by 2013. Property developers say this gap will continue to drive up house prices. Their answer? More land releases. But some urban planners say expanding the city fringes is unsustainable and that Australians must change the way we live to cope with a higher population. They say medium and high density living is the future - but are Australians ready for it?
How do we plan for the future when the facts are disputed and the consequences might not be seen in our lifetime? Hundreds of thousands of residential building across Australia are potentially at risk from sea level rises according to a new report from the Federal Government. Its research states that replacing these homes could cost up to $63 billion. Scientists can’t agree on the research, and many local councils are asking how they are supposed to plan. All the while local residents are caught in the middle causing them huge financial and emotional strain. State and local governments have a different planning response to sea level rises, some mandatory and some not. Some are following guidelines while others are not. The lack of legislation means disputes are being resolved in court and many councils are worried about taking any action in case it lands them in litigation. And, who should be held accountable?
What's it like growing up in not your 'typical' family? We hear from young people who’ve grown up in not your usual types of Australian families, to see how they’re turning out. While the nuclear family is still seen as the norm in Australia, population statistics show that’s changing, and "couple families with children" are no longer the majority household in Australia. Thousands of kids are growing up without both their biological mum and dad around. Some have two mums or two dads, others have been adopted from overseas or lived with a grandparent, some were conceived using donor sperm, or were raised in foster care. Recently the idea of what makes a normal family was hotly debated in Queensland, as the State government legalised surrogacy, extending those rights to single people and same sex couples. Critics argued that a child’s fundamental right to enter the world with both and mother and a father is being denied. Insight will hear directly from the children of these families. We will be joined by young people aged between 13 and 25 who’ve grown up without both their biological mother and father around. We’ll be finding out how their family works, and asking if they’ve missed out on anything because of it.
What are voters thinking about Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott? Today the leaders go head to head in a nationally televised health debate. Tonight our audience will give their verdict on this and the leaders. In 2007 'Insight’ brought together swinging voters from across Australia to talk about what was swaying their vote back then. Now we are bringing the same voters back to find out what they are thinking now. Has Kevin Rudd and his team lived up to expectation? How do they feel about Tony Abbott as PM? What factors are really swinging their vote? What are the issues biting voters in their electorate? Is it hospital reform, climate change or parental leave? Or is just more about leadership style? What will Rudd and Abbott have to do in the coming months to win their vote or have they made up their mind already? All of our guests on Insight this week are swinging voters who have appeared on previous election shows in the lead up to the 2007 Federal election. Who will they vote for in 2010?
Will the federal government’s health reform work in fixing the problems on the ground? Nurses, patients and doctors on the inside talk about their experiences on the frontline of public hospitals. We’ll be discussing bed shortages, staff shortages and waiting times in emergency departments. Are regional and rural hospitals going to be winners or losers with the health reforms? We’ll hear from patients who are waiting for elective surgery, and others who have recently had emergency surgery. What do they feel about their experiences in the hospital system?
Why are some couples able to survive infidelity while for others it’s the end of their relationship? We love reading about high profile cheaters. Is it because they touch a nerve in our own lives? Tiger Woods, John Edwards, Jesse James.. is monogamy realistic? While statistics on infidelity are notoriously unreliable, some surveys say up to 70 per cent of us cheat – and women are catching up to men. Despite our cheating ways, it seems that marriage and monogamy remains what most of us want. So why are some couples able to survive infidelity while for others it’s the end of their relationship? Does it matter if it was just sex? Should you always tell your partner if you have strayed, or is it better to keep it secret? We want to explore whether it’s really possible to forgive and forget or whether the damage always stays with us. Is monogamy still the best model? Join us as we bring together couples from all walks of life to talk about how they have worked through infidelity in their relationship.
Do women want it all? 'I am really not interested in breaking the glass ceiling breaking the glass ceiling is hard work." Meet Su Amaranayaka, she’s 36 and a mum to a two year old boy. She gave up a career with GE Money to become a stay-at-home mum. She says having it all is a myth. 'I honestly don’t know why I ever thought about doing it all. I don’t know how these parents, who have had 3-4 hours sleep, get up, put on their makeup, and go and work a full day." Recent reports show women still lag behind men in the workplace and the gender wage gap is the widest it has been in twenty years. The Government says it’s determined to close the gender wage gap and increase women’s participation in the workplace. But will the Government’s plans to provide equality and make the workplace more family-friendly shatter or strengthen the glass ceiling? And do women want it all anyway? This week Insight brings together women, employers and government to find out what women really want.
What makes a great teacher? We test two young teachers in front of a class to see if they have what it takes. The results are fascinating. Currently across Australia, experiments are underway to target and build better teachers. In New South Wales, the first group of super teachers have started in schools. These 'highly accomplished teachers" - paid more than $100,000 a year – have the task of raising teaching standards in some of the state’s most disadvantaged schools. In Victoria, a new program called 'TEACH FOR AUSTRALIA’ is recruiting university graduates from a range of backgrounds to teaching for two years in the state’s most challenging schools. Some argue that student test scores should be taken into account in assessing the teacher. But teacher unions are dead against using student test scores – like the NAPLAN test they’ve decide to boycott – as a marker of teacher performance. The union argument is that merit pay for teachers ruins the collegiality of the profession. But what are great teachers doing differently? And can it be taught?
How healthy is the fitness industry? What do you hear as the sun is rising? Is it birds chirping and crashing waves, or is it a voice yelling "10 more, push through! Keep going!"? The fitness industry in Australia is booming with boot camps and personal trainers filling our parks and beaches. It is now estimated to be worth over 800 million dollars per year but how qualified are the people who are pushing us to our limits and could potentially cause us serious injury? The minimum qualification for a personal trainer can be attained in eight weeks and many veteran trainers and allied health professions feel it is no where near long enough. Should we be looking to personal trainers to help us move the extra pounds? Or are they simply ripping us off and endangering our health?
Rugby league has been hammered by scandal yet again. But this time it’s not a sex scandal. This time it’s about money and cheating to win. Amid reports of dodgy deals and secret bookkeeping, the game’s fans are being given more than a hint of just how complicated the links are between the sport, the media covering it, and the people running the game. And it’s getting ugly. Allegations have been made about 'rats in the ranks" and the finger has been pointed at former Storm boss Brian Waldron as the 'chief rat." Waldron has hit back, calling for independent inquiry, with full disclosure from everyone connected to the running of the club. Questions are being asked about who knew what about the breaches, how the cheating was able to continue undetected for years, whether other clubs are also flouting the salary cap, and if the National Rugby League’s penalty against the Storm will damage the entire 2010 season. Can News Limited afford to let the Storm fold and lose a rugby league presence in Melbourne? If there is an open inquiry into the rorting, can the game handle the truth? This week we will bring together fans along with key figures from across rugby league and other football codes, to discuss the real story behind the cheating at the Melbourne Storm, and what it means for the business of sport in Australia.
How big is too big? Australia is taking unprecedented numbers of migrants – permanent and temporary. We will examine whether a bigger Australia is really a better Australia. We talk to migrants, business groups, economist, demographers, politicians and a mayor about Australia’s fast pace growth. Polls show Australians are resistant to fast growing migration. Are they? Is it really because of the sustainability – or is it something more? Is population growth key to economic growth and the prosperity of the country? What do migrants think about the population and migration discussion. We’ll talk about whether there are hints of social problems arising in our fastest growing cities.
Is there still room for God in the classroom? There's an upheaval happening in the teaching of religion in NSW's public primary schools. For more than 100 years more church leaders and volunteers have given religious instruction to primary school kids in public schools across Australia. This goes right back to legislation put in place in 1880. But for the kids whose parents don't want them to receive the religious instruction on offer, they often find themselves watching videos, colouring in or as some have put it 'twiddling their thumbs". Parents have asked for a more productive alternative. Currently in NSW, 10 primary schools are trialling a 10 week "ethics class" as an alternative to religious instruction. Sydney Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen has come out strongly against it and penned '10 reasons the Ethics Trial is not a good idea’’. The Catholic Church has said children who opt out shouldn’t be involved in any kind of formal class. The Anglicans reported that they lost 47 per cent of their religious classes to the ethics trial and they are not happy. They have joined with other Christian churches and launched a petition to save their scripture classes. Given that Australia is a secular country and home to people of many faiths, what religious education is appropriate in public schools? Insight brings together parents, children and faith leaders to discuss how religion should be taught in our public schools and whether there’s still room for God in 2010.
This week an alleged people smuggler speaks exclusively to Insight about why he thinks more boats are arriving. And his comments are explosive. He says that if Australia wants to stop the boats, they shouldn't accept any more people. "People see Australia as easy. After three or four months it's done. The important thing is we definitely get citizenship. We will become Australian citizens immediately." The Opposition echoes this sentiment that the Rudd Government policy is soft and they have pledged a return to Temporary Protection Visas, off-shore processing and the possible turning back of boats. Human rights activists are angry with both the Rudd Government and the Opposition saying that Australia is breaching international law and returning to the Howard era policy of indefinite detention. A recent Newspoll shows that 44% of people believe that the Coalition would best handle the issue of asylum seekers arriving into Australia compared with only 26% of people supporting Labor. But how should the Government deal with asylum seekers and will the new laws stop the boats and put an end to people smuggling?
Is Soccer in Australia as healthy as it looks? 'The World Game’ in Australia seems stronger than ever, but some of its biggest supporters say fundamental problems across the board mean the game is in danger of sabotaging its golden opportunity. There’s little argument soccer -or football- as plenty of people in the game call it - has come a long way since the dark days of 2002 when the game’s former governing body was virtually broke. Now Australia is about to take part in the biggest show on the planet, The World Cup for an unprecedented second tournament in a row. The national women’s team 'The Matildas’ just won the Asian Cup for the first time. Australia is also bidding to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022. Locally, the national domestic competition, the A League, is expanding with new teams. But average crowds have dropped off, several clubs have struggled financially, and critics argue that there are major flaws in the administration of the game. Many grassroots clubs say they’re barely surviving, and yet some were part of the foundation of soccer in Australia. Many junior clubs say there is not enough money, support or a clear pathway for developing quality junior players, undermining Australia’s ability to become a top soccer nation. So on the eve of the World Cup in South Africa, Insight asks: Is the future of 'The World Game’ in Australia in jeopardy because of the way it’s run? Insight will be broadcast from Sydney’s Marconi Stadium.
Tell us what you think of Julia Gillard becoming Prime Minister.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has promised $1.5 billion for mental health if elected. According to the Coalition, the funds would go into mental health services, including 60 new youth mental health centres, 20 new Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centres and 800 acute and sub-acute early intervention beds. In February, Insight spoke exclusively to Australian of the Year Professor Patrick McGorry about the state of mental health in Australia.
The campaign's on and we're taking the temperature of the electorate. Liberal powerbroker Senator Nick Minchin and Labor’s campaign spokesman, MP Chris Bowen, will try to win over a room of undecided voters when Insight returns tonight. We've recruited voters from the most marginal seats in Australia to follow the election campaign. We'll be hearing from them each week of the campaign as they give us their frank assessment - on air and online - of the leaders and their policies. We'll track them over the course of the five week campaign to see which issues are getting traction, and what sways their vote. Hear what they think of the two leaders – Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott – and find out what might sway their votes between now and polling day on August 21.
This week we discuss who has the best mental health policy? The Government has announced a $277 million package focused on suicide prevention, men and young people. The Opposition has already pledged to inject 1.5 billion into mental health if elected. But does any of it address the real problems in the community? The Government and the Opposition face off with Psychiatrist and Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry and former advisor to the Government John Mendoza.
This week we look at The Greens As the election nears, the Greens' polling is the highest in the party's history. So high, that pollsters and election analysts are predicting that they could end up with the balance of power in the Senate. The Greens could even be poised to win their very first Lower House seat, after the retirement of Labor's Lindsay Tanner in the electorate of Melbourne. But who votes for the Greens and why? Apart from their views on the environment and asylum seekers, what else do they stand for? Greens leader Bob Brown will join Insight as we ask what all of this means for the next Government.
Who do you trust with the economy? Confidence has been heading south and interest rates have been on the rise since the end of the GFC. The support the government received during the GFC is fading. But will the Liberal Party do a better job? We'll talk about the policies around maternity leave, business tax, superannuation and the cost of living issues affecting all Australians. INSIGHT brings together our regular panel of swinging voters, small business owners and politicians. Jason, from Bowman in Queensland, married with 4 children is feeling the pinch with "constantly increasing grocery bills, fuel bills..and interest rates." Melanie, who owns a sandwich bar in the West Australian electorate of Hasluck, says..."Shop wise, we've had a 30-40% downturn but we're lucky, I have catering and catering is booming.."
Policy substance has been missing in action during this election campaign. Complex, bold plans have been thin on the ground. And on some issues, the differences between the parties' positions is slight. With the election just around the corner, Insight gathers together some big thinkers to talk about what they've made of the campaign, what's been missing, and what their one big idea would be to make Australia better. And our undecided voters from Australia's most marginal seats will tell us whether they're any closer to actually making a decision.
What causes that spark when we first meet someone? This week, Insight is joined by scientists who have been unlocking the secrets of attraction. While it may seem like magic or fate the way we sometimes look across a room and lock eyes with a stranger, there may be very good reasons. Our faces, bodies and even our smells, are signalling information to potential partners. For some us, one look is all it takes to fall in love – or lust. For others it’s all the clues in that first conversation that sends our brains in overdrive. New York biological anthropologist Helen Fisher, has been scanning the brains of people in love and there is some serious chemistry going on. UK psychologist Ian Penton Voak has spent years researching what we find attractive in faces. Dr Barnaby Dixson can tell us what we are drawn to in male and female bodies. And Dr Paul Eastwick has investigating what causes that initial attraction with speed dating experiments in the US. Join Insight as we test these theories of lust, love and attraction with those that are in love, out of love and looking for love.
It's a hung parliament and four Independents and a Green will be critical in determining who forms government. Two of the key players, Andrew Wilkie and Adam Bandt, are on Insight tonight. Rob Oakeshott, Tony Windsor and Bob Katter have withdrawn from the program, saying they will be attending meetings with the Government at the time of broadcast. The four independents and one Green state their priority is the formation of a stable government. Tonight we test that claim. How will stable government be delivered? Or are we looking down the barrel of a new election? You be the judge.
Can one climate change scientist change the minds of a roomful of climate change sceptics? In late June Insight recorded this program with internationally renowned climate change scientist Stephen Schneider. A few weeks after we recorded this program, Stephen Schneider died on a flight from Stockholm to London. He was 65 and had been battling a serious illness. Stephen Schneider was a passionate believer that science should engage directly with the public on the issue of climate change. It was in this spirit that he appeared on INSIGHT. He faced a crowd of 52 climate sceptics and they were asking the questions. Watch the debate and find out if anyone changed their mind.
The French Senate has voted to ban the burqa in public places. Similar laws are being considered in Belgium, Spain and Italy. President Sarkozy said in Parliament "We cannot accept that in our country some women will be imprisoned behind a fence cut off from all social life, deprived of identity. This is not a principle that the French republic has about women's dignity." In Australia, a recent decision by a judge to have a witness remove her face veil has sparked controversy and recent polls show that the majority of Australians support a ban. But what exactly is driving the ban?
The war in Afghanistan. What are we fighting for and is the war winnable? Afghanistan is a complex war in a fractured country with complex tribal loyalties, rugged terrain, and systematic corruption. And against this backdrop Australian troops are in the middle of the deadliest year of fighting they've experienced in the nine years they've been there. 10 Australian soldiers have already been killed this year. Our commitment is relatively small, 1550 personnel, but there are calls from within the military establishment to increase troop numbers to fill the void created by the Dutch withdrawal from the province of Oruzgan. The Chief of the Australian defence force has said he expects Australia to be in Afghanistan for at least another four years but polls in this country indicate that support for the war is dropping. There has been recent criticism from within the Defence Forces in Afghanistan that Australian troops aren't being properly supported in battle. Insight brings together veterans of the conflict, military experts, Afghans and Afghan Australians to talk about Australia's role in this war.
Patients, loved ones and doctors are forced to make tough decisions in the face of death. When diagnosed with a terminal illness a patient might have just weeks or months to live. Should they fight on or accept the inevitable? Should their doctors hold out hope, however slim, or deliver the hard medical reality? These decisions are much tougher as medicine and medical technology becomes increasingly sophisticated . Patients , families and doctors wrestle with these ethical and moral dilemmas at the end of life.
What do you get when you buy organic? When you put organically labelled pork, eggs or brocolli in your trolley, what are you paying for? Many claim organic food is better for your health and the environment. While others believe these claims are questionable and organic farming is turning its back on decades of scientific advances in farming methods. And the poor consumer at the end of food chain can be easily bamboozled by an array of confusing labels compounded by the lack of a mandatory standard for "organic". Insight will investigate what's organic or not, and put the evidence to the test.
Should Australian Police use Tasers? Is the Taser the right non lethal option to a gun? They've been issued to frontline officers in tactical response groups in some states since 2000. This episode of INSIGHT will examine the use and abuse of Tasers. Revelations that a Perth man was Tasered 13 times in a police watchhouse has brought condemnation from the WA Police Commissioner. As a result of this WA case the Crime and Corruption Commission has recommended that Tasers be used only when there is an "imminent threat of serious injury". And this " imminent threat" can be very murky territory. How does a police officer gauge the level of threat in a highly charged situation? There was strong criticism in the recent West Australian CCC report that "Taser weapons are being used for compliance, including against indigenous people and those suffering mental illness." It is still grey territory that Tasers have been the direct cause of death, but there is evidence that if you suffer from heart disease or have taken stimulant drugs, you are more likely to die from a Taser shock. That's INSIGHT this week, just who is being protected by the use of Tasers? The police or the public?
Do we need to spend 43 billion dollars on a broadband network? The Gillard government is promising 'affordable, high speed broadband to all Australians, no matter where they live'. It's their promise to break the digital divide between city and bush 'once and for all.' Independent member for New England, Tony Windsor cast his lot with Labor on the basis of their national broadband scheme. Malcolm Turnbull, shadow Minister for Communications is spearheading the attack on the proposal for the Opposition. He describes it as a 'massive leap into the dark' where 'no cost benefit analysis has been done.' The big ask from the critics is - why is it so expensive and can the government logistically deliver this roll-out? So along with these criticisms this INSIGHT will examine and debate whether we should toss out the existing telecommunications network, just how enthusiastic the takeup will be in homes and what impact this high speed network will have on the delivery of health and education services.
Is anti-Islamic sentiment on the rise in Australia? What's fuelling the rise in anti-Islamic sentiment across Europe and the United States? Insight examines why it's happening at this time and what's really driving this backlash. European countries, where the doors were once wide open, are closing and the success of multiculturalism is being questioned. In the US, recent polls show that anti-Islamic sentiment is higher now than one month after the September 11 attacks. Is this anti-Islamic sentiment on the rise in Australia? Insight puts these questions to a very diverse audience.
La Nina – she’s the wild child of weather and she’s causing havoc here and around the world. Scientists say this La Niña is one of the most severe on record and is directly responsible for the recent floods and for fuelling Cyclone Yasi. The opposite of El Niño - which tends to bring dryer and often drought conditions to Australia – La Niña is caused by waters in the Pacific Ocean becoming cooler. So how much is the recent extreme weather just natural climate variability? Is climate change making things worse? And in a land of droughts and flooding rains can we ever really prepare? Don’t miss INSIGHT as we take an in depth look at the recent extreme weather events and ask: Is there more to come?
The release of a quarter of a million classified U.S diplomatic cables has been described as the biggest release of secret documents in modern history. It's set off furious debate about the balance between secrecy and transparency. This week Insight looks at WikiLeaks and the whistle-blowing websites that have sprung up in its wake. Former WikiLeaks members have created 'GreenLeaks.org' and 'OpenLeaks.org', and traditional media are also getting in on the act. Al Jazeera's new 'Transparency Unit' hopes to solicit secret documents anonymously. They've already released 1,700 confidential documents about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - the so-called 'Palestine Papers'. Most agree that this is unchartered territory and the world waits for what leaks may come next. But is the leaking of secrets about greater transparency, good journalism or is it just plain treachery? (GreenLeaks.org is a separate group to GreenLeaks.com)
Three women, each with vastly different paths to success, tell their stories on the centenary of International Women’s Day. Hear how a refugee ended up in Silicon Valley, why a multi-millionaire loves ballroom dancing, and what it's like for a doctor dealing with HIV in conservative Malaysia. They talk about the lives they have lived and the choices they have made to get where they are today.
Monumental change is sweeping across the Middle East and North Africa. Powerful dictators are being toppled and long-entrenched regimes are under threat. Insight looks at the unfolding new order in the region and how democracy might work there. What do the people actually want ... and what will they get?
Australia is rethinking its surrogacy laws. NSW has just joined Queensland and the ACT in taking a hard line against paying for the services of a surrogate, now banning the practice even if you go overseas to do it. Those supporting the moves say they're concerned for the wellbeing of the women being paid to carry babies, especially those in developing countries. But some infertile couples don't see the harm in it and say they don’t want the state interfering in their personal lives. Join us on Insight as we navigate the challenges, emotions and ethics of this controversial practice.
This week Insight replays one of our most popular programs from last year. A panic attack can involve a rapid heart rate, nausea, tingling, sweats and a sense that "you're going crazy" or "losing control". It can happen at any time and affect almost anyone. Anxiety attacks and disorders are the most common reason people in Australia get counselling. The condition affects over 10 percent of the population at any given time, and it's estimated that one in four people will experience it over a lifetime. We hear from one man who was unable to leave his house for years because his social anxiety became so debilitating, and from a woman whose panic attacks control her daily movements. We also talk to psychiatrists, psychologists and researchers about treatments for anxiety sufferers - and hear how online therapy is revolutionising treatment.
The debate has been loud and angry. Since the government announced the introduction of a fixed price on carbon pollution from July next year, public opinion has been divided and there have been protests across the country. As Australians keenly await more details, Insight tests public support, looking at the possible winners and losers of the carbon price scheme. We look at the likely effects on household budgets and electricity prices, the big businesses that are for and against the plan, and what motivates the No Carbon Tax groups.
This week Insight explores narcissism: what causes it, whether social media is feeding it, and when narcissistic tendencies verge into serious disorder. Narcissists have an inflated sense of self, a lack of empathy and can be vain and materialistic. But narcissism can be far more serious and destructive than simply an overblown ego. While the spectrum of narcissistic personality disorder is broad, those at the severe end of the scale can tear apart the lives of the people around them.
What's really going on inside our Defence Force? Defence is receiving a public backlash for its handling of an incident in which a female cadet’s sexual encounter with a fellow cadet was filmed and broadcast via skype without her consent. The scandal has sparked a raft of inquiries looking into the treatment of women in the Defence Force. A program to allow women into all combat roles has also been fast-tracked. Other reviews will look into alcohol use, binge drinking culture, the use of social media, the management of complaints and the treatment of victims. We explore the Defence culture and the future of women in the military.
Does birth order matter and how does it define who you are? Hilary Clinton is the eldest in her family but John Howard and Julia Gillard are the youngest. Malcolm Turnbull is an only child. The importance of birth order is often talked about. Most of us know the stereotypes: the responsible first-born child; the rebellious youngest; the spoilt only child. And then there's the so-called "middle child syndrome". But does the research back this up? And what happens when there is a blended family or complicated dynamics? Tonight we're trying to find out whether it really matters and how it may or may not help define who you are. Join Insight as we bring international and local psychologists together with a host of diverse Aussie families willing to share their experiences as we explore whether birth order shapes your personality - and what other factors are at play.
People are identifying as gay at younger ages than ever before. How is it playing out in the school yard and classroom? And what does it mean for the kids themselves? Some teens say they feel pressure to declare their sexuality one way or the other. And researchers say same-sex attracted young people are far more likely than other teenagers to self-harm, become depressed, attempt suicide or abuse substances.
Superbugs are on the rise. Since the discovery of penicillin in the early twentieth century, antibiotics have fought infections and diseases that were once life threatening. But over time, many bacteria have become resistant to these drugs and patients are increasingly at risk. There are an estimated 440,000 new cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis worldwide every year. And there are fears that the problem could be inching closer to Australia's doorstep, with growing rates of the disease in Papua New Guinea. And it's not just TB. Microbiologists have discovered a brand new superbug – a bacteria containing the so-called NDM-1 gene. The bacteria with this gene are resistant to virtually all antibiotics, and researchers say there are no new drugs on the horizon to tackle it. Cases of the bug have been found in Australia. Insight will explore which superbugs are of most concern, and whether over-use of antibiotics and clinician hygiene is behind the problem.
What's life like for those hitting the Big Four Oh? There are more forty year olds in Australia than any other age group. And there's more of them than ever before. But what does the big milestone mean these days? Strictly speaking, being 40 is not actually "middle aged" anymore - especially for women, whose life expectancy is now well into the 80s. And while many 40 year olds find themselves hitting their stride, others are confronting some hard facts. They're in the midst of a long mortgage and nearly a quarter of 40 year olds are suffering from mortage stress, where more than a third of their income goes to housing costs. They're also staring down the barrel of declining fertility. A quarter of today's 40 year old women will have no children in their lifetime. However, due to medical advancements, today there are now far more women aged 40 giving birth. And while most 40 year olds are married, around a third have never walked down the aisle. Forty is also the average age for men to separate from their partner. And for single women looking for a partner, it can be tough: there are more 40 year old women than men, so there's a 'man drought' in that age group. This week an audience of 40 year olds from Australia join host Jenny Brockie to share their very personal and diverse stories of what this milestone means in 2011.
Whose side is Pakistan on in the fight against terrorism? With the recent capture and killing of Osama Bin Laden just two hours away from Islamabad, attention has again turned to Pakistan and its complex relationship with the West. Fears of reprisal attacks are high, after heavily armed Taliban gunmen attacked a naval base in the country's biggest city Karachi. Against that backdrop, we ask: how genuine and effective are Pakistan’s efforts in combating terrorism? How do Pakistan’s leaders juggle cooperation with the West on the one hand and anti-US sentiment among the population on the other? And who has the real power there – the government or the military? Join Insight as we bring together the Pakistani-Australian community and talk with people with first-hand knowledge of Pakistan's diplomatic and military circles.
Can one climate change scientist change the minds of a roomful of climate change sceptics? With a carbon tax looming and the recent release of the Climate Commission’s report, climate change is squarely back on the national agenda. This week on Insight we re-screen of one our most talked about episodes, featuring internationally renowned climate change scientist the late Stephen Schneider. A few weeks after we recorded this program in June last year, Stephen Schneider died on a flight from Stockholm to London. He was 65 and had been battling a serious illness. Stephen Schneider was a passionate believer that science should engage directly with the public on the issue of climate change. It was in this spirit that he appeared on Insight. He faced a crowd of 52 climate sceptics and they were asking the questions. The recorded discussion is just as relevant today. While Britain has recently announced an emissions reduction target of 50 percent by 2025, Australia in contrast is aiming for a minimum five percent reduction by 2020.
More Australians die from suicide than on our roads, but it's hardly ever talked about publicly. Fears of copycat suicides have meant the topic is a virtual no-go area, with the media, police and film makers avoiding the issue in detail. However, there's debate around whether this is the best approach. The award-winning Australian mental health expert Pat McGorry thinks not. He says guidelines for reporting suicide are outdated, and that the problem should be tackled head on, with a national campaign and statistics published regularly. The current guidelines are maintained by a government-funded organization called Mindframe. They say there’s strong evidence of a link between reporting of suicides and increases in suicide attempts. Join Insight for a frank and powerful look at how Australia is talking about suicide and whether it is working.
Australia is in the midst of a resource rush and there simply aren’t enough suitable people to fill all the jobs. In the next four years alone, it’s estimated we’ll need another 2.4 million skilled workers.But what’s the best way to get them? The federal government’s new system – which came into effect this month – is making it easier than ever for Australian businesses to bring in overseas labour. But while skilled migration is a quick solution, there are concerns that it means local workers are less likely to receive valuable training. And it doesn’t always work out well for the migrants either. There are scores of engineers, nurses and accountants who come all the way to Australia and end up as cleaners. Insight looks at what is the best outcome for migrants themselves, for Australia’s skilled workforce, and for the wider population.
This week Insight looks at the rise in electricity prices – what’s behind it, and is there anything we can do about it? Energy bills have been rising significantly for the last five years. Experts say different factors are behind the price hikes - higher demand, inefficiency and ageing infrastructure to name a few. And next year the carbon tax will be in the mix. Insight examines the factors and looks at what we can do – from an individual level to a national level - to save energy and lower costs.
From foie gras to kangaroo, whale meat to shark-fin soup, dinner dishes and delicacies have long been the subject of heated debate. What's fine in one country can be considered shocking in others, depending on your cultural, ethical or religious beliefs. So how do different people justify eating one meat over another? Can any meat can be deemed 'more ethical’ than others? Huge concerns have been raised about how Australian livestock are slaughtered, and many say stunning a beast first is far more ethical. But others believe that no matter how humanely an animal is killed, eating any kind of meat can never truly be 'ethical'. Others say what matters to them is how smart or sentient the animal is (an oyster versus a pig), how much cultural affinity we have with that animal (the Skippy factor), or the environmental impact of eating that animal.
There’s a growing trend for people to alter their ethnic features – from double eyelid surgery, to chin implants, to skin lightening or darkening. In some cases, patients undergoing such ethnic cosmetic surgery say they are doing so to achieve a more 'western look’. Others say it has nothing to do with trying to look more Caucasian – it’s just about being more beautiful. Insight looks at the growing number of people who are willing to change their racial features in the quest for beauty, what is spurring them to go to such lengths, and what is considered 'beautiful’ today.Subsequent to this recording, Insight discovered Dr Andrew Kim gave Heidi Liow and Glenda Bui an 80% discount to publicise his practice.SBS had no prior knowledge of this agreement.
Ten years ago, hundreds of asylum seekers left Indonesia bound for Australia. Their journey took an unexpected turn when their fishing vessel hit mechanical trouble and they were rescued by the Norwegian freighter, the Tampa. They then found themselves at the centre of a diplomatic stand-off which made headlines around the world. Insight reunites some of the resettled refugees to find out what’s happened over the last decade, and what their lives are like now. One is now a painter living in Western Australia who almost lost everything at the local casino. One is a customs officer in Auckland who thrived when a local public servant took him under her wing. And another is a hotel night manager in Wellington who insists he isn’t going to give up on trying to find the wife and child he left behind. Join Insight for this raw and frank discussion in the week of the ten year anniversary of the Tampa incident.
Retail is in trouble.Australians are spending less and retail figures are at their lowest levels for fifty years. Some stores are closing their doors.Some say Australian consumers are spooked by the volatile sharemarkets and global instability. Others say stores are simply not up to scratch in terms of price, innovation, and offering people what they really want. It’s not all bad though – online purchases are growing and set to expand further. Join Insight as we look at whether the traditional bricks-and-mortar store is being left behind, and whether spending less is such a bad thing anyway.
People are taking revenge every day – whether in love, war, politics or sport. On the receiving end are former partners, family members, colleagues, clients or companies. More broadly, revenge can play a role in large and complex conflicts around the world. This week, Insight looks at whether humans are hardwired for revenge, whether revenge makes you feel better, and whether it can ever be justified.
Internet betting is the fastest growing form of gambling in Australia. There are more online gambling providers than ever before, and Australian punters – armed with laptops and smartphones – now have access to thousands of sites, compared to only a handful in the 90s. Punters can place a wager on everything from the weather forecast to who’ll win the next election. And if you watch televised sporting events you’ve probably seen the live promotion of betting odds for the match. And that’s just the legal side of things. Last year, the Productivity Commission estimated that in 2009 Australian punters sent $800 million to offshore gaming sites, which are meant to be off-limits to Australians. This week Insight looks at Australia’s changing gambling habits – asking whether it’s all just a bit of harmless fun and part of our Aussie culture, or whether gambling is being normalised in a way that should concern us.
The gas rush is on in Queensland and NSW could be next. As more exploration and drilling licenses are granted, coal seam gas mining is generating jobs, headlines, protests, town hall meetings and advertising campaigns. Insight focuses on the Queensland region of Chinchilla Dalby, where the CSG industry has operated for many years, to look at the impacts – environmental, social and financial. Real estate agents, hotels, butchers, hairdressers and residents have different views on whether the boom is good for their town. Farmers are also divided - some are worried that the mining process will contaminate their land and use too much precious water, while others report no problems and say they’re doing well out of the gas rush. Meanwhile, industry representatives say coal seam gas mining is safe. But some farmers and residents want more evidence, and are pushing for greater regulation and monitoring.
Next on Insight - a rare chance to hear hackers and 'hacktivists’ talk about what they do and why. They're hacking into computers and defacing or crashing websites. 'LulzSec’ made headlines earlier this year when it claimed to have hacked into Sony accounts, compromising the personal data of thousands of customers. 'Anonymous’ says it was behind attacks on Australian Government websites during debates over internet censorship. But little is known about the hackers themselves and what propels them to act. This week, Jenny Brockie speaks directly with hackers and hacktivists – some of them wearing masks, disguises and using voice distortion devices – to ask them how they choose their targets, and where they draw the line.
Australia’s main political parties are in trouble.Dissatisfaction ratings are up. Party memberships are down. Way down.This week, Insight brings together an audience of disenchanted young voters with politicians - old and new – to thrash out what’s wrong and what might be done about it.
Are narcissists born or made? And are there more of them than ever before? This week we revisit narcissism: what causes it and when it verges into a serious disorder. Narcissists have an inflated sense of self, a lack of empathy and can be vain and materialistic. And they can be incredibly destructive to those around them. Earlier this year, Insight brought together psychiatrists, workplace psychologists and parents to discuss whether narcissists are born or made. In this week’s replay, we look at the whole spectrum – from those obsessed with their Facebook pages, to those whose lives have been torn apart by narcissists.
With just 13.8 donors per million people last year, Australia has one of the lowest organ donation rates in the developed world. While that may be the highest figure in ten years, it remains well below other countries, such as Spain - considered world leader with 32 donors per million in 2010. This week Insight asks why Australians are saying no when it comes to donating organs. It may be psychological barriers that are stopping patients, and their relatives from saying yes. But some say Australia has a flawed system. Despite dedicated organ donation teams in hospitals, potential donors are not being identified and family members are not consulted sensitively - and are sometimes overriding the wishes of their loved ones.
What is a breach of privacy? The federal government is looking at whether to make it possible to sue someone for a serious invasion of your privacy. But deciding where to draw the line could prove challenging. What’s harmless for one person could be uncomfortable or upsetting for others. To explore the different boundaries, this week we examine a host of different, real-life examples – residents upset over a neighbour’s security camera; facial recognition technology used on nightclub patrons; an exhibition of candid photographs taken of people without their knowledge; cases of media intrusion, and more.
Will reforming the pokies kill clubs? Clubs and anti-gambling campaigners are in a bitter fight over poker machines. Under proposed reforms, gamblers will have to set a spending limit before playing the pokies. Clubs say the change will threaten their very survival, taking a big chunk out of their revenue. And that, in turn, would impact the services they offer communities. But those supporting reform say the changes will only affect high-risk problem gamblers, and most Aussie punters won’t be affected. And they say clubs – which enjoy tax breaks – aren’t channelling enough of their poker machine money back into the community. Insight brings together two key players spearheading each side of the debate – Independent MP Andrew Wilkie and Anthony Ball from Clubs Australia – as well as ordinary club-goers and gambling experts to examine what’s at stake.
Greece is in trouble. After living beyond its means for years, Greece has got to the point where its sovereign debt is equal to 166 per cent of its annual output. On top of that is a lurching political situation, talk of leaving the eurozone, a youth jobless rate of more than 40 per cent, and a slashing of wages, pensions and hospital budgets. Little wonder the rest of the world is nervous. We look at what’s unfolding in Greece – from the broad economic picture to the experience of those on the ground – and whether Australia will be affected.
Is Iran a threat? And what would happen if it was attacked? Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but Israel and its allies think otherwise. And tension is escalating. The United States is tightening sanctions, a move supported by Australia. The European Union has also agreed to ban Iranian oil imports and freeze the assets of Iran’s central bank, hoping to push them back into negotiations. But Iran claims the sanctions will have no effect, calling them "psychological warfare". Should diplomacy fail, the U.S. and Israel have not ruled out military action - and Iran has warned of retaliation if that happens. So is the Iranian regime really a threat? And what’s the best way to deal with it?
Young men and the pressure for massive muscles. How far is too far in the pursuit of the perfect body? Anecdotal evidence suggests that younger and younger men are walking through the doors of gyms, sometimes using fake ID to get in. Some are spending big dollars on supplements containing protein, caffeine and other substances, which increase their heart rate and can affect their moods. Even the supplement industry itself says there should be more regulation of their products. At the more extreme end, doctors say they are seeing a growing number of men electing to use steroids and performance enhancing drugs in the quest to be bigger. Obsession with appearance can lead to debilitating disorders, such as body dysmorphic disorder and muscle dysmorphia – also referred to as reverse anorexia or 'bigorexia’. Insight looks at the male quest for physical perfection, asking when a healthy lifestyle tips over into becoming a pathological obsession.
Young people speak out about what should happen when they’re in abusive families. They say that they weren’t listened to. So this week they’re front and centre. Insight talks to young people who’ve been through the care system about when is the right time to be removed from abusive families, what they need from the system, and whether their parents should be given more chances to change their ways. Some child protection experts say children are left in unsafe homes for too long because the system is wrongly geared towards the rights of the parents. Others say a tougher approach would unfairly punish lower socio-economic families, and that parents should be given more chances and support to improve their behaviour. Since 2007, the number of children in care has increased by over a third. Children are often in care for many years, with different placements, different families and different schools, and almost no children are forcibly adopted out. This week the kids themselves have their say, as well as a father who had his two toddlers removed – but managed to get them back after turning his life around.
It may not be widely known, but arranged and forced marriages are part of life in Australia. The Federal Government is considering laws to prevent forced marriages, after a number of cases of young Australian women being pressured to wed or forced to marry abroad. But, of course, marriages arranged by parents and family aren't always forced. Some cultural groups in Australia – among them Indian and Lebanese – are choosing to keep the tradition alive, and their children are happily allowing their spouses to be chosen for them. Some people, however, are agreeing to the marriages because of family pressure. Other young Australians have "semi-arranged" marriages, negotiating their way between old traditions and the desire to find their own "love match." This week Insight looks at the grey area between arranged and forced marriages, and where Australian laws might clash with cultural traditions.
Are we all a little bit racist? This week Insight explores racism from a different perspective. Discussions about prejudice are often framed in terms of whites against non-whites. In a candid and frank debate, Insight lifts a lid on racism between different minority groups in Australia and prejudices people have against their own race - a topic rarely covered in the media. The program also looks at the psychology of racism – whether humans are all biologically hard-wired to feel threatened by people who look different to them, and are genetically predisposed to want to stick to our own "tribe". Australia is due to launch its first ever National Anti-Racism Strategy this year. Insight will ask whether it's the right approach, and whether it has any chance of transcending the impulses that some experts believe we're all born with.
Are we all capable of killing? Insight brings you up close with people who have killed as part of their job. Soldiers, police officers and executioners are recruited and trained to be able to kill. Pulling a trigger or administering a lethal injection may only take a second, but the effects can last much longer. Almost every species has a resistance to killing its own kind, and many psychologists believe humans have a built in aversion to it. Some killers are trained using dehumanising language and brainwashing to minimise empathy for their targets. Others – including one of our guests – received barely any training at all. Insight hears from people who have been trained to kill, and looks at what draws them to this sort of work, how they are trained, and the impact it has had on their lives.
Are all children getting a fair go at school no matter their background or postcode? Average student performance in Australia has been declining and there’s a big gap between our most disadvantaged and advantaged schools. The education levels of fifteen-year-old students from low socio-economic families are about two-and-a-half years behind their higher socio-economic counterparts. While some schools attract the best and brightest, others schools are working to overcome huge hurdles in their students' learning ability, including lack of basic English, behavioural issues and problems at home. Is it possible for there to be a level-playing field for all Australian students? And if so, how do we get there? Insight brings together students from all across the spectrum: high-achievers, those falling through the cracks and those beating the odds to succeed We also hear from parents, teachers and School Education Minister Peter Garrett to look at what’s behind the gap and what can be done to close it. Does it all come down to more money? Or does our whole system need a rethink?
We first met them six years ago. And now they’re back. Over the last six years, Insight has followed the progress of a group of diverse (and loud) Australian teenagers. We first met them at age 13, and they later returned to the studio as 16 year olds. Now they’re back as 19 year olds, and they’re grappling with emerging adulthood - from learning to drive and pay bills, to dealing with depression, hitting the booze and finding love. They talk openly about the hardest thing they've had to deal with in the last three years, how their plans and goals have changed, and what they have been up to since we last saw them.
What is normal when it comes to grief? And can it become a mental illness? Insight looks at whether it’s possible to put a timeframe around grief, whether it can be managed, whether anti-depressants help, and whether some cultures are better than others at dealing with this powerful emotional state. Currently, grief reactions are not included in the mental illnesses handbook, DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), as it is considered a normal human response to bereavement. Some psychiatrists argue, however, that acute grief experienced for more than 12 months should be classified as a new psychiatric disorder in the next edition of the DSM in 2013. As well as experts on both sides of the new proposal, Insight hears powerful personal stories of loss to find out how Australians of all backgrounds are managing their grief and what, if anything, is helping them get through.
Australian manufacturing is in trouble. Profits are down and jobs are going. The industry employs around one million Australians – five times more than mining. But it’s haemorrhaged 86,000 jobs in the last decade and more workers are being laid off each month. Manufacturing is the only industry that has declined in 'Gross Value Added’ to the Australian economy over the last 25 years. To give it a boost, the government is handing out subsidies at public expense – such as the $275m recently given to Holden. But are government rescue packages simply propping up inefficient industries and preventing innovation? Can we really compete with cheaper labour overseas – and should we even try? On Insight, manufacturing workers front up to managers and economists to debate whether the industry is worth supporting, whether government subsidies are good policy, and what the future might hold.
Australia has the highest rate per capita of international parental child abductions in the world. With the rise in inter-country marriages, some experts believe there is an increased need to protect children caught between feuding parents after a relationship breakdown. There are some existing protections: Australia is a party to the 'Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction’ which mediates international custody disputes. Under these agreements, if a parent unlawfully takes a child overseas they can be ordered back to the country of residence so the local courts can figure out what to do. But if a child is taken to a country that isn’t a signatory to the convention (including Japan, Lebanon and China), it’s extraordinarily difficult for the other parent to get them back. And even if the country is a signatory, it’s not always possible to locate the child and the abducting parent. In some cases, desperate parents bypass authorities and hire a 'retriever’ – similar to a private investigator – to help find their missing child. Insight asks why this happening, what is being done to protect these children, and whether tightening the laws would have any effect.
Is watching pornography harmless for children or a cause for concern? Students – even those in primary school – are using smartphones and laptops to show pornographic material to their friends. And the range of material they’re looking at is vast: everything from explicit sex to material involving fetishes and violence. This week Insight looks at how children are accessing porn, what they’re looking at, whether it’s influencing their sexual behaviour and where the responsibility should lie when it comes to educating children about sex and pornography.
Was Australia’s mission in Afghanistan worth it? This week, Afghan Australians are front and centre as Insight discusses the planned troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Despite some improvements in health and education, there are still deadly attacks across the country, uncertainty over the readiness of the Afghan local forces to take control, and claims of widespread corruption. This week, we bring together people touched directly by the conflict: a roomful of Afghan Australians with diverse views and tribal backgrounds, the Australian military, and family members of an Australian soldier killed in Afghanistan. They discuss frankly about what they think has been achieved, whether Afghanistan is now better off, and what they think might happen after the majority of the Australian troops leave by the end of 2013.
Greece is entering a new phase of uncertainty. Greek citizens have lashed out at austerity measures, punishing the political parties that support the tough conditions. Yet at the same time, the majority of Greeks say they want to stay in the Eurozone. Power-sharing talks have collapsed, triggering a new round of elections and increasing doubts that Greece can make enough reforms to prevent the Eurozone – the world’s largest currency union – from breaking apart. The drawn-out deadlock and the prospect of an anti-austerity party gaining power are making markets around the world jittery. In this episode, Insight crosses live to Greece, Germany and elsewhere in Europe, bringing in politicians, economists and ordinary citizens to talk about the state of play, whether the tough economic medicine is the right approach, and whether the backlash in Greece could spread to other countries.
How common is polygamy in Australia? And how does it work? Although it’s outlawed, polygamy is still practiced informally in Australia. Having more than one spouse is a long-standing and legitimate cultural norm in some Indigenous Australian, African and religious communities. This week Insight speaks to people from diverse backgrounds about life in a polygamous relationship and the benefits and challenges of sharing a spouse. What it’s like for children growing up in those households? How do spouses negotiate jealousy? And why is polygamy against the law?
This week, we bring together bikies and police. What difference will tougher laws make? In the wake of shootings across Australia, several states have introduced laws which crack down on bikie groups. And Prime Minister Julia Gillard has said that coordinating anti-bikie laws across the nation is an urgent priority. But do the new laws unfairly target innocent clubs? And what will they do to our civil liberties?
Is there too much pressure on people to forgive? The ability to forgive people who have hurt or betrayed us is often seen as something to aspire to; a necessary step to healing and moving on. But some believe there is too much pressure on people to forgive. One expert is championing a so-called 'healthy unforgiveness" instead. This week, Insight asks whether it’s always possible (and desirable) to 'forgive and forget’, whether an apology makes a difference, and whether forgiving yourself is sometimes the hardest challenge of all. From a reckless decision that's affected two mates forever, to adultery, murder, and an injustice by a government policy – Insight brings together a group of Australians with extraordinary experiences and hears why they can or can't forgive.
This week we meet the everyday people who have become unwitting addicts. Prescriptions for some pain-killers and anti-anxiety medications have jumped over the past decade, particularly for the drugs Oxycontin and Xanax. The medications are very effective. Scores of people use them successfully to alleviate excruciating pain after a car accident, or to dampen crippling feelings of anxiety and panic. But more and more patients are finding themselves addicted to these drugs, even when they follow the doctor's instructions to the letter. Where does the blame lie? Are the drugs simply too powerful for patients to administer themselves? Are doctors over prescribing? Are patients at fault for putting too much pressure on GPs to write them a script so they can walk away with a pill that will fix things? Or is there too much complexity and too little coordination in our health system which means patients are falling through the cracks? The Federal Government has committed $5 million to set up so-called 'real-time monitoring' which could address some flaws in the current system, such as the ability of patients to "doctor shop" to obtain addictive medications. But there's confusion amongst the medicos and the various state governments as to when the system will actually be rolled out. This week, accidental addicts bravely take to the stage to tell their stories in front of a room full of doctors and pain experts.
More Australians than ever are identifying as Indigenous. The number of those ticking the box in the Census as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander has risen more than 20 per cent since 2006. But there is debate in some Aboriginal communities over who should be able to call themselves Aboriginal, whether your appearance or postcode should have anything to do with it, and whether the current certification system is working as well as it should be. While Australians may personally identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, not everyone has a document to prove it. This becomes problematic when Indigenous-specific services (for things like housing and education) require people to provide a 'certificate of Aboriginality’. Some claim the system is flawed because of arbitrary criteria and internal politics. Insight brings together a studio audience of diverse Aboriginal Australians from around the country for a rare and raw discussion on the concept of Aboriginal identity.
This week, parents and children take centre stage as Insight looks at what’s acceptable when it comes to disciplining children. Researchers like Andre Renzaho from Monash University say that migrants from collectivist cultures often find Australian parenting styles too laidback, and are surprised to learn that smacking can be frowned upon. Of course there are also many people born here in Australia who say there is nothing wrong with the occasional smack. Corporal punishment is legal in Australia, so the question remains whether parents should have the freedom to discipline their kids as they see fit. And it’s not just smacking. We also look at other methods of keeping kids in line – everything from 'time out’, removal of privileges, withholding food, or, as one of our guests puts it simply, "The Look".
What makes a night on the town turn violent? While Australian crime rates have fallen over the past decade, assault numbers have remained stubbornly high. Alcohol is a huge factor in street aggression. Incidents can escalate quickly and often with extreme consequences. Emergency and trauma physicians are worried about the cases of severe head injuries coming to Emergency. Some say that although assault numbers might be stable, the attacks are more intense and the injuries more serious. Some experts think a change of culture is what’s needed, but others believe legislative deterrents are the answer. Insight brings together partygoers, police, victims and front line medicos to discuss whether anything can be done.
The six players. Six months on. Join Jenny Brockie for a special live Insight featuring all six participants from the Go Back to Where You Came From series. Peter Reith, Angry Anderson, Catherine Deveny, Michael Smith, Imogen Bailey and Allan Asher will be reunited, and joined by family members and a studio audience. Have their views changed? What reaction have they had from their family, friends and the public since the show aired? And what’s the backstory to some of the key moments in the series?
Families of children with profound disability are reaching breaking point. It’s one of the toughest decisions a parent could face: whether to hand over a child with profound disability to the care of the state. A report by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission found that in Victoria alone, an average of 50 children are relinquished every year. With inadequate respite, many families of children with disabilities are struggling to cope. Will a new national disability insurance scheme make a difference? In an emotional and honest discussion, we hear from people with a disability, their families and the government about the extraordinary challenges they face.
Are Chinese gamblers the answer to our tourism woes? And at what cost? James Packer has set his sights on Asian gamblers. In a public pitch earlier this year, the billionaire businessman said middle class gamblers visiting from China could help reverse the fortunes of Australia’s struggling tourism industry. Is there anything wrong with targeting Asian gamblers? And are Australia’s local Asian communities vulnerable to that approach? Gambling addiction expert and psychiatrist Dr Timothy Fong says gambling is entrenched in Chinese culture, partly driven by a belief in luck and predetermined fate. Australian-Chinese businessmen say trips to the casino are a crucial part of doing business and networking with clients. But it’s not just the well-heeled and wealthy who are throwing big dollars around at crowded gaming tables in Australia’s casinos. One study shows that Chinese international students studying in Australia are particularly at risk of gambling problems. They arrive here with lump sums of money for their education and accommodation, are lonely and isolated, and are attracted to the glamour and liveliness of casinos - sometimes with disastrous results. Some international students are even ending up in casino’s VIP rooms. Dr Fong says the cultural taboo around problem gambling prevents people from seeking help. He says many addicts want to save face and are too ashamed to admit they have a problem.
Australia spends big money building up elite athletes. But is the money well spent? Morale in Australia’s swimming team is at rock bottom, after a disappointing Olympic performance and new allegations about ill-discipline, juvenile pranks and disunity. High profile swimmers speak out about the allegations, revealing that no one from Swimming Australia has spoken to them since the Olympics. And they claim they haven’t had a team psychologist since 2009. The swimmers are joined by gymnasts, runners and other Olympians, who say that although big sums are going to their organisations, the money isn’t trickling down to them individually and they’re often forced to rely on their families for financial support. Their parents are selling family businesses and spending their savings. Many of them are living below the poverty line. Australian taxpayers spent $588 million on this year’s Olympic Games and won a total of 35 medals. In stark contrast, Australian Paralympians fared much better, with a fraction of the financial backing. Meanwhile, community sport clubs are crying poor, saying they can’t afford to support promising young talent. They believe more public dollars should come to them so they can inspire the next generation of athletes from the ground up. Insight explores where sports funding goes in Australia and whether there is a better way to spend the money.
Why are we killing so many pet dogs and cats? Australians love pet dogs and cats. But each year tens of thousands of them are killed. Often, they’re perfectly healthy. The RSPCA alone euthanised more than 56,000 cats and dogs last financial year. And that figure doesn’t include all the animals put down at council pounds around Australia every day. (One advocacy group, Deathrowpets.net, estimates that a quarter of a million unwanted cats and dogs are killed in Australian pounds every year). In this episode, pet owners, breeders, pet shop owners, animal shelter workers and pets themselves join Jenny Brockie to look at why Australia is euthanising so many dogs and cats. Insight will also ask whether pet owners are at fault for treating animals as a commodity, or whether there are just too many animals being bred in the first place.
Should baby boys be circumcised? Male circumcision is far less popular in Australia than it used to be. But there’s a small but vocal movement of doctors and medical researchers calling for it to be routinely offered for health reasons, including hygiene and to prevent sexually transmitted infections . They’ve been bolstered by a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics which recently reviewed more than a thousand studies and concluded that the 'preventative health benefits of elective circumcision of male newborns outweigh the risks". It’s not just health that’s a factor in the decision making. Male circumcision still plays a religious role in Australia’s Jewish and Muslim communities and is a traditional cultural practice for some people from Indigenous, African, Middle Eastern and Islander backgrounds. And for some, it's just the way it's always been done. And if you decide you want a circumcision for your child, there are hurdles: in some parts of Australia it’s virtually impossible to find doctors who will perform the procedure. And no one seems to be able to agree on what’s the best age. This week on Insight: does the medical evidence stack up? Is it ok to undergo surgery for non-health reasons? And who should have the right to make the decision to snip?
Where should we draw the line on genetic screening? Is there anything wrong with choosing your baby's health, sex, personality, even intelligence? Every day, mothers are being screened to see if their future children could be at risk of diseases including Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and spina bifida. But sex selection for non-health reasons is not allowed here so many Australians are going to IVF doctors overseas to choose to have a boy or a girl. In the not-too-distant future, parents might even be able to choose elements of their baby’s personality and intelligence. Insight looks at the ethics of so-called designer babies. Should humans embrace the new genetic technologies to "breed out" disease? Or are we, as one guest puts it, in the grip of "gene mania"?
Who are the trolls? Trolls and 'trolling’ have been dominating headlines since some high-profile Australians found themselves at the centre of vicious attacks on Twitter. And it’s not just celebrities being targeted. Grieving families have been shocked to find their Facebook tribute pages to dead loved ones defaced with violent and disturbing images. While a lot has been said about these so-called trolls, hardly anyone has been able to speak to them. In an extraordinary television event, Insight hears from the trolls themselves – unmasked and unafraid to talk openly about their activities and where they draw the line. They face off with trolling victims and experts to discuss the impacts of trolling, whether a crackdown on trolling would threaten free speech and whether people simply need to 'toughen up’ when they enter online spaces.
There’s a new frontline in the battle against post-traumatic stress disorder: Afghanistan. Some soldiers and mental health experts say the intensity and volatility of the Afghanistan conflict is making post-traumatic stress disorder more acute and more prevalent than ever before. Adding to this problem is the fact that there is still a huge stigma around mental illness in the Australian Defence Force. Many soldiers are reluctant to seek help in an organisation where strength and toughness are revered. PTSD symptoms can take months or years to surface and can be severe: hyper-vigilance, nightmares, sleeplessness, explosive anger. Partners of returned soldiers are often copping the brunt of it. In this episode of Insight, current and former soldiers break their silence to reveal how they’re dealing with the after-effects of serving in Afghanistan.
A faraway conflict hits home. In a passionate and at times volatile discussion, Syrian Australians on all sides of the political divide join Insight to give us their take on the fighting in their home country, and speak out about how it’s affecting the communities here. Syria has been embroiled in civil war since rebels staged an armed uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule 18 months ago. A recent spate of assaults on Syrian military and government installations has sparked some of the fiercest fighting yet between rebels and the Syrian Army, in a conflict that activists say has killed more than 32,000 people. As the violence and divisions worsen, tensions are simmering in some Australian neighbourhoods. A number of Syrian Australian supporters of the Assad regime say they’re being intimidated into silence, reporting mysterious knocks on doors and a bashing in broad daylight. Claims and counter-claims are being traded freely and bitterly.
Is the provocation defence allowing killers to get off lightly? Provocation is a partial defence to murder, which – if accepted by the jury – results in a conviction for manslaughter instead of murder. And that means a lesser sentence. It has been traced back to 16th and 17th century England, when brawls and fights arising from 'breaches of honour’ were common, and the sentence for murder was death. Supporters of the defence in modern times say that it acknowledges that even reasonable, ordinary people can in some cases be pushed to the brink and momentarily lose control and kill someone. They say it’s critical that the defence be retained in some form, so it can be used for people including victims of domestic violence who snap and kill their spouses. But critics of the provocation defence say it’s being overused by men in cases of sexual jealousy. The defence has been abolished in Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania. New South Wales is currently holding an inquiry into it. This week, Insight discusses whether provocation has a place in modern day courts in Australia and how we deal with often murky cases of murder and manslaughter.
What happens to children who grow up in extreme political circumstances? Former child soldiers live right here in Australia, a world away from their childhood violence. From the Chinese Revolution and The Troubles in Northern Ireland to conflicts in Sub-Saharan Africa, children have been exposed to extreme situations that can have a lasting effect on their futures. In this episode, Jenny Brockie speaks directly to people who chose or were forced to join extreme causes as children, in a variety of circumstances. They bravely open up about what they went through, how they were trained, and how they deal with feelings of guilt and betrayal as adults.
This week, Insight breaks some deeply held taboos to look at a practice which is as personal as it is controversial. There has been much talk about female genital cutting, also known as female circumcision or female genital mutilation, after several high profile arrests across Australia in recent months. In December 2012, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced a review of the current legal framework and said a national summit would be held sometime within the year. Gillard said, 'It is a violation of the human rights of women and girls and there is no place for it here in Australia. Its occurrence in this country cannot be excused by culture." But some women say cultural reasons are valid, and some say that they’re still able to lead healthy sex lives and achieve orgasms – even when they’ve undergone the most severe forms of the procedure.
Their stories are jaw-dropping. A woman who regrets saving the life of her daughter’s rapist. A woman who decided to donate her perfectly healthy kidney to a perfect stranger. A man who walked past someone dying on a mountain – and says he’s thought about that decision every day since. They all join Insight this week to discuss whether there is any moral obligation to save a life. What if it means putting your own life at risk, or saving someone you despise or hardly know? We also look at cases where someone in dire need has been ignored – sometimes with fatal consequences. Psychologists refer to this as "the bystander effect" which says that if there are multiple people at the scene of a crisis, everyone assumes someone else will be the one to step in to help. One guest on the program wants a "duty to rescue" law, effectively forcing Australians to help others if they are in danger.
How do you heal after a mass injustice? Two former enemies from apartheid-era South Africa square off in this week’s episode of Insight. In a tense and dramatic exchange, Shirley Gunn talks directly with the man responsible for framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. His actions led to Shirley spending a traumatic stint in jail. Insight also brings in examples from child sex abuse scandals, the stolen generation and forced adoptions, traversing continents and conflicts. Does an apology, compensation or public acknowledgement help them come to terms with what happened to them? Or does healing come from elsewhere? Is it even possible? "Healing" is a timely episode, with a royal commission underway into sexual abuse of children in institutions across Australia and a national parliamentary apology over forced adoptions set for March.
Who controls a professional athlete's body? In the wake of the ACC report findings, Insight discusses allegations of the use of performance enhancing drugs in Australian professional sports, and asks: who should ultimately be held accountable? Insight looks at the lengths athletes are expected to go to in order to get an edge, with some suggesting that they are not always given a choice. David Parkin, former AFL coach, breaks his silence on the doping scandal, revealing that during his time working for different clubs, "we’ve got rid of people" there were suspicions around. David says, "we weren’t prepared to take a risk that there might be somebody in the place that wasn’t operating all above board." He says sports scientists have become increasingly influential in clubs and believes the pressure for coaches to get an edge over their competitors means everyone is tempted to bend the rules. This week, former football players, coaches, cyclists, and current sports scientists speak up about whom athletes can really trust.
Australians are living longer than ever and it seems they’re making the most of it. There has been an explosion in the number of older Australians using online dating sites, with many having easier access to virility and hormonal drugs if they need some extra help. But there are downsides. Elderly Australians have a comparatively low knowledge of safe sex practices. They grew up at a time when the norm was to marry their first sexual partner. They never had sex education in school. Being past their reproductive years, many aren’t insisting on condom use. As a result, rates of sexually transmitted infections amongst older Australians are rising faster than in any other age group. There’s also the question of how to manage sexual activity in nursing homes. Many aren’t providing double beds. And some nursing staff aren’t sure how to cope when family members request visits from professional sex workers for their elderly relatives.
Secrets and lies. One found out that her husband had another secret family on the side. Another spent years posing as a drug dealer’s girlfriend as part of an undercover operation, until the lines between fact and fiction started to blur. And another pretended to his school friends and teachers that he had a normal life at home, which couldn’t have been further from the truth. Meet them all in this episode, as Insight finds out what it is like to lead a double life. We ask them why they chose to live another existence and how they maintained the fiction. What happened when the deception was exposed? And how did this impact their families?
Australia has one of the worst mammal extinction rates in the world. And cats are partially to blame. Of the 21 completely extinct marsupials and rodents in Australia, the cat and the red fox have likely contributed to the extinction of all but two. Feral cats are also a threat to 35 bird species, 36 mammal species, seven reptile species and three amphibian species. Four of those are critically endangered. Feral cats are everywhere across Australia and in big numbers: the government has put the figure at around 18 million. But it’s not just ferals that are to blame for killing wildlife. Domestic pet cats that are allowed outdoors are just as effective predators. Cat owners who claim their pets don’t hunt may not even realise what’s happening; a recent study found that cats only bring home about a quarter of their kills. Conservationists and wildlife groups say something needs to be done to reduce the impact of cats on native wildlife. But they can’t agree on what.
This week, a rare glimpse into the lives of Aboriginal teens in Alice Springs. "I read one page and then she just looked at me. She put her hands over her mouth and she started crying because my average reading level went from six year old to a year 10." "People, drunks everywhere, people pissing on the street and everything. It’s stupid." "If I keep running amuck and, like, if I keep being naughty, if I keep going down this road, I might end up like my brothers." In this special episode, Insight heads to Alice Springs for a rare chance to hear directly from Aboriginal teenagers. They open up about family life, alcohol and shame. And they let us in on their dreams for the future and what might be standing in the way. Raw. Personal. And not to be missed.
Some research suggests parents with intellectual disabilities are over represented in child protection cases. Susan finds it hard to multitask: she struggles to cook a meal and keep an eye on her toddler at the same time. She says she also finds it hard to make judgements when things aren’t black and white. Any 'grey’ areas can be hard. It breaks her heart that she no longer has guardianship of her child. But she says that it’s for the best. This week on Insight, a difficult conversation about how an intellectual disability may affect a parent’s capacity to raise a child. We hear from parents and their children about what life is like at home. And we hear from child protection workers about the delicate process of making painstaking assessments and decisions about a parent’s abilities.
"I stop once my opponent starts bleeding, that's when I stop." - 'Lea', 14. Because they're bored. Because someone said something nasty on Facebook. Because someone was "being a smart arse" to them. Australian girls are getting into some bad fights. Although males are responsible for most violent assaults in Australia, there has been an increase in violent offences committed by females, many of them aged 14-25. More females than ever before are being imprisoned for physical assaults and stories of young girls fighting are becoming more common. This week on Insight, girls as young as 14 own up to 'putting the boot in’, hair pulling and slamming heads into walls. And victims tell of the impact on them.
How much do we really know about North Korea? They were told it was the greatest nation on earth. But they could see for themselves the poverty, the power black-outs and the mysterious 'disappearances’ of friends and relatives. This week on Insight, defectors join Jenny Brockie in the studio to help paint a picture of life in North Korea. They’re joined by some of the world’s best brains and analysts who will try to piece together what’s unfolding in the secretive state in the aftermath of recent posturing and fist shaking by leader Kim Jong-un. Is North Korea a real threat? Or is it just a lot of hot air? The price of a miscalculation could be high.
Australia has an invisible army of children on caring duties. "When she has a panic attack, you've got to try and keep her legs still just in case she might kick the wall or something. I hold her until she calms down. I get her medication. When she's a bit calmer I give her a camomile tea with honey, that helps her." – John Attard, 13. This week, meet some awesome kids doing some pretty grown-up stuff. Across Australia, young people, many in their teens, are caring for a parent, sibling or other family member. It could be physical support like lifting a parent out of a wheelchair, or emotional support like calming down a parent having an anxiety attack. It could be as ordinary as making a cup of tea and washing the dishes, to highly personal care helping a parent in the bathroom. One estimate puts the number of under-18s doing caring work at 150,000. So how do they cope? How do they get a break? And how do the parents feel about being cared for by their children?
Arranged and forced marriages are part of life in Australia. Matten Olumee says he’s the best person to choose his sons’ future wives. The Afghan Australian says it makes perfect sense: he’s guided his sons through their lives and he’d be the better judge of character of their prospective spouses. Matten is just one of many Australians keeping the arranged marriage tradition alive. In some cases, their children are happily allowing their spouses to be chosen for them. Other people, however, are agreeing to the marriages because of family pressure. And some marriages aren’t just 'arranged’. They’re forced. Earlier this year, the Federal Government brought in new laws to prevent forced marriages, after a number of cases of young Australian women being pressured to wed or forced to marry abroad. This week Insight brings you a repeat of this program originally screened in March last year. The program looks at the grey area between arranged and forced marriages, and where Australian laws might clash with cultural traditions.
Fight the bulge? Or fight the discrimination? "The medical system is buckling under the sheer weight of the 60 per cent of people that are overweight and obese." 'We live in a fat phobic culture." Australians are getting fatter. And experts say diets just don’t work in the long term. But should we be looking at this debate differently? Can you be fat and healthy? And are people resorting to surgery too soon? This week on Insight: people who hate their fat, people who flaunt it, and people who’ve had it cut out.
"I know that my hymens have passed inspection in Australia and overseas and not been detected." – Les Blackstock, cosmetic surgeon Les Blackstock is proud of his reconstructed hymens. He says women are requesting them for a variety of reasons: because they have had pre-marital sex, they are victims of rape, or they "want to achieve a sense of a clean slate". He’s not the only Australian medical professional getting involved in virginity matters. Dr Wafa Samen, a Sydney-based gynaecologist, issues doctor’s certificates in English and in Arabic certifying that a hymen is intact. This week on Insight: virginity. Meet people who are holding onto it, who can’t wait to get rid of it, or who are trying to hide the fact that they don’t (or do) still have it.
Trouble in Turkey. What started as a rally opposing the building of a mall in Istanbul’s Gezi Park ended up morphing into weeks of large-scale protests against the government. And it turned ugly. At least five people were killed and many more injured in the clashes. Protesters accused Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of becoming authoritarian and deliberately dividing people along class and religious lines. But his supporters says he’s lifted the country out of recession and brought stability to their country. Has Erodogan been good for Turkey? Are the protests about the urban environment, class, religion, a park "¦ or something far more complex? This week on Insight, we bring together Turkish Australians to discuss what’s behind the unrest, and whether there is a deep rift within the Turkish population.
"Blokes have been just as vain as girls pretty much since the dawn of time." - Jimmy Meet Jan. He’s a 55 year old bloke who drives trains in Melbourne and is in a new relationship with a woman a bit younger than he is. Jan has just had liposuction to sculpt a six-pack into his stomach. And meet Johnny. He says he was about 13 years old when he begged his parents to let him have nose surgery. Now at 39, he has had five nose jobs and two ear operations. Johnny is Lebanese and says he’s never been happy with his 'look’. Jan and Johnny are two of the many Australian men taking grooming to the next level: from body hair waxing to botox and surgery. This week, Insight looks at what's driving men to change their looks and how the notion of male beauty changes over time and across cultures.
One in five women are stalked in their lifetime. "I lost my home, I lost my identity and had to have my name changed." - Nanette What drives someone to stalk another person? This week, Insight delves inside the minds of the stalkers. Those accused of stalking tell Insight what they do and why they do it – some are remorseful; others aren’t. They are joined by guests who share their intensely personal and harrowing accounts of being stalked by former partners and aggrieved clients. Psychologists and police also weigh in to explore the definition of stalking, whether the laws are doing enough to protect victims, and whether stalkers can be reformed.
Are we doing enough to track down missing people? Jenny Karmas came home from work one evening to an unlocked, empty house. Although her husband Sam had left his keys, wallet and ute at home, he was nowhere to be seen. He is still missing. Around 35,000 people go missing in Australia every year. Nearly 1,600 remain missing long term. How do those left behind deal with the disappearance of their loved ones? Are we doing enough to support them? In the lead up to National Missing Persons Week, Insight reveals that there is still no adequate national system to track these people down. Speaking to families of missing people, police from missing persons units, as well as a person who has been 'found’, Insight looks at why people go missing and whether enough is being done to find them.
How should Australia deal with asylum seekers? Asylum seekers are at the centre of another political fight after Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced his recent asylum seeker policy. In response, Opposition leader Tony Abbott has proposed a military-led refugee plan, known as Operation Sovereign Borders. Under the government's new policy, all asylum seekers who come to Australia by boat will be sent to Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island for processing and resettlement. No one will end up here. The decision has left everyone asking: how should Australia deal with asylum seekers? And with the federal election looming, the discussion is even more important than ever. Six prominent Australians – Angry Anderson, Peter Reith, Catherine Deveny, Imogen Bailey, Michael Smith and Allan Asher – risk their lives to experience the reality of refugee life, as they embark on an extraordinary and confronting three week journey.
'If we do get to somebody in time after they've reached that traditional threshold of death, we can bring them back." – Dr Sam Parnia, intensive care physician. Colin was watching TV on the couch when he had a cardiac arrest. He was 'dead’ for at least 40 minutes before doctors finally brought him back to life. Cassandra was blue and bloated when she was seen floating in the water at a Sydney beach last year. It’s hard to know for sure, but rescuers say she didn’t breathe for at least 15 minutes before they revived her. Both Colin and Cassandra are fine today. Medical science is pushing the boundaries of death, with doctors now to able to resuscitate some patients even an hour after they have 'died'. The consequences of these spilt second decisions can be life-changing – for better and for worse. Speaking to people who have 'come back from the dead’ as well as doctors with conflicting views, Insight examines the latest in medical science and finds out who has the best chance of being revived, and whether we should be reviving people just because we can.
What happens when your sexuality clashes with your cultural, religious or political beliefs? In the lead up to the federal election, Labor Senator Penny Wong joins religious leaders and ordinary community members to discuss gay marriage. New Zealand, Britain, Brazil, South Africa and parts of Mexico and the United States have legalised same-sex marriage. In Australia, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has just announced that a re-elected Labor government would introduce a bill on same-sex marriage within the first 100 days if re-elected. He says Labor MPs would be allowed a conscience vote on the issue and that he himself would vote 'yes’. But Opposition leader Tony Abbott’s position remains the same: the Coalition won’t introduce a same sex marriage bill and won’t allow a conscience vote. But they haven’t ruled out revisiting it after the election. Polling shows a majority of Australians are in favour of gay marriage, but there is still strong opposition in the community. Some say their cultural traditions, their religious beliefs or their political positions mean they simply can’t accept it. In a fiery and emotional debate, Insight picks apart the different struggles people are having with gay marriage.
Would you want to live to 120? "There will be a world where people can look forward to living at least beyond 100." - Professor David Sinclair "Well I don’t want to live till I’m 100, I have a chronic disease. I’ve looked after my family and my close friends who have passed away." - Jacqueline Meredith, 81 Following Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott's struggle to answer questions on Aged Care during the first 2013 election debate, Insight asks what it’s like to be old. Really old. Australians are getting older and living longer. By 2050, almost a quarter of the Australian population will be aged over 65, compared to 14 per cent now. Is living longer a good thing, or are we dragging out a long deterioration? We hear from those aged in their 80s, 90s, even 100s. And we meet the Aussie geneticist working on a pill to 'cure ageing' and find out what he means when he talks about 'mouse-opause'.
Is the parole system broken? "Adrian Bayley was therefore both on parole and on bail when he murdered and raped Jill Meagher. He ought to have been known by then to be a recidivist serious, violent, sexual offender." – Callinan report. Last week, the Adult Parole Board of Victoria admitted it made a deadly mistake in letting Adrian Ernest Bayley remain on parole despite him breaking conditions just months before he went on to kill Melbourne woman Jill Meagher. In the wake of Ian Callinan’s damning review of Victoria’s parole system, Insight brings together key players from inside the parole and justice systems to ask: is parole working? Current parole board members will tell host Jenny Brockie how they make such crucial decisions. They’ll be joined by police, former judges, victims and two serious offenders.
Migrants in the marginals. Can the major parties win over a roomful of migrant voters from marginal seats? In a special live election program, migrant Australians from key battleground electorates will put their questions to Immigration Minister Tony Burke, and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Arthur Sinodinos. Areas with a large migrant population such as the marginal seats of Greenway, Banks, Lindsay and Reid in western Sydney, have traditionally been Labor heartland. The marginal seats of Bennelong in Sydney’s north-west, where almost half of the residents speak a language other than English, and Moreton in Brisbane’s south, Queensland’s most multicultural seat, are known to switch back and forth between parties. And may change yet again. This week, Insight will look at the policies that migrants are most concerned about. Watch to see whether Burke or Sinodinos can win their vote.
Fear. Torture. Psychological games. "How do you put a price on a loved one?" - Nicky Bonney Journalist Amanda Lindhout has just spoken out in detail for the first time about being kidnapped in Somalia for over a year alongside Australian photojournalist Nigel Brennan. This week, Brennan and other guests join Insight to explore what happens when Australians are kidnapped overseas. Brennan’s sister Nicky Bonney, who handled the negotiations with her brother’s kidnappers, explains the delicate, high-stakes process and how she managed to hold her nerve as the days turned into weeks and months. The guests also debate the Australian Government’s 'no ransom’ policy and hear how families are turning to private operators to free their loved ones.
"She started hitting herself to try and get the boy out, So then we just said enough's enough." – Beck Seven-year-old school girl Maddi loves dancing, the colour pink and wearing dresses. But only a year ago Maddi was known to her friends and family as 'Maddokk’. She was born a boy. Psychologists and psychiatrists say people are presenting as transgender at younger and younger ages. But parents are at loss to know whether their child is truly transgender or if it’s "just a phase". And the stakes are high – especially with the availability of medical interventions like puberty blockers and hormone changers. This week Insight speaks with children and their families, asking how parents can be sure whether their child is transgender and how they’re choosing to deal with it.
"It doesn't have to be perfect to work. If it saves your life, isn't that more important?" – Natalie. Natalie has lost almost three decades’ worth of memories. She can’t remember giving birth to her children. She used to be a nurse but has forgotten her training. The memory loss happened after Natalie underwent multiple sessions of electroshock therapy to treat severe depression. But she says the memory loss is worth it . The treatment worked. She can now get through the day without the debilitating, dark moods and suicidal thoughts. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), also known as electroshock therapy, is used to treat people with conditions like mania, psychosis and severe, treatment-resistant depression. In Australia, the number of ECT treatments has almost doubled in the last ten years, with just under 30,000 sessions taking place in the last financial year. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists says ECT "is a highly therapeutic procedure with a strong evidence base". Most people don’t suffer the extreme memory loss that Natalie had, but short term memory loss is common. ECT can also have a high relapse rate, and many patients need "maintenance ECT" just to stay on an even keel. This week, Insight lifts the lid on a highly stigmatised treatment which is changing patients’ lives in all sorts of ways.
This week Insight speak to people claiming to be sex addicts, their therapists, psychologists with conflicting views and loved ones who have been impacted by their partners' behaviour. #Insightsbs
"You'll lose about two million brain cells every minute that goes by." - Neurologist Bruce Campbell When a stroke happens, the clock starts ticking. Treatments need to be given as soon as possible, in order to avoid lifelong disability or even death. And lots of us are affected. Stroke is second biggest killer and the leading cause of adult disability in Australia. In the background of this race against time, Australian doctors are clashing over one particular clot-busting drug called TPA. It’s a medicine that dissolves clots so they don’t have to be surgically removed. Neurologists say the treatment gives patients a precious chance at reducing disability. But emergency doctors say the treatment carries far too many risks as it can cause haemorrhages and even death. When anxious loved ones are told about treatment options, they have no time to mull over their decision. Every minute counts. This week Jenny Brockie hears from stroke patients who received different treatments and pieces together what’s had the best impact on their recovery – whether it was the TPA, or a surgical clot removal, or even a special rehab choir giving them back the power of speech.
Is alcohol ever ok for expectant mothers? This week, three young people open up to a studio audience about what it’s like to have Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Two of them can barely read or write. One has trouble speaking. One battles constant feelings of white hot anger. All their mothers drank during pregnancy. Drinking when pregnant can lead to a whole host of physical, behavioural and developmental problems known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Many pregnant women have out-of-date information about alcohol. Previous guidelines used to say that women could drink up to seven standard drinks per week. That was reduced to zero in 2009, but experts fear the message isn’t getting out. And about half of all pregnancies are unplanned, meaning women might drink in the crucial early weeks of pregnancy and not realise the potential damage they’re doing.
"I just want to meet someone that I look like, get to know them." - Ross Hunter. Sperm donation in Australia has evolved radically in recent years. One of the biggest changes is that you can’t donate anonymously anymore. That’s making a huge difference to those born since those changes took effect – they’re able to find out the identity of their donor once they turn 18. But there’s a large group of adults born from anonymous donations who are still looking for answers about their origins. And they may never be able to find out. A Victorian Law Reform Committee recommended reforms that would reveal the identity of anonymous donors. But the government seems unlikely to go that far. So whose rights should prevail? Those of the donor or the donor conceived child? And how much of your identity comes from knowing your genetic links?
"I thought it was illegal and it was wrong." – Melanie When two cousins marry each other, is it cause for celebration? Or a scandal? Across Australia, cousins are having relationships, marrying and having children together. It’s legal but remains a taboo for many people. Children born to blood relatives are more susceptible to various health problems and there can be an increase in infant mortality and stillbirth rates. So how are couples and families dealing with this? And can genetic testing help predict any health risks?
Australian current affairs forum, with lively debate and powerful first-person stories. Phobias are much more than simply a fear or a dislike, they can be debilitating. Insight investigates when a fear becomes a full-blown phobia and looks at the best ways to treat them. Hosted by award-winning journalist Jenny Brockie.
We revisit Insight's discussion, originally aired in August last year, about why so many young men are resorting to violence. What makes a night on the town turn violent?
"Getting a terminal diagnosis sends you into turmoil in the beginning but then you run out of milk and bread and you realise that the grocery shopping still needs to be done." – Connie Johnson Some doctors say most patients do want to know and many doctors say it's their duty to inform them. Other doctors say it's irresponsible to hand over such information. SBS's Insight program has spoken to a group of terminally ill patients about what it's like to know their dying day, and what changes they have - and haven't - made to the remainder of their lives. Connie Johnson, 36, knows she doesn’t have much time left. She’s dying from cancer but hasn’t told her young children – they’re only six and seven years old and don’t have a good concept of time. Astley Friend, 26, is absolutely against finding out how much time he has left, even though his melanoma has recently doubled in size. He believes having a number creates a concrete future for him. Joining Connie and Astley are oncologists and palliative care specialists who explain the tricky art of determining a prognosis.
"I had a public persona that I showed everyone was the way a male should be. And I had a private persona that was the self-abuser, that just didn't cope psychologically." – Lindsay, 64. Meet the people who you would never guess would self-harm. One is a practicing mental health worker, who works with young people by day but has her own private struggles. One is a 15 year old girl who started cutting herself a few times a week after having problems in her group of friends at school. And another is a man in his 60s. He doesn’t self-harm anymore but still occasionally feels the urge. Some experts think there is a trend of people with no diagnosed psychological or mental health issues resorting to self-harming. Jenny Brockie asks why people do it and how they broke the cycle.
"I can get real mad. The demons come out of me." – Joe Joe "Butterbean" Sweeney says he’s had "about 2000" street fights. He had a rough upbringing, but says his dirty street fighting days are behind him. Marcelo "Machine" Altieri is a professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter. He says MMA has taught him discipline. Paul Diacogiorgis is a senior business manager who recently had his very first fight. He competed in Melbourne’s "Executive Fight Club" alongside other like-minded white collar professionals. This week, Insight asks why some men fight. Following Daniel Christie’s death from a 'coward punch’ in King’s Cross on New Year’s Eve, and the introduction of the 'one punch’ law in NSW, Jenny Brockie explores what’s behind the urge to land a blow. Are there any rules when fights take place outside the ring?
"I didn't want my partner to talk back to me, and when she did, I would get more angry." – "Harry" Growing up with a violent father, "Harry" had always thought being aggressive towards women was the "normal way of life". Tui says men in his culture were taught not to cry, to "suck it up" and be tough. Rod grew up in a rural country town and believed that real men never shared their feelings. All of them have abused their partners. Following a recent spate of high profile domestic violence cases resulting in death, Insight brings together families with firsthand experiences to talk about violence in their homes. Perpetrators of domestic violence speak candidly about why they were abusive, exploring the impact of cultural expectations, gender roles and childhood trauma on their relationships. Guests discuss their struggle to break the cycle of abuse, revealing the challenges of leaving behind ingrained behaviours. We also hear deeply personal stories from victims of physical and verbal abuse, and ask how people cope with life inside a violent home.
"I'd been through so many placements and so if anyone came to the door, I would go hide in my room." – Brendan, 15. Brothers Brendan, 15, and Shannon, 13, were born to a drug-addicted mother. They never felt safe living with foster carers and would hide whenever a stranger came to the door, worried they would be taken away again. Brendan says his fear subsided when he was adopted and had a permanent home. At age 12, Khaled pushed for his own adoption, even though he still has a good relationship with his biological mum. Over the past few decades, local adoptions have substantially declined. But the NSW Minister for Family and Community Services Pru Goward is pushing for more kids in care to be adopted – a move that could transform the adoption landscape across the country. She tells Insight that parents whose kids have been removed should be given a limited time frame "to turn their life around", and that adoption should be prioritised above foster care. Some parents like "Katelin" think this process is unrealistic and unfair to biological parents. Katelin was drug-addicted when her child was removed. It took her three years to get clean and win her child back. This week, Insight hears directly from children who have been in care, biological mothers, and adoptive parents about the challenges they have faced. We ask: should it be easier to adopt Australian children in care? And how will it affect the child in the long term?
Is your child’s brain at risk by playing footy? Professional sporting codes including AFL, NRL and Rugby have put a lot of effort into improving how they deal with concussions on the field. But this isn't necessarily filtering down to the amateur and junior levels. And when it comes to kids, experts argue there’s even more to worry about. Neuroscientist Dave Ellemberg says his research dispels the myth that children’s brains recover more quickly than adults. "The developing brain is actually more fragile to the impact of a concussion," Dr Ellemberg says. Insight finds out what’s happening on footy fields across the country and what you should do if your child sustains a knock.
"I probably play, you know, 40 or 50 tournaments a day." - Michael, 19 Poker, roulette, sports, pokies, young Australians are gambling every day. Nearly 80 per cent of those under 24 say they gambled during the course of a year. Is it possible for them to keep their gambling under control? This week on Insight, we talk to young gamblers of every hue: from those who are confident that they can come out on top, to those who have lost nearly everything. Michael says he sometimes plays for twelve hours a day: "You can ..read your opponent and it becomes kind of a mathematic game. I’ve got a mathematic mind so I like that kind of challenge." Sami: "I dreamt of being independent from my mum and dad and having something of my own, buying cars, buying a house." Vince: 'If you sort of feel lucky and you’re around the vicinity of a casino "it kind of pulls me there." Matt: "I could have five dollars in my pocket and I’d still venture down with that feeling of chance that I could turn it into something".
"My mum said 'do you want to be mediocre or do you want to be great?' I was seven." - Wenee Yap Is success worth it? What’s the payoff and the price? Host Jenny Brockie speaks to high-achievers - and those who haven’t reached their goals - about the merits of a "winning at all costs" approach. They talk about what it takes to come out on top, whether children need to be pushed, and how to strike the right balance.
"If you're on a dating website you WILL be approached by a fraudster. There's no 'if', 'maybe', 'but'. It will happen." - Det. Supt. Brian Hay, Queensland Police. Jenny met "Gary" on a dating website when she was going through a divorce. He looked "professional and attractive". He told her they were meant for each other and he soon started asking her for money to cover some of his business costs. Jenny sent six figures in six weeks before realising she had been duped. Aussies following their hearts are sending thousands of dollars to partners they've never met in person. If it sounds ludicrous, think again. The frauds are elaborate and sophisticated. Scammers spend months building relationships, sending photos, calling and emailing. When family or the police intervene, many victims refuse to believe it's all a lie. This week, Insight brings together victims, police, dating sites and an international money transfer organisation to find out about the dangers and how not to get caught out.
Their beliefs were extreme and sometimes downright dangerous. Yeonmi Park, 20, grew up in North Korea believing Kim Jong Il was a god who could work miracles and read her thoughts. But after eventually escaping and settling in South Korea, Yeonmi came to realise just how deluded she had been about North Korea. Tom Olsen, 39, is a former neo-Nazi from Norway who used to dress in clothes plastered with the swastika. But his hard-core, violent views were shaken to the core by a chance event in South Africa. Now he works with police to try to de-radicalise others. Lebana Ilich, 15, was born into a commune. She says she wasn’t allowed to have any toys and was disciplined harshly several times a day with a rod. She thought the outside world was the "work of Satan". But now she’s out. This week Jenny Brockie hears from people whose beliefs were extreme and sometimes downright dangerous. She finds out how their ideologies came unstuck and what the lessons are for de-radicalisation programs.
"I think we're just like one person." - Bridgette and Paula Powers. This year, Insight celebrates its 10th anniversary as a discussion forum. Over that time, more than 17,000 people have come to SBS, and shared their stories on the program. So, we're celebrating by re-visiting some of our most memorable shows. This week, we're going back to 2006, when a group of 22 identical pairs of twins let Insight in on the secrets of being a twin. What's it like to share not only your face, but maybe also your thoughts and dreams? That's a question only identical twins can answer. Studies of identical twins, with their identical DNA, have led to some startling findings about nature and nurture. They are the perfect genetic design for studying what makes us the way we are. Twin studies reveal that our behaviour, our health and most things about us, have a lot more to do with our genes than we used to believe. Even our personality is around 50% inherited.
Insight celebrates its 10th anniversary as a discussion forum. When was the last time you told a lie Join Insight for a scientific, psychological and philosophical journey into the tangled webs we weave when we practice to deceive.
"We should be able to have any conversation, no matter how distasteful it is." – Sergio Redegalli Artist Sergio Redegalli says he's received violent threats in response to his anti-burqa and anti-Islam murals painted on his Sydney home. The murals are visible from a nearby train line. Sergio says he's exercising his right to freedom of speech and artistic expression, but others say he's vilifying a particular group. Kieran Butler says he's received violent threats too. He and fellow amateur comedian Angelo D'Costa organised a comedy debate called "There's Nothing Funny About Rape" a few years ago. It didn't go to plan. Several people took offence and demanded the Melbourne venue cancel the event. With the Federal Government proposing to remove provisions which "unreasonably limit freedom of speech" in the Racial Discrimination Act, Insight asks just how free our speech is – and how free should it be.
"The field has changed dramatically." - John Zalcberg, oncologist Navzad is the human face of a new scientific frontier in the fight against cancer. When Navzad's brain tumours continued to grow despite treatment, his doctor and family decided to send a tissue sample overseas for genetic testing. It was discovered that his tumours had a mutation common to some melanoma, so Navzad's doctors started treating the cancer with a melanoma drug. What happened next was amazing – Navzad's tumour shrunk from the size of a 50 cent coin to five cent coin in a matter of weeks and he was able to return to school and finish his HSC exams. From gene sequencing technology to immunotherapy, Insight explores the big game changers in understanding and treating cancer. And we ask there has been significant progress in treating some cancers but little to none with others, and whether the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is keeping up with the latest medical advancements.
"We live in a society full of choice, why does somebody like dark chocolate instead of white chocolate? It's my preference." - Rudo Rudo is a black woman who has never been attracted to black men. She's always dated white men and eventually married one. She says she enjoys the physical contrasts between herself and her husband. The world around us is full of choice, but do you find yourself only dating a particular type? This week, Jenny Brockie hears from people who have particular racial preferences on who they are attracted to and why. We find out what science and sociology have to say about our sexual desires and look at whether racial stereotypes are at play – and whether that matters.
Can shame ever be good? Kerry Tucker stole almost two million dollars from her employers over a seven year period. She says she only started feeling shame when the police turned up to her house to arrest her. "When it comes to shame you've got to feel ashamed by somebody telling you about your consequences or being confronted by it," she says. "While it's still a secret there's nothing to be shameful about." This week on Insight, we look at shame: Feeling it. Causing it. And getting past it. We hear from a newspaper editor who names and shames drink drivers, a gelato store owner who shamed thieves into returning a stolen birthday cake, and a transgender Jewish woman who was told she could only come to the synagogue if she sat in the men's section. Jenny Brockie asks when is shame necessary and when can it be destructive.
What makes a good funeral? Neil wants a DJ booth and footy souvenirs at his funeral. Craig wants his ashes sent up in fireworks. Rabbi Wolff wants a simple, traditional Jewish burial. This week Insight explores one of the surest events in our lives - death - and how we mark it. We look at the religious and cultural practices, discuss whether viewing the body is a good idea, and debate whether a "life celebration" still allows people to grieve.
"I bully them intellectually, or I manipulate them." - Jim Fallon This week, Insight meets a self-proclaimed psychopath. Jim Fallon is a US-based neuroscientist. In a weird coincidence at work several years ago, Jim says he accidentally discovered that his own brain scans showed identical activity to that of a psychopath. His wife’s reaction? "It doesn't surprise me," she said. Jim says he has many psychopathic traits: he’s a risk taker, charming, narcissistic, manipulative and feels no remorse. But Jim says he’s a "pro-social" psychopath, so he’s rarely acted violently. He says his happy childhood is probably what prevented him from becoming violent. This week, Jim faces questions from world experts in psychopathy, host Jenny Brockie and Insight’s studio audience to discuss his self-diagnosis and to broadly discuss empathy (or lack of it).
Are we in denial about alcohol? Hannah drinks up to six bourbons a night. She says drinking is her choice and it's under control. "I work full time, I'm actually studying part time as well, had a baby in December, managing to hold all the plates in the air," she says. "Naomi" drinks a bottle of wine each night to help her fall asleep. It's her secret shame. As someone who's about to graduate from Nursing, she knows it's "unhealthy behaviour" but she hasn't quite managed to stop. Labor politician Doug Cameron, 63, hasn't had a drop in 35 years - he calls himself a functional alcoholic. He credits his wife with helping him turn his life around. This week, guest host Stan Grant asks everyday drinkers why they drink – and how much is too much. Are the guidelines for no more than two standard drinks per day realistic?
Do we have a culture of entitlement? Beau is unemployed and on Newstart. He has spent six months looking for an IT job. He says he’s worked hard to set up his career and wouldn’t want to go "degrade" himself to do a job unrelated to his field. "If I was to go and work in a café or something, I'd just see that as an absolute waste of time," he says. Rosina has five children and receives about $20,000 in family tax benefits a year. "I think I'm entitled," she says. "Children are a good thing and we should encourage things that are socially good. We're working towards stable families." In the lead up to this year’s Federal budget, Treasurer Joe Hockey said "the age of entitlement is over." This week, Jenny Brockie asks – do we have a culture of entitlement?
"I’d come to the conclusion that no one had done it. No one had survived out at sea at night-time floating in the water" - Rob Hewitt Rob survived three nights adrift at sea after becoming separated from his dive boat. Fiona was travelling down the Amazon River in Ecuador when she was kidnapped. James was on the 92nd floor of the World Trade Center's South Tower on September 11. Over the next two weeks, Insight asks, what does it take to survive? Survivors tell host Jenny Brockie what goes through their minds in those critical, life-changing moments. She asks what drives people to fight for life – and whether the battle to survive is worth it. This special two-part program explores the stark and unpredictable human responses to immediate danger, and the ways in which we keep ourselves going in the face of extreme adversity.
"I could very easily have died 100 times over" – Bernie Ex-cop Bernie Schulte was caught in a bushfire on his property in 2009. He suffered third-degree burns and spent over six months in hospital. "It [the fire] was all over in a minute; then you go into some sort of survival mode. I said I don’t want to die, I really don't want to die," Bernie says. British man Peter Moore was working in Iraq as an IT worker when he was kidnapped. "I thought this whole thing, dead or alive, would be over within six months," he says. He was wrong. He was held captive for 2 years and 7 months. In the conclusion of our special two-part series, Insight hears about what people did to get through extraordinarily tough times, and how they 'survived survival'.
"If children aren't disciplined, they will never learn," - Mireille Is smacking children ever ok? This week we revisit that question as part of Insight’s 10th anniversary replay of favourite episodes from our archives. Corporal punishment is legal in Australia. But it seems every parent has different boundaries. We’re joined by parents who believe in a firm hand and hear from parents who use other methods of keeping kids in line – everything from 'time out’, removal of privileges, withholding food, or, as one of our guests puts it simply, "The Look".
"This is an unproven theory." – Prof John Rasko'If you were the one sitting in a wheelchair, what would you do?" - Matt Battista If an experimental treatment existed for your illness – would you try it? Thousands of desperate Australians are turning to controversial, unproven stem cell treatments in the hope it cure a whole range of illnesses. They say they’re tired of waiting for the long process of clinical trials to conclude, while they get sicker and sicker. An exemption in Therapeutic Goods Administration regulation allows Australian doctors to treat patients with their own stem cells. Stem Cells Australia believes over 40 local doctors now offer treatments that haven’t been rigorously tested. Other patients are heading overseas for risky treatments that are strictly limited here in Australia. Some of them are returning back to Australia with startlingly successful results. Others have no improvement. This week, Insight asks whether current stem cell treatments are cause for hope – or just misleading hype.
Changing your face? Or changing your race? This year, Insight celebrates its 10th anniversary as a forum and we’re looking back at some of our most memorable shows. This week we revisit the phenomenon of people changing their physical ethnic traits – using everything from skin whitening creams to double eye-lid surgery. Twenty-year-old Heidi Liow told Insight that although she values inner beauty, she has gone under the knife several times. "I do like Caucasian features. I also wanted to look like a manga character, like in all those Japanese cartoons, like Sailor Moon," she said. What are the pressures or influences spurring people to get cosmetic surgery and what is considered 'beautiful’ today? Subsequent to this recording, Insight discovered Dr Andrew Kim gave Heidi Liow and Glenda Bui an 80% discount to publicise his practice. SBS had no prior knowledge of this agreement.
"I’m never free" – Sandra Pritchard Some days it can take Sandra Pritchard more than 10 minutes to make a cup of tea. The cup isn’t quite right. The tea bag doesn’t go in properly. Sometimes, after more than a dozen attempts, she simply gives up. Sandra has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The mum of two is consumed by her illness. She compulsively rearranges, sorts, washes, rinses, checks, touches, wipes. Around three per cent of Australians experience OCD in their lifetime, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. And you can’t be "a little bit OCD". The real thing is debilitating. So when does an obsession cross the line? What distinguishes a passionate, driving obsession from something more serious?
"It is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do." - "Lisa" "Lisa" was 12 weeks pregnant with her friends’ baby. She had offered to be their surrogate. But the scan showed a possible chromosomal disorder with the fetus. The intended parents wanted to terminate the pregnancy. "Lisa", who was carrying the baby, didn’t. In the end, "Lisa" went ahead with the parents’ wishes. "It is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do," she says. "I believe that when you go into the surrogacy situation that you can write an agreement. But once hypothetical turns into reality, I think everything really changes." This week, Insight asks, who calls the shots in surrogacy arrangements? And what pitfalls and hurdles are people navigating?
"You can’t expect the world to just come in and swoop in and save you and make it all better again" - Tara Tara and her brother Gavin grew up surrounded by drugs and violence. Today, their lives have gone in quite different directions. Tara struggles with addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs and is trying to get it under control. She’s put her university studies into sociology on hold to care for her sick father. She credits her fiancé Ben with helping turn her life around. "You can’t be a victim anymore of your circumstance, you are the only person that can change your life," she says. Gavin is a recovering ice addict who struggles with anxiety. He recently found out he probably has drug-induced brain damage, which he says gives him a reason for missing appointments and commitments. "My memory is really bad from smoking too much," he says. "I can sort of have a bit of leeway." Gavin says he’s doing his best to fix his problems. But Tara says he doesn’t take responsibility and worries he will use his cognitive impairment as a crutch. This week, Insight asks, where does personal responsibility begin and end?
How do you deal with memories you don’t want? Casey is still haunted by the time she hit and killed a pedestrian whilst driving her car. It wasn’t her fault. She remembers vivid details like the woman’s knee high stockings. Paul still regularly thinks about how his carriage crumbled in the Granville train disaster, although it happened almost 40 years ago. Esther still struggles to look at a plate of rare meat after years of service as a police officer and forensic investigator. This week, Insight looks at how our brains process painful memories, and whether talking about them makes them better or worse. Are some memories so bad they’re better to forget?
Australia – and the world - is at risk of a deadly pandemic. But it’s not Ebola. Australia – and the world - is at risk of a deadly pandemic taking hold. But it’s not Ebola. The real threat is influenza. A new, severe strain has the potential to bring our society to its knees. You would transmit it before you realised you were sick. You wouldn’t have any immunity. It would spread like wildfire. And that’s why it’s deadly. In a special episode, Insight explores just how Australia would cope in a hypothetical influenza pandemic situation. How do hospitals decide who to treat? If the people producing our food are sick, where do we get it from? If you couldn’t work for a fortnight, could you still pay the bills? If mass gatherings are banned, does that mean you can’t attend a family member’s funeral? Who gets access to a vaccine first? Why? Can washing your hands really help? The next influenza pandemic is not a matter of "if", but "when". Are we ready?
"I know that my hymens have passed inspection in Australia and overseas and not been detected." – Les Blackstock, cosmetic surgeon Les Blackstock is proud of his reconstructed hymens. He says women request them for all sorts of reasons: because they have had pre-marital sex, they are victims of rape, or they "want to achieve a sense of a clean slate". He’s not the only Australian medical professional involved in virginity matters. Dr Wafa Samen, a Sydney-based gynaecologist, issues doctor’s certificates in English and in Arabic certifying that a hymen is intact. As part of Insight’s celebration of ten years as a forum, this week we revisit our program from 2013 on virginity: who wants to keep it, who wants to get rid of it, and who’s trying to fake it?
Is medicinal marijuana doing good or harm? It has been called a miracle, lifesaving medicine. But is it as safe as it’s cracked up to be? Politicians from across the aisle in Canberra and in the states are moving to trial medical marijuana. But many aren’t waiting for clinical tests. A growing movement of parents are using it to control kids’ epilepsy and adults are using it to manage chronic pain. This week, Insight cracks the lid on where medical cannabis comes from, what’s in it, and what it’s doing to patients. Host Jenny Brockie speaks to the suppliers – who come from areas as far afield as Nimbin and suburban Sydney – about the 'science' behind their 'miracle drugs', and the legal risks they face by providing it. Parents and patients speak about their success in using marijuana for a range of illnesses, and their desperation to have it legalised. But Brockie also hears from medical experts who believe there's no proven medical benefit to using marijuana, and that those using it are at risk of mental health issues. As the prospect of legalisation and clinical trials looms in several states, Insight also asks whether legal marijuana will lead to an increase of recreational use – and just what will happen to the black market.
How do we know for sure if someone is unconscious? After suffering a stroke, Kate woke up from a coma able to see, hear and feel, but unable to move a muscle. For two weeks doctors and her family and friends thought she was in a vegetative state. Andrew frequently sleepwalks around his house and argues convincingly with his partner that he is awake. When he wakes up he has no memory of their conversations. Following an operation, Rosie’s 2-year-old son came out of anaesthesia like “devil spawn”, thrashing about and unable to recognise her. Anaesthetists call this “emergence delirium” and don’t fully understand how it happens. There have been significant gains in our scientific understanding of consciousness, but exactly how it works – and what it is – remains a mystery. This week, Insight looks at what we do know about consciousness and asks whether we can know for certain if someone is conscious or not.
"I stop once my opponent starts bleeding, that's when I stop." - 'Lea', 14. Because they're bored. Because someone said something nasty on Facebook. Because someone was "being a smart arse" to them. Australian girls are getting into some bad fights. Although males are responsible for most violent assaults in Australia, there has been an increase in violent offences committed by females, many of them aged 14-25. More females than ever before are being imprisoned for physical assaults and stories of young girls fighting are becoming more common. In one of Insight's most confronting episodes last year, girls as young as 14 own up to "putting the boot in", hair pulling and slamming heads into walls. And victims tell of the impact on them.
What will the human body look like in the future? Most of us carry computers in our pockets or wear them on our wrists, but some of us are already embedding them in our flesh and brains. This week, Insight meets people who are integrating technology into their bodies. Some are modifying themselves with implantable and attachable devices to overcome disability, others are choosing to enhance themselves to test their bodies limits. We ask: when does a human stop being a human and to what extent should we adapt the human body with technology? What ethical and scientific questions does it raise?
Are we any closer to finding a cure? Australia has one of the highest food allergy rates in the world. Despite this, experts still don’t understand why people develop allergies, making it very hard for sufferers to manage or prevent them. This week we ask: why are more people being diagnosed with food allergies and is a cure a realistic possibility?
Can Islamic State be stopped militarily? In this special discussion, guest hosted by Anton Enus, Insight looks at whether IS can be stopped militarily, and what is the future for Iraq? Australia's armed forces are waging a bombing campaign against the Islamic State targets. Prime Minister Tony Abbott has ruled out troops fighting on the ground however the government is now sending Special Forces into Iraq, but only they say to advise the local army. This week Insight looks at the expansion of IS and the solutions being suggested for the region.
Six Australians. 28 Days. One Epic journey. How have their lives changed? Join guest host Stan Grant for a special live show featuring all the participants from the First Contact series. After a journey of conflict and discovery, Sandy, Trent, Alice, Jasmine, Marcus and Bo-dene will be reunited and joined by Indigenous people they met and a studio audience. First Contact is a landmark documentary series that took a group of six non-Indigenous people, from different walks of life and with strong and varied opinions, and immersed them into Aboriginal Australia for the first time. Insight asks: How have their lives changed?
Insight returns for 2015 with three 'Best Of' specials looking at the most memorable programs from last year. Part 1: Against all Odds What does it take to survive the seemingly impossible? In this episode, we hear extraordinary stories of people who beat death against all odds, including a North Korean defector and a former footy star who survived a suicide attempt and turned his life around. NB. Since this was recorded questions have been raised about the accuracy of testimonies by a few North Korean defectors, including Yeonmi Park.
There were triumphs and tragedies in the love department, deep connections and unexpected choices. Part 2: Modern Love There were plenty of people on Insight last year who expressed love for partners, relatives, and even for people they've never met. In this episode, we look at some of the most intriguing accounts of interracial dating, online scams, surrogacy and more.
Australia’s foremost forum for first-person stories and debate begins 2015 by looking back at some of its best moments from the year that was. Part 3: Most Intriguing People Each week Insight talks to extraordinary people from all walks of life. This week, the program revisits some of its most memorable guests. Beau Evans has a background in Information Technology but can't find a job in his field. He's been on Newstart for six months and believes the system isn’t doing enough to help him find relevant work. He doesn’t think he should have to take just any job.* Tom Olsen was a neo-Nazi in the 1990s and was the leader of a violent right wing group who plotted to kill Tore Bjorgo. He eventually changed his views and now he works alongside Tore to try to get others to leave radical extremist groups. Tom and Tore now consider themselves friends.* *These statements were true at the time of taping.
Insight has decided to give adults the flick and instead ask 13-year-olds to tell us what matters to them. This week Insight gives adults the flick. Instead, an audience of 13 year olds tell us what matters to them. Why 13? Well, it's the start of a lot of things, including being a teenager. Insight visited schools in the cities and the bush to talk to young teenagers and we've given some of our 13-year-olds cameras to show us what's really important in their world. We've found that multi-tasking is their middle name. They do homework, download songs from the web for their iPod and fit the occasional text message in between. They're self described 'couch potatoes', but feel they can navigate the world from their bedroom. We live in an era where adolescents in their early teens have never known a world without iTunes. “You wouldn't be socially accepted if you walked around with a discman instead of an iPod” says Ashley, 13. “My mobile phone is the boyfriend I never had,” says Rosie, 13. But it goes beyond fashion, many feel unsafe without them. “I can't go out after five at night, my mum gets worried someone will drag me into a car,” Bronte, 13. They were glued to TV during the London bombings and believe a terrorist attack could happen in Australia. “If you are a teenager and you watch action movies, you might not think that violence is bad and you might join Al Qaeda” says Subhodh, 13. Insight visited schools in the cities and the bush to find out what teenagers were talking about at recess. Some of them were given cameras to make their own short films about things they really care about. The results will surprise you.
How much pain can you handle? Some of Australia's top sportspeople regularly play with and beat pain, including Australian fast bowler Ryan Harris. Ryan joins Insight for its first new episode of 2015 to explore how we deal with pain. Guests who feel no pain, phantom limb pain and chronic pain join the sportspeople and share their secrets for getting on top of niggling injuries, discussing the relationship between body and mind. We ask: why can some people endure intense pain, while others can't?
It’s the conversation that doctors and patients want to have, but many politicians are avoiding – how do we create a patient-focused healthcare system? Carly Stewart's seven-year-old son Lachlan has cerebral palsy, requiring treatment from up to eight different hospital departments. She says the biggest hurdle for her family is poor communication between doctors across these departments. Two-year-old James Robins has cystic fibrosis, and requires consistent medical care. His mother, Katherine, prefers to use Hospital in the Home (HITH) wherever possible, because it gives James a sense of normality in his daily routine, and reduces his chances of contracting further infections. Dr Charlotte Hespe has been in general practice for over 20 years. She says a doctor's primary focus is the patient, but feels their efforts are supremely hampered by an unnecessary amount of red tape. Terry Barnes, the man who floated the idea of a GP co-payment in recent times, and a former advisor to the Howard government, is frustrated by the current debate. He feels that whilst the co-payment remains on the table, any chance at greater health reform is stymied by both professional and political forces. The Federal Government's spending on health care was around $30.2 billion in 2012-2013, according to the Productivity Commission's Report, and this is set to rise from 4 per cent of GDP to 7 per cent by 2059. As the government warns of unsustainable spending, we ask: how efficient could our health system be? This week, Insight brings together patients, carers, nurses, health professionals, and economists, to discuss the challenges in reforming healthcare. Saving money and helping patients: can the health system do both?
What makes a good leader? Tony Abbott is the latest in a line of Australian Prime Ministers who have struggled to maintain leadership of their party. Abbott may have survived a leadership spill but as the public continues to scrutinise each "captain's call", and politicians from both sides express a lack of confidence in Abbott's leadership, Insight asks – what makes a great leader? A panel of leaders from different fields sits down with host Jenny Brockie to discuss what it takes to be successful in the top job. They explore how much ambition matters, the value of personal loyalty, when to listen to or ignore advice, and whether leading is innate or can be learned. The leaders will also challenge the wisdom of Australia's "tall poppy syndrome" and reveal just how lonely it can be at the top.
Does your dog love you? Animal psychologists say dogs have the emotional and cognitive intelligence of a two year old. Though if you ask any pet owner, they will instinctively say that their four-legged companion "loves" them. More than that, people report their dogs show "empathy" when they're upset, and can suffer from anxiety, compulsive behaviour, and depression. But could this just be humans projecting their own feelings onto their pets? This week we look what science has to say about dogs' emotions and delve into what our treatment of them says about the human psyche. Where should we draw the line with humanising our furry friends?
How to get better childcare - New ideas for kids and parents. Over a million children are in childcare in Australia. As parents weigh up the benefits of returning to work, they are also turning to creative ways to deal with common issues such as long waiting lists, exorbitant costs, and inflexible hours. The Abbott government may have abandoned the paid parental leave scheme, but fixing childcare remains on the agenda. Insight asks: What other innovative ideas are worth exploring? What reform should the government be looking at?
"As far as I remember, there was always ... some sort of violence in the house. It's just something we grew up with." - Atena Since the beginning of the year, eight women have died as a result of domestic violence. Over 12 months, on average, one woman is killed every week as a result of intimate partner violence, according to a government report. This week, Insight takes you inside violent families again and revisits one of the most confronting episodes of 2014. In this show, victims, perpetrators and experts come together to tell their very personal tales of violence and abuse in the home and share their thoughts on how to put an end to it. Victims reveal the detail of what it's like to live in a violent home; perpetrators speak candidly about why they were abusive and how breaking away from ingrained behaviours, cultural expectations and gender roles remains constant struggle.
"He came on a boat, he's had all this terrible stuff happen to him. How did I not know this?" – Chantelle Six out of 10 students at Holroyd High are from a refugee background. Around a third of pupils have been in Australia for less than three years. Some have never been to school before arriving at Holroyd. Some arrive at school with a traumatic history. Most speak little or no English. The hurdles to academic achievement are significant. Yet last year 54 per cent of year 12 students at Holroyd High received first round university offers. The national average is 30 per cent. For many students this modest high school in Western Sydney provides a fresh start in a new country. For others, who've come from the local area, Holroyd High offers them a second chance and with a surprising new direction. In this episode of Insight the students and teachers from Holroyd High share their stories of resilience, their aspirations and their triumphs. How does a school like Holroyd prepare these kids for a new life in Australia?
How strong is the sibling bond? The relationship with your brother or sister is probably the longest bond you will have in your lifetime. Research shows sibling interactions have a vital role in teaching kids valuable social and life skills, and in shaping personality and behaviour. But siblings also sometimes get stuck into each other. Parents may see this rivalry as part and parcel of growing pains, however there is a growing body of research showing early sibling aggression is linked with serious ongoing learning and mental health problems. Are such disputes unavoidable, and do tensions always persist into adulthood? This week Insight asks: When is competition and conflict between siblings a good thing, and how can favouritism affect this. We also look at how this plays out in families from cultures with a hierarchical or gender preference. Have you ever experienced sibling rivalry?
"I liked what I was doing, I liked being the intimidator … It was kind of a badge of honour." – Mark Geyer Bus drivers and bouncers face it with some frequency; so do counsellors and psychologists; but call centre employees are on the frontline. Do you ever get angry at them? Anger has been viewed as a negative emotion, unproductive and destructive – but what if this emotion is actually really good for you? This program will get honest about anger – its limitations and its potential. Join guest host Anton Enus as we look at how anger works in the brain and in society. Insight asks: can we use it for positive gain?
How much should we hand over to robots? Stephen Hawking recently warned that the development of full artificial intelligence (AI) systems could spell the end of the human race. From agriculture and manufacturing to education and medicine, some experts are predicting a future where blue and white collar workers will soon be replaced. Technological progress has seen robots become more sophisticated, so what will be the economic impact of AI? Could we actually be entering an age of abundance for humans catered to by robot slaves? Insight asks: Is humanity really being threatened by thinking robots, and where will robotic advances take us into the future? What are the ethical and moral questions to consider?
"I find with dementia, anything you can enjoy helps you with the condition." – Ray Morgan The number of Australians living with dementia is set to soar in the coming years. As the group gets larger many people with dementia are finding their own way through memory loss, determined to let their own personalities shine through. They are fighting what is now Australia’s second biggest killer, ahead of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases, recent ABS data shows. How can humour help balance out the despair living with this irreversible and debilitating brain disorder? This week, Insight hears stories of sacrifice and success of people living with dementia and their loved one’s experience with this condition. What's the best way to live with dementia?
"I knew there was going to be a murder and I couldn't do anything about it." - Marisa Merico Everyone has secrets. They can be small and trivial and cause no harm. But some traumatic or deep revelations can have a life-changing effect. From the personal to the communal, this week Insight guests tell us why and how they ended up revealing their deepest secrets. We explore the burden of keeping secrets and ask if it's ever a good idea to let skeletons out of the vault. Have you found out something that was completely unexpected?
Where do women draw the line on sexual harassment in the workplace? Compliments about what people are wearing, jokes, and even flirting are a normal part of most workplaces. When does behaviour cross the line and become sexual harassment? How much does it matter who the person is? Sydney surgeon Dr Gabrielle McMullin caused an outroar recently when she said sexual harassment in hospitals is so rife that young trainees would be better off giving in to requests for sex than risk their careers by making a complaint. Two inquiries are currently underway in the medical profession to investigate. This week Insight hears from women across a broad range of professional sectors about their experiences of being harassed at work and from a man who’s been fired for harassing women. The majority of people who experience sexual harassment do not report it, according to a national phone survey. Hear the lengths people are going to in order to avoid making an official complaint. What would you do if the person harassing you was in a more senior position, or your boss? If inappropriate behaviour is common in your workplace, how do you change an entire culture?
What happens when you come into a windfall? Ever imagined what life would be like if you suddenly hit the jackpot? From winning a game show or the lotto, receiving an inheritance to finding and flipping a valuable antique, Insight hears from people who have found instant wealth. Did they squander their riches or set themselves up for life? Guests will talk about how their life-changing windfall impacted on their identity and relationships. How does an increased fortune change the winners and the behaviour of those around them. Is it taboo to talk or complain about being well-off and any problems it creates? What would you do if you came into a large amount of money?
How do you beat the odds in a place where too many kids drop out of school, and not enough of them find jobs? This week, Insight explores an area of disadvantage in Australia that's often ignored – regional Australia. Shepparton, in rural Victoria, is one of many Australian communities at a crossroads. Since the second World War, waves of immigrants and refugees have arrived in the Goulburn Valley region to seize upon the opportunities and build a new life. But recent events have brought both challenges and new prospects for residents. High youth unemployment, drug use, school retention rates, teen pregnancies, and poverty are just some of the issues concerning Shepparton locals. With a move away from unskilled to skilled jobs, what's the future of agriculture and industry in Shepparton? In this episode, filmed at the Goulburn Valley Hotel, Insight meets the people who are beating the statistics. Young people, employers, industry leaders, federal and local members come together in a town hall style discussion to tackle the big issues head on.
"I just love the idea of people being in love … it's something that I want for other people as well. So I'm kind of keeping an eye out for them." - Wendy Does true love need a helping hand or should we leave it to serendipity? This week, Insight speaks to Australian matchmakers ready to share their trade secrets. We found out how matchmaking works – online and face-to-face, what makes a good match and whether there is hope for those feeling "undate-able".
"Ten floors … right in front of my very eyes exploded and I had no idea what had happened." - James Dorney Fiona Wilde was on a guided tour in an Amazon nature reserve in Ecuador when she was abducted at gunpoint. On September 11, 2001, James Dorney was on the 92nd floor when he saw a plane go into the North Tower of the World Trade Centre. He walked the entire perimeter of the South Tower before escaping in the stairwell. Rob Hewitt was separated from his dive boat off the coast of New Zealand in 2006. He survived at sea by treading water for four days and three nights. Over the next two weeks, Insight asks, what does it take to survive? We look at the ways in which humans keep going in the face of extreme adversity.
"I thought this whole thing, dead or alive, would be over within six months." – Peter Moore IT worker Peter Moore was on a three month posting in Baghdad when he was kidnapped. The British man spent the first year shackled and blindfolded. He was held hostage for nearly 2-and-a-half years before being released. In 2009, Bernie Schulte said he made a “horrendous decision” he decided to fight a bushfire and became surrounded by flames, suffering burns to 81% to his body. In the conclusion of our special two-part series, Insight hears about what people did to get through extraordinarily tough times, and how they 'survived survival'. How do people overcome a life or death situation, and what goes through their minds in those critical moments?
Who are the hidden homeless? What do a war vet, a single woman in her fifties and a man nearing retirement age have in common? They're all at risk of homelessness. A growing number of Australians are now a couple of pay packets away from sleeping rough or living in a refuge. In 2014, 1.6 million Australians struggled to pay rent and on any night, approximately 100,000 Australians are homeless. In this Insight, we will hear the astounding stories of those who are living on the edge. Why is the face of homelessness changing and what needs to be done to tackle this issue?
Where is Indonesia headed? Indonesia is one of Australia's closest neighbours, but how well do we, as people, understand each other? Political tussles over boats carrying asylum seekers and the recent execution of Bali 9 drug smugglers, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, have strained the bilateral relationship both politically and on an interpersonal level. In this special episode, Insight brings you the view from Indonesia. Filmed at Metro TV in Jakarta, the program brings together a diverse group of Indonesians to share their views on the death penalty, asylum seekers and the broader Indo-Australia relationship. The discussion also explores the leadership of President Joko Widodo, popularly known as 'Jokowi'. July marks one year since he won office with 53 per cent of the vote - how do Indonesians rate his performance? And what vision is Jokowi building for his country?
How far should we go to save extremely premature babies? "Hardest decision you’ll ever make in your life" – Hollie Reynolds Doctors call it the grey zone – the period of time when babies born prematurely are right on the cusp of viability. Babies born between 23 weeks and 25 weeks and six days are often not breathing when they're born. Decisions need to be made whether or not to resuscitate, and also whether to continue life support while they develop outside of the womb. The chances of survival or survival without disability can change rapidly, day-to-day, hour-to- hour. Insight hears from parents, doctors, nurses and ethicists about how these life and death decisions have to be made in the face of great uncertainty and in some cases, a matter of minutes.
Greek MPs say 'Yes' to the latest Euro bailout deal, but can Greece really make the changes demanded by its creditors? As the country grapples with an uncertain future, we ask Greeks about the trust they place in their politicians - and themselves - to find a way out of the unfolding debt crisis. What needs to change in order for the people to recover, and the nation to rebuild? How can Greeks be ‘good Europeans’? Watch the full Insight program above, and also see Dateline's report from Athens on the impact the crisis is having on families there.
When do someone’s quirks or patterns cross the line into OCD? Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is not something you can suffer from “a little bit” The real thing is debilitating. Sandra Pritchard is among three per cent of Australian consumed by her illness. The mum of two compulsively rearranges, sorts, washes, rinses, checks, touches, wipes. Some days it can take Sandra more than 10 minutes to make a cup of tea. The cup isn’t quite right. The tea bag doesn’t go in properly. Sometimes, after more than a dozen attempts, she simply gives up. (Program original aired in 2014)
Living with the legacy of World War II In this special Insight forum, we bring you the descendants of the decision makers of the Second World War. Seventy years after the end of the war, we ask: what is it like to live in the shadow of Stalin, the Nazis or the imperial Japanese military? In 1939, Hitler appointed Hans Frank as Governor General of Occupied Poland. Frank forced millions of Jews into ghettos and used civilians for forced labour. Six extermination camps were also under his direct jurisdiction. His son Niklas violently rejects his father’s legacy. He even carries a picture of dead Hans Frank as a reminder that his father’s crimes - and life - have ended. Jacob Jugashvili is the great-grandson of Joseph Stalin. The former leader of the Soviet Union was responsible for the deaths of millions but Jacob admires his values and what he stood for. George Grojnowski was 12 when the Nazis invaded his hometown in Poland. He was a prisoner in Hans Frank’s jurisdiction but managed to survive the concentration camps. He has been living in Australia since he was 21 but never spoke to his children about the Holocaust as he didn’t want them growing up with a chip on their shoulder. Deborah Ziegler's grandfather Adek Stein escaped the Nazi extermination camp in Treblinka, Poland. Deborah says she thinks about the Holocaust almost every day and it has helped shape who she is today.
Descendants of the key decision makers - how has the legacy of war shaped their lives? "I want my son to have that name and think about his name too" - Hidetoshi Tojo "My grandfather said presidents shouldn't have descendants. Yeah, thanks Grandpa!" - Clifton Truman Daniel In Part 2 of Insight's Bloodlines special, we take you to the Asia Pacific region and talk to relatives of Harry Truman, Hideki Tojo, and Weary Dunlop on the legacy and influence their ancestors have on the present day. Hidetoshi Tojo is the great grandson of Japanese war time Prime Minister Hideki Tojo. Hideki Tojo was directly responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbour, which initiated war between Japan and the United States. After the war he was convicted of war crimes and hanged. John Dunlop is the son of revered Australian wartime surgeon and prison camp hero, Sir Edward "Weary" Dunlop. Weary was renowned for his leadership and courage while being held hostage by the Japanese and working on the Thai Burma railroad. Clifton Truman Daniel found out in school that his grandfather had been the president of the USA. Harry Truman was the man who decided to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Clifton only became interested in the legacy bequeathed to him after connecting with some Hiroshima survivors and becoming the first Truman to visit atomic bomb memorial sites in Japan. Clifton now campaigns to end the threat of nuclear weapons.
Why are more men and women choosing a life without kids? Selfish. Career-driven. Don’t understand love. Missing out. These are some of the comments people who choose not to have children hear. It’s one of the last taboos, and the decision can be met with disbelief, a chorus of, ‘you’ll change your mind’, or outright animosity - with women taking the brunt of the judgement. Around one in four females won’t have a child, the number is thought to be higher amongst men. But despite the growing trend, there is little research into the reasons why, or separating the experiences of people who are childless from those who are childfree. This week’s Insight hears from men and women who made the choice not to have kids - what led to the decision, how family and friends reacted, and how they feel about the future.
What happens to a farming community when mining comes to town? The rural towns of Acland and Oakey in regional Queensland are facing a new battle between miners and farmers. The New Acland open cut coal mine, owned and operated by New Hope Group, has been in operation since 2002. But a long-running push for expansion has faced opposition and delays. This week, Insight brings together stakeholders and townsfolk to discuss the economic, environmental and health impact of the mine and what expansion may mean for generations to come. Tanya Plant’s family lives about two kilometres from the mine. Since the mine opened she has experienced both dust and noise problems. “One of my daughter’s just coughed and coughed and coughed like every night for about eight or nine months,” she said. Tanya says there is a lot of mistrust and feels the mine’s owners haven’t done the right thing by the community. Matt Tonscheck used to be a dairy farmer before be switched to mining when business went bust. “There was no future for me on our farm when deregulation came in.” The father-of-two said the transition has been easy and is happy with the mine’s management. Noel Wieck is worried about the future. He invested millions in his dairy farm following the LNP’s promise not to expand and now fears the Darling Downs soil could be ruined. “It’s been cropped for 130 years and would be forever more, but once it’s mined its second-rate grazing country.” As the State Government reviews the approval process, we ask our guests: how can the land be maximised for both agricultural and resource use?
We first met them 9 years ago, what are they up to now? For the last nine years, Insight has tracked the lives of a diverse and candid group of teenagers. They're now young adults, reuniting again at 22. We first met them at age Thirteen. They were a raucous bunch who wanted to tell Australia about what mattered to them: peer pressure, terrorism and the role of technology in their lives. At Sixteen, we brought them back and they shared the changes that were starting to develop in their lives, from the difficulties of fitting in to navigating sex and handling loss. Nineteen saw the onset of financial pressures and personal responsibility and having to deal with depression and finding love. How different are they now and how have the dreams they’ve shared over 9 years changed?
Is your will really your last word? Most people don’t realise that unless your will is carefully crafted, it might not be your last word. The legal document is meant to ensure your wishes are carried out when you die – from how assets are distributed, who would look after the children and what kind of funeral you want. But when a will is revealed and someone’s been left out, or they didn’t get as much as they thought they would, huge quarrels can ensue. A recent study has found that around three quarters of contested wills are successfully changed. In this Insight, we will bring people together to talk about how wills can be changed after they die and if it’s possible to make yours watertight.
Why do some men fight? Queenslander Joe "Butterbean" Sweeney says he started fighting at the age of 10 and has had “about 2000” street fights. "I can get real mad. The demons come out of me," he said." Melbourne man Paul Diacogiorgis has never fought in a schoolyard before but joined a fight club for white-collared workers because he wanted to do something out of his comfort zone. From organised sparring bouts in the ring to provoking someone on the streets, we find out what's it like to get punched and be punched. In this program first broadcast in 2014, host Jenny Brockie explores what’s behind the urge to land a blow.
Almost everyone has experienced it... some of us are culpable in causing it... so how do you better move on from it? Romantic rejection is one of the most common and painful human experiences that we go through. The brain system for romantic love is one of the most powerful processes that has ever evolved. But scientists are just now getting an understanding of how this brain chemistry works but many think heartbreak is similar to the withdrawal experienced when quitting a powerful cocaine addiction. In this Insight we take a look at the messy, joyful, sad and funny stories of how heartbreak affects your thoughts and behaviours – and the various ways we heal a broken heart.
What can be done to prevent more shark attacks?
How do you get a loved one off ice and break an addiction This week on Insight, we look at the treatments available, hear from people in recovery and discuss the challenges with those on the frontline of our rehabilitation services.
Are our senses limited when we are born, or can we train and improve our sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell Join us for a fascinating exploration of perception and the human body. And see if you can discover your sixth sense.
Do you find yourself gravitating towards dating a certain type We find out what science and sociology have to say about who we choose to be our sexual mate, and look at whether racial stereotypes are at play - and whether that matters.
There are many diverse, fascinating, dangerous and downright painful rituals to mark the transition from boy to man. Insight speaks to a range of males on what helped shape their identity as a man, and whether rituals are needed to successfully transition into manhood.
What does it take to make amends? Can we make up for serious mistakes?
Is it always right to be resuscitated? Do you want to be resuscitated regardless of the outcome? This week, we look at when it's wise to use CPR and when you're better off without it.
What will the human body look like in the future?
Love Conquers - Can love really conquer all Can it endure even through life's biggest challenges And what happens when it can't The secrets to true and everlasting love, this week on Insight.
Fire - What we don't know about bushfires. Insight reveals the surprising risk of bushfires to city dwellers across Australia. We hear stories from those who've survived and rebuilt, and ask if there is a real way to reduce the risk of losing your home and whether homes can be fireproofed.
Placebo - Is everything just in our mind Insight asks how strong is the placebo effect, and how can we best utilise it
Beating Diabetes - Diabetes is one of Australia’s greatest health dilemmas. Every day, 280 people develop the condition. But can you get rid of it Insight sits down with Dr Michael Mosley to investigate why this has become such an issue for Australians, how the food you eat impacts your blood sugar levels, and the plan he believes will reverse the disease in many sufferers.
Love Transformed - How does it feel when the person you love decides to change gender Insight looks at the unique and dramatic challenge of changing gender within a relationship. We talk to people about being the partner or child or parent of someone who comes out as trans. How does this revelation transform their love
What does the latest research about twins tell us about ourselves?
Twins, Part 2 - For social and scientific researchers, twins are ‘the perfect natural experiment’. So what can the latest research on twins tell us about ourselves, and humanity at large In part two of this special, Insight particularly focuses on what the research can tell us about our health.
Twenty years on from the Port Arthur massacre, Insight looks at guns in Australia: is enough being done to control them, when firearms continue to destroy lives Or should the laws be loosened, to allow recreational shooters and farmers more access They say they have to be the most law-abiding people in Australia, to obtain a gun licence. Insight is joined by former Prime Minister John Howard, who brought in groundbreaking gun control laws in 1996.
How do you negotiate sex with a serious disability What are the physical, intellectual, financial, legal and emotional barriers How do you make it work, particularly with disabled teenagers How can you properly express your sexuality This week, Insight is look at two issues that are definitely not mutually exclusive: sex and disability.
There are more than 15,000 indigenous kids in out-of-home care, and they are almost 10 times more likely to be in care than non-Indigenous children. In this rare discussion, young Aboriginal adults who’ve been through care share their experiences with Insight and explain what they would’ve liked growing up, as well as what they want for their own kids. Hosted by award-winning journalist Jenny Brockie. Tuesday 19th April, 8:30pm SBS #insightsbs
Do our dogs love us This week we look what science has to say about dogs' emotions and delve into what our treatment of them says about the human psyche.Hosted by award-winning journalist Jenny Brockie. Tuesday 19th April, 8:30pm SBS #insightsbs
Sleep - How much sleep do you really need, and what happens to your body when you don't get enough Insight is an Australian current affairs forum, with lively debate and powerful first-person stories. #insightsbs
Family Secrets - In this episode, Insight asks: what happens when your identity is challenged by family secrets From discovering unexpected ancestors to uncovering their true ethnic origins, five women take us on their journey of self-discovery, against the odds. Australian current affairs forum, with lively debate and powerful first-person stories. #insightsbs
After the Abduction – Insight investigates what happens to the children who are caught up in international custody battles, and how much it impacts their lives. Insight is an Australian current affairs forum, with lively debate and powerful first-person stories.
Mothers Who Leave - Insight explores one of the greatest taboos in parenting: mothers who leave. We investigate the complex reasons women make the heart-wrenching decision to walk away from family life. Insight is an Australian current affairs forum, with lively debate and powerful first-person stories.
First on the Scene - How do people deal with tragedy and disasters when they're first on the scene of an emergency From everyday reluctant heroes who put themselves in danger to save others, to rescue workers who put their lives at risk doing their jobs, and bystanders who freeze rather than act when witnessing an unfolding crisis: Insight hears from them and others. Australian current affairs forum, with lively debate and powerful first-person stories.
My First Vote - Insight will hear from recent immigrants, all of them granted Australian citizenship in the three years since the last federal election, about the issues that matter most to them. These voters have a unique perspective on the Australian election process and how it compares to the political systems in their native countries.
What possesses someone to save every scrap of paper or bread tag that’s ever come into their home? What compulsions drive Moira to cram her own home so full of collectibles and chickens that there is hardly any space for her? Or Stewart, whose house is so full of stuff the authorities have threatened to take his children away? Hoarding cost Judy her marriage. It’s a national problem, estimated to affect more than 600,000 Australians. It influences people’s safety and their relationships and can often lead to isolation, depression and homelessness.
Who gave a major boost to the minor parties in this election and why? Nearly a quarter of Australians voted away from the major parties. With swings from the Greens to Pauline Hanson, from the Nationals to Nick Xenophon, the Liberal Party to Derryn Hinch, Insight asks recent voters: why have they have come to find solace in minority representatives?
For many families, watching a loved one battle a severe mental illness can be a distressing experience, often involving daily ethical decisions about how best to help them. This week on Insight, we hear how severe mental illness is managed in the family. Hosted by award-winning journalist Jenny Brockie.
How much power do our brains have over our bodies? Is that power strong enough for us to think ourselves sick?
Increasingly, younger generations are those most willing to pay money to change their appearances. Is this a dangerous fashion fad or do the younger generations just view cosmetic procedures more openly? Are cosmetic procedures being normalised for young people?
What goes into making high stake decisions? How do we react when we are confronted with a split second decision in the face of danger? How do we live with the choices that are made?
Jenny Brockie is joined by a group of singles, who reveal how much explaining they have to do without a romantic partner, how they are judged - by themselves and others - and whether they're still looking for love.
Having a family member with an acquired brain injury can be a difficult situation to navigate. Often there is no rule book to help parents or partners figure out how to interact with a person who's changed from the one they knew.
There are thousands of family-run businesses in Australia, and they can put tremendous pressure on a tight knit group. Insight is joined by families who have been through the highs and lows.
Australia has seen a 42 per cent increase in people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder since 2012. Tonight on Insight, guest host Sarah Abo looks at the impact of an autism diagnosis on the individual, the family, and our healthcare system.
Can changing our gut bacteria change us? Dr Michael Mosley returns to Insight for a discussion with fellow experts and ordinary Australians about how the gut can play an integral role in our overall physical and mental health. We discover that improving the wellbeing of this unglamorous organ can have profound effects – whether you have existing gut issues or not.
Failure – we fret it, we shun it, and we question ourselves whenever it happens. But can failure be a blessing in disguise? This week, Insight looks at the concept of failure. How does it feel to lose everything? And what does it take to bounce back?
What happens when trying to be healthy becomes unhealthy? This week on Insight, we hear from people whose healthy habits have strayed into the dangerous territory of disordered eating. At what point did they tip over into being unhealthy? And how have they dealt with it?
With international dating sites reporting growing subscriptions each year – along with the rising number of couples meeting and marrying through them – Insight asks: Why do people look for a partner overseas? What happens when they find one? And how do they make it work?
Can changing our gut bacteria change us? According to the Gut Foundation, in the past 12 months around half the Australian population will have complained about some kind of digestive problem. This week’s Insight tackles the ground-breaking science and personal stories around the gut’s potential to change our lives.
Insight explores the stories of five women who speak about discovering their partners’ other lives, and how they dealt with that deception.
In this two-part Insight special, we hear from people that have witnessed serious crimes and the impact it has had on them.
What is it like to witness a serious crime or traumatic event? And how reliable are eyewitnesses?
Dowry practices are alive and well in Australia, not only in sections of the Indian community, but dowry or bride price is widespread amongst the African and Islamic communities too. This week on Insight we examine the future of dowry in Australia and hear the stories of new communities struggling with old traditions.
This week Insight looks at open relationships and finds out how they work and if they can last.
How do you know when surgery is the best option and who makes the call? About a million orthopaedic surgeries are done each year in Australia. Many of these are joint replacements or spinal surgeries to treat osteoarthritis. Hip and knee replacements alone cost the health system more than any other hospital procedure – over $2 billion a year. And some of these surgeries are on the rise. A Victorian study found that between 1994 to 2014, the number of hip replacements done went up 175 per cent, while knee replacements went up 285 per cent. But the evidence for many commonly performed operations is far from clear cut. Research suggests that about half of orthopaedic procedures have no scientific evidence to prove they work better than non-surgical treatments, and another quarter are no more effective than alternatives such as physiotherapy, exercise and weight loss.
The modern classroom is aglow with screens. Children as young as five are packing their own personal computers and tablets in their schoolbags along with their lunchboxes. But do laptops, tablets and phones in the classroom promote and enhance learning or do they bring with them a world of distraction for students and for teachers a battle for learner’s attention? Australia’s student performance in reading has fallen continuously since 2000 as more and more technology is introduced to our classrooms. Is BYO device BYO disaster or does technology used well amplify great teaching? We hear from educators on both sides of the debate. Australia is one of the highest users of technology in schools and our classrooms have the highest proportion of students using computers at school according to an OECD study. So what’s the evidence that technology in schools is improving learning and results for our children and how are schools making their decisions about what technology to introduce and when? We hear from schools that are evangelical about the benefits of tech and others that are proceeding with caution. In a Royal Children’s Hospital survey in 2015, Australian parents listed “excessive screen time” as their number one concern so we ask the experts what the effects on children of combined school and home use are.
Insight teams up with Dr Michael Mosley and some of Australia’s leading exercise experts to dissect the most common messages around exercise and ask how do you know what’s best for you?
How can we use exercise to combat chronic health conditions? Around 11 million Australians have one of eight major chronic conditions – that’s almost half the population. Conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and mental illness can develop in many ways but lack of physical activity is a primary risk factor. In part two of Insight’s exercise special - we examine the role of exercise in treating chronic health conditions and ask, is exercise really medicine?
How can your attention impact your life and can you change it?
What's it like to grow up in isolation?
From Fortnite to Candy Crush, for many people video games are a source of entertainment, relaxation, a chance to build friendships, or a career. But for a minority, games can be a problem. With 67 per cent of Australians playing video games, and 97 per cent of households with children having video games, Insight asks, “how much is too much? When does video gaming stop being fun?”
What is the impact of working on criminal trials? Chief Counsel of Victoria Legal Aid, Tim Marsh, says defending the seemingly indefensible is just part of the job. He recently represented notorious pedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale on 20 counts of child sexual assault. “I was called all manner of names and had accusations levelled at me,” Tim says. “I’ve been spat at, I’ve been abused by a family of victims outside court.” Bill Hosking, former public defender and judge, represented one of the five men charged with the gruesome murder and sexual assault of Anita Cobby. It was a brief he wished he never received, but it was his duty.
Life can change in an instant. And in that instant, many hopes and dreams can be cruelly snatched away. When we’re hit with catastrophic injuries, how and where do we even begin to move forward and rebuild our lives?
Insight explores who’s getting prenups, and how binding are they?
This humorous and surprising episode examines what it’s like to look for love and companionship after the age of 60.
How do you know if you have chronic fatigue syndrome and how do you manage it?
What happens when you get more than you bargained for from a DNA test?
In this rare discussion, Insight puts the children of Australia’s inmates front and centre to share what it is like for young people when their parents are incarcerated.
This Insight episode hears from anxiety sufferers about what is helping them beat their anxiety.
This Insight, hears from gifted children, their parents and teachers about how you identify a gifted child, and what the best approach is in the classroom and beyond, so they can reach their potential.
What is endometriosis, and why do we still know so little about it?
How could pill testing change attitudes towards recreational drug use?
What happens when a stranger saves your life?
Why are more kids getting sports injuries and what can be done to prevent them?
More and more of us are turning to vitamins and dietary supplements to treat specific ailments, or boost overall health and wellness. The industry has doubled over the last 10 years – we’re now spending more money on complementary medicines than we do on prescription ones, an estimated $4.9bn each yeah. But while some medical professionals say they work to treat ailments and deficiencies, or boost overall health and wellness, others say the scientific evidence isn’t there, and warn we could be wasting money and risking our health.
One in four Australians feel lonely at least three days a week, and experts warn this could be our next health epidemic. This week Insight looks at why loneliness is an increasing problem in Australia and hears what is – and isn’t – working to overcome it.
Bullying happens to one in four kids and can have long term impacts but some schools are reducing it. This week Insight hears from students who have been bullied and the bullies themselves about how their school is stopping it.
The profile of Australians at risk of getting HIV is changing, with diagnoses of heterosexuals and some minority groups increasing. These new vulnerable groups are also less likely to get tested or receive early treatment. Why are transmissions in some groups rising, and what can we do about it?
The face of religion in Australia rapidly shifting and families are navigating change like never before. Australians are becoming less religious overall while religions other than Christianity are on the rise. How are Australians tackling religious differences at home? And what happens when family and faith collide?
Bowel cancer is Australia’s second biggest cancer killer, with 5,597 Australians expected to die from it this year. But it’s also treatable if found early, and could be prevented with a healthier lifestyle. Why are so many Australians being diagnosed with bowel cancer? And how can you prevent it?
Electricity prices have increased by more than 100 per cent, underemployment is at an historic high and wage growth is stagnant. With the 2019 federal election looming, Insight finds out how these factors might play out when Australians go to the polls.
Suicide is the leading cause of death in 15-24 year olds, and the numbers are rising. Insight hears from teens who’ve attempted to take their own lives and finds out what they needed at the time, what went unnoticed, and what we can all do to help.
In the 1950s, 60s and 70s thousands of women from Greece and Italy crossed the world by boat to marry a man from their homeland who’d already migrated to Australia. These promised brides had usually only seen a photo of the groom before making the decision to marry a stranger.
Nearly two thirds of Australians are overweight or obese and more of us are turning to surgery to deal with the problem. Insight explores how medical professionals decide who should be eligible for the life-changing surgery and how we measure its success.
Figuring out who you are is a major part of teenagehood. But what would you do if being yourself also means changing your gender? It’s estimated 1.2 per cent of highschool kids identify as transgender. How are young people navigating the hurdles of adolescence on top of coming out and transitioning?
Guide dogs for the visually impaired were once the most common type of assistance animal. Now animals are being used to help people with a range of physical and mental impairments including Autism, PTSD and epilepsy. But with increasing use has come the need for changes to laws and regulation.
How can you tell if an offender is sorry, rather than just sorry for getting caught? Judges must assess an offender’s remorse, and if they find it’s genuine, they can reduce their sentence. This week on Insight: judges, ex-criminals and victims discuss why does remorse matter, and how it's shown.
Australians have reportedly been scammed out of a massive $489 million in 2018 with investment scams and romance scams topping the chart. And this is only the tip of the iceberg. So how do Australians protect themselves and what recourse is there if you do get scammed?
With more Indigenous kids graduating Year 12 than ever before, what’s it like to achieve success after generations of struggle? In this NAIDOC week special, First Nations trailblazers from across music, sport, media, science and business discuss breaking ground, the road to success and their advice to the next generation.
What happens after four or more siblings share a womb? Insight considers the challenges and triumphs in multiples families, from pregnancy and birth, to parenting and growing up. This episode explores the hype, trauma and logistics; and the incomparable bonds between siblings whose lives are linked from womb to adulthood.
It’s a dilemma we’ve all faced, whether in the workplace, amongst family, or in public: you see something wrong, but do you speak up about it? Remarkable stories of deciding to challenge wrongdoing, and the impact of doing so.
Getting back with an ex is always a difficult decision – if it didn’t work the first time, what’s the chance of the second, third or fourth go being a forever thing? This Insight episode explores the highs and lows of rekindling a romance.
Multiple Sclerosis is dubbed an invisible illness. It mostly affects women and is commonly diagnosed when people are in their twenties or thirties. This week’s Insight explores what it’s like to live with MS, what causes it, how effective are modern treatments and how close is a cure?
In criminal law it’s said that ‘it’s better that 10 guilty men go free than one innocent man be wrongly convicted.’ In the first of Insight's two part special, we meet men and women who have been sent to jail only to have their conviction later quashed.
In criminal law it’s said that 'it’s better that 10 guilty men go free than one innocent man be wrongly convicted.’ In the second of Insight's two part special, we hear how wrongly convicted people cleared their names and how they coped on the outside.
Does the glass ceiling still exist? The female pioneers who shaped Australia – the first neurosurgeon, NRL referee, Air Force pilot and Archbishop - discuss what it takes to break new ground, how they navigated their way to the top and whether we’ve achieved equality.
One in 25 Australian adults will be estranged from their family at some point. It’s a difficult, often-hidden experience that can elicit many emotions: shame, heartache, even happiness. Insight hears what it’s like to be estranged from a family member, and under what circumstances reconciliation might be possible.
The number of Aussies signing up for private health cover is declining – and has been for the last three years. Top cover premiums can be expensive, yet private patients are still paying thousands in gap fees. Insight asks: what’s the cost of private healthcare and can we afford it?
Since the 1970s, thousands of children have been adopted to Australia from overseas. They had to adjust to a new family, culture, language and life. How do you understand your identity after intercountry adoption, and how does it shape you as an adult?
For generations of professional footballers, it was not uncommon to return to the playing field straight after a big hit to the head. Years on, some are suffering from serious neurological problems. Insight talks to these players and finds out what the science is saying about long-term impacts of concussion.
Jenny Brockie takes a look at whether it’s possible for a divorce to end well. She chats to couples who have divorced, and looks at how cases can differ in some situations.
Having a baby seems like one of the most natural things in the world, but it’s not a straightforward journey to parenthood for everyone. When up against infertility, or being single or in a same-sex relationship, what lengths are people going to in order to have a child?
Burnout isn’t just a response to working long hours. It’s feelings of exhaustion, cynicism and a reduced sense of accomplishment after suffering long-term job stress. Researchers estimate it could affect anywhere between 8% of workers to 60% in some industries. So what’s behind burnout and what might help?
Insight finds out what science and sociology have to say about who we choose to be our sexual mate, and look at whether racial stereotypes are at play - and whether that matters.
Does true love need a helping hand or should we leave it to serendipity?
Why are more men and women choosing a life without kids?
What happens when you come into a windfall?
Coming out as LGBTQI+ is often challenging, but for those growing up in a religious family or community, the journey can be a lot more complicated and the risks severe. How do people reconcile their faith and sexuality, and what happens when they can’t?
Voluntary Assisted Dying has been legal in Victoria for six months, and will soon be available in Western Australia. With over 100 people having registered to access Voluntary Assisted Dying, Insight asks: how is it working and what to doctors and patients think about this new area of medicine?
If you believe your violent partner is going to kill you, what is a reasonable response? More than half of women who kill their partners are domestic violence victims but most end up pleading guilty to manslaughter instead of claiming self-defence. We talk to women who have killed violent men.
It’s one thing to lose weight - and there’s no shortage of diet and exercise regimes on the market to help us do that. But if we want to enjoy the long term health benefits of weight loss, we have to be able to keep it off.
Volunteer firefighters around Australia dropped everything to fight on the frontline of the most ferocious and terrifying bushfires Australia has ever seen. Insight brings together volunteer firies from around Australia to find out what toll that has taken and how they are settling back to normality.
Coronavirus is a global threat unlike anything we’ve seen in our lifetime. As we all come to terms with the pandemic, Insight asks: How are people around the world coping? And what can Australian learn from other countries responses?
Around eight per cent of heterosexual couples have an age gap of more than 10 years. Often they deal with social disapproval and also negative family reactions. In this episode Insight talks to couples, some with age gaps of more than 30 years, about how they navigate the age difference.
One in five Australians lives with chronic pain, and for a third of them the pain is severely disabling, affecting all aspects of their lives. Traditionally chronic pain has been treated with scans, surgery and drugs, now people are conquering chronic pain through a holistic approach of psychology, physiotherapy and exercise.
Insight returns with special guest Australian of the Year Professor Patrick McGorry.
A hostage negotiator with 30 lives at stake. Parents struggling to make “a deal with the devil”. A police officer, sexually abused by a relative. And families faced with life-changing medical decisions. We hear from people who’ve found themselves in impossible situations, facing agonising choices you’ll never want to make.
Ninety per cent of the world’s students are in lockdown with education moving online. There are concerns this period will further widen the education divide in Australia. Insight talks to cooped up families about how they are managing home-schooling and finds out what it will mean for the future.
Dental care is a glaring gap in our health system. In 2018, about two million Australians required dental care but didn’t get it due to cost. We talk to dentists, and people whose lives have been impacted by bad teeth, about how to fix the state of Australia’s oral health.
What's it like to live in a confined space for a long time? From Antarctica, to a tiny boat on the open seas, or the four walls of a bedroom; Insight finds out what happens in long-term confinement, and how people get through it.
Does cheese give you nightmares? Should you try valerian? And what about sleeping pills? Around 3 million Australians suffer from insomnia, so what’s proven to help? Dr Michael Mosley joins Insight to share evidence-based ways to hack your sleep for a better night’s rest.
Vets are almost four times more likely to take their own lives than the general public. So, what’s really going on behind the closed doors of your local vet clinic? In the wake of two coronial inquests, veterinarians reveal why their job is pushing some to the brink.
What happens when someone you love does something unthinkable? This episode of Insight explores what the effects are on you, and asks if it’s still possible to love and forgive when someone close to you has committed a seemingly unforgivable act.
Romantic love can be forbidden for many reasons including cultural, religious, social and legal grounds. We explore why some loving relationships are frowned upon, and in some cases even considered illegal, and what lasting effects having a forbidden relationship can have on the couple and those around them.
As the world waits for a COVID-19 vaccine, what’s it like to chase a medical gamechanger? From coronaviruses, to burns, to diabetes, Insight hears from the people behind the lab coats. How do they handle pressure and possible failure? And what about the patients whose lives they stand to save?
What does it mean to belong? This episode of Insight explores the search for belonging, the impacts on people when they feel they don’t fit in, and what it takes to find a geographical or social place to call home.
Many of us may be getting to know our neighbours a little better since COVID-19 hit. Insight goes into backyards all around Australia, to hear from neighbours who have developed relationships and lifelong friendships that go far beyond a wave over the fence.
Experts say an affair can be a sign things aren’t right in a relationship. Some studies say infidelity is rarely about sex. Whatever the reason, an affair can have lasting impacts. Insight talks to couples who survived an affair, whose relationship ended and those impacted by their parents’ infidelity.
Does your dog love you?
A third of Australian marriages are interracial, and mixed race is the fastest growing ethnic group in the UK and USA. This week’s Insight explores “Growing Up Mixed Race”, asking how does being mixed race shape people’s identity and experience of the world, and how can families maintain multiple cultures?
How are today’s dads finding their feet as they juggle work and family commitments? Fatherhood’s changed a lot in a generation with dads taking a bigger role in their kid’s lives. Insight hears from a diverse group of dads about the trials and tribulations of modern-day parenting.
Step inside the world of high-stakes negotiations, from hostage sieges, to climate change deals, Indigenous rights and navigating divorce. Expert negotiators explain how to resolve conflict, with personal stories of when things go right, when they go wrong and the techniques behind how to negotiate better.
Hearing voices is not as uncommon as you might think – in fact, research shows between 10 to 25 per cent of us will experience it at some point in our lives. Why do some people hear voices? And what’s it like living with them?
Imagine opening up your computer only to realise your life and income are being held to ransom. With more of us now working from home, hacking attacks are increasing. In this episode we hear from those who’ve been hacked, hackers that have been jailed and what help is out there. Producer: Jodie Noyce Associate Producer: Al Scott Cadet: Bernadette Clarke
Menopause and perimenopause can be a hormonal rollercoaster. Most women will be directly affected at some stage, however it’s still taboo to talk about and a neglected area of women’s health. Insight speaks to women experiencing it, experts studying it, and explores ways to manage it.
When family secrets are forged in war, often they remain unspoken, forgotten or hidden for generations. Insight explores what happens when you uncover a war mystery in your family?
Investigating our ancestry can help us connect with relatives and explore our heritage, but what happens when your search unexpectedly uncovers a long-held family secret? Insight talks to people who’ve had to rewrite their own personal history after a DNA test or document exposed a lifetime of lies.
We’ve all had a moment where we’re about to step onto the road, a car turns the corner unexpectedly and our life flashes before our eyes. But for some, death has come a lot closer and cheating it has left a profound imprint on how they live the rest of their life.
Imagine being taken against your will and having no control over when you’ll be released. The psychological impact of being held hostage can be long lasting. Some people never recover. Insight talks to four people who had very different hostage experiences about how they coped during, and after, the ordeal.
What’s it like to suddenly be in the media spotlight – and what happens when it goes away? Insight hears from people who’ve had their 15 minutes of fame, from reality TV stars to the real stories behind major news headlines, to hear how they handled the rise and fall.
Why are more people experiencing food insecurity?
What does it take to be a trailblazer in your field? And how important are mentors to help guide the path along the way? In this NAIDOC week special, Insight explores the difference mentors can make for First Nations people and communities, through the eyes of some deadly high-achievers.
Adults living with ADHD (Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity Disorder) are widely misunderstood by the community and critically underserved by the public health system. Diagnosis and treatment remain inconsistent. Insight hears from adults navigating the life-shaping consequences of living with ADHD.
It's taboo for a parent to admit having a favourite, but according to an Australian study, 69 per cent of parents can identify a favourite child. The pressure of carrying the golden child label can be a weighty responsibility and the effects of feeling less liked can be lasting and traumatic.
For many people who suffer harm or losses because of corporate wrongdoing, a class action can be the only way to seek compensation. But what happens when what you get at the end is far less than you hoped or the settlement is eaten up by legal and funding fees?
Could you stay with the same person for over 50 years? Insight’s Kumi Taguchi talks to couples who have been through some of the toughest challenges a relationship can face. Find out how they have lasted the distance through thick and thin.
When they should be safely curled up in bed, some people are up walking, running, eating and fighting – all in their sleep. What kinds of strange things do people do while they’re asleep, and why can’t we stop them from happening?
One third of Australian women who give birth report their experience as traumatic, whether through physical injury or psychological effects. But many women suffer in silence. This episode of Insight explores the impacts of birth trauma and what can be done to ensure better outcomes for women and their families.
What happens after you’ve been hurt at work? Current systems in place aim to get workers back on the job - but what does that actually involve? And what are the effects on the injured worker, both physically and mentally?
More than just a bad hair day, hair loss can be confronting, upsetting and even dehumanising. Insight hears from people who’ve experienced female and male pattern baldness, and the autoimmune condition alopecia areata, about what they did to treat or accept their hair loss.
From monitoring your phone and movements to controlling what you wear, what you eat and who you see, coercive control is an insidious, pervasive and dangerous form of abuse. Insight explores Intimate Terrorism: what is coercive control and should it be a crime?
Intuition is that feeling you get when you instinctively know something is right or wrong without conscious reasoning. When should you use it and can we learn to use it better? Insight meets people who use intuition to make decisions and finds out what impact it’s had on their lives.
The majority of older Australians want to remain in their own home as they age but many will need assistance to do that successfully. So what conversations need to happen to help your parents to stay independent?
On this episode of Insight, Kumi Taguchi speaks to people who dedicated their lives to a passion - and then walked away from it all. How did they reckon with the decision to call it quits on a lifetime pursuit and move on afterwards?
Without our memories, is it possible to know who we really are and our place in the world? On this episode of Insight, we look at how memories define us and what happens when we lose them.
Technological advances have changed the lives of many deaf people for the better, but for others, it’s an unwelcome intervention and an ethical dilemma. How have devices like cochlear implants shaped the deaf community, and how can we bridge the divide between the deaf and hearing worlds?
DNA has revolutionised criminal investigations with many cases now solved through DNA evidence linking perpetrators to crimes. But how reliable is DNA evidence and do those in the justice system understand it enough? Insight also looks at the public genealogy websites police could soon be accessing to help solve crimes.
A recent study showed that 44 per cent of Australians are not open to dating someone who is bisexual. Insight finds out what attitudes and stereotypes exist that often make relationships complicated for bisexual people and how this can lead to poor mental health for people in the Bi+ community.
Half a million people intend to retire within the next five years, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Coming to the end of your working career can be daunting as you worry about losing purpose, identity and social connections. Finances aside, can you also plan for the emotional adjustment?
What happens when your livelihood depends on deceiving, manipulating and lying about who you really are? On this episode of Insight, we ask undercover police officers, victims of undercover stings, and a man who lived a three-year lie: What are the moral and ethical challenges of living a double life?
Friends are worth their weight in gold. While toxic friendships can lead to effects on our bodies on par with smoking and obesity, good friends give us greater intelligence, financial success and happiness. Insight asks how can we maintain friendships through thick and thin and when should we walk away?
More Aussie women are having babies later in life, but what are the consequences of waiting? Insight explores how women navigate relationships, careers and their fertility, and what happens when you decide to go it alone, or give up altogether.
What’s it like to be the odd one out? Insight hears from people who can’t help but stand out, and asks what the rest of us can learn from the black sheep of the world.
In an increasingly sexualised world, life without sex can be a curious anomaly. But for some people, celibacy is a choice they’ve made, while others have been born with no sexual attraction. Insight talks to people who are celibate and finds out how it impacts their lives.
What happens when anger becomes rage and how can we manage it? Insight episode, RAGE, explores if we are angrier than ever before and why some people can control their anger before it turns to rage, while others can’t stop themselves from losing it.
Indulging in our favourite foods is something many of us do to help soothe feelings of discomfort, such as stress, anxiety and even boredom. But how does ‘eating our emotions’ really affect our health and when does it become a problem?
The term ‘narcissist’ gets used a lot these days as a negative slur to label people on social media, reality TV and politics. And studies show narcissistic traits are on the rise with 10 per cent of us exhibiting traits like self-obsession or entitlement. But how prevalent is narcissism really?
What is it like to be the only person to survive a plane crash, an avalanche, or the only sibling in a family to return from war? In this episode, Insight hears from people who have survived tragic events and finds out how the experience shaped their lives.
Hosted by Karla Grant, this Insight special, produced and presented by NITV, looks at Indigenous Incarceration and Black Deaths in Custody in Australia and the impact it’s having on individuals, families and the wider community. It presents solutions to this chronic problem and the benefits to society as a whole.
Growing older isn't what it used to be. With a longer life span, and free from the restrictions of work and family, older Australians are bucking the trends of the previous generations.
Can we be happier? Or is the pursuit of happiness just a recipe for disappointment? Insight hears from experts, as well as people who have tried to make their lives more joyful, to ask if we can increase our day-to-day happiness – and if we should even try.
One in two Australians subscribe to at least one conspiracy theory. But when do alternative views become damaging and what happens when family members can’t agree?
Comedians have long turned sensitive subjects into humour. But how is cancel culture affecting the craft of being funny? Some see ‘cancelling’ as a positive social justice tool amplifying marginalised voices, while others warn it’s an echo chamber of outrage killing free speech. Insight asks where’s today’s line on jokes?
How does someone’s unexpected deathbed confession or request affect loved ones left behind? The ramifications can often be life-changing, leaving family and friends bewildered, hurt, and resentful. This Insight episode also explores how deathbed confessions or promises can help the grieving process, redefine the relationship with the deceased, and provide closure.
Catfishing is when someone creates a fake online identity to lure someone into a relationship. For catfishers it’s not usually about money, rather an escape from real life. But for victims, it can be devastating. In this Insight episode, we meet a catfish and discuss if tougher penalties are needed.
Everyone has a first love. Whether it was a fairy tale romance, a devastating heartbreak or just an awkward situation, our first forays into love and dating shape our future relationships and even the direction our lives take. Insight hears from people whose first loves left a mark.
A surge of young Aussie men are deciding to remain childless, with some getting vasectomies while still in their 20s. Many are passionately driven by ethical, financial and emotional factors, but will they regret their decision later in life? And what do involuntarily childless men think about this trend.
From bionic eyes to mind-controlled texts, Australians are leading the world in merging the human brain with technology. Insight explores how devices are implanted and why some choose not to embrace the technology.
Do transgender women belong in women’s sports? On Gender Games, we hear from transwomen and female athletes about inclusion, fairness and safety. Can sports be inclusive and fair? Or do we need clearer laws to protect women’s sports? Watch the Gender Games episode of Insight on On Demand.
How far can you go to lawfully protect yourself in a home invasion? Insight investigates.
What does a reputation cost, and how do you rebuild it if it's lost?
Is the war on drugs holding us back from developing new therapies, and denying people viable treatments? Or should medication based on illicit drugs be more tightly restricted?
Should we always forgive and forget? According to a recent survey, almost three-quarters of Australians are holding onto a grudge. Insight explores what these grudges are – from the petty to the hefty – and asks: can they sometimes be good for us or is it always healthier to let go?
What effect does inheritance have on family relationships, and how can it change lives?
For adoptees and people who are donor conceived, meeting your biological family can be one of the biggest moments in your life. But these reunions can be challenging and not all result in lasting relationships. This week’s Insight looks at the complexities of meeting your family later in life.
Falling prey to a con artist can be a humiliating and often expensive exercise. Many cons end in costly court cases, even imprisonment, and that's just for the victims. The perpetrators often appear to be charismatic and charming, but they’re far more likely to be narcissistic risk-takers who revel in power and control. This week's Insight delves into these charismatic and complex characters.
Is it possible to maintain relationships when our fundamental values clash, and how do we know when to walk away? On Sex, Religion, Politics, Insight looks at the issues tearing families apart and whether it’s possible to work through opposing values.
Risk is something most live with daily; from driving, to eating fatty foods. But how risky is life for those who choose pursuits like base jumping, freediving or working in warzones? Insight asks what makes people tick who thrive in situations others fear and is the risk worth the reward?
Australia has the second-highest household debt in the world, with the average person now owing twice as much as they earn. Insight takes a look at what's behind our debt culture and what rising interest rates mean for the future.
For better or worse, you marry in-laws. How do people navigate these tricky and rewarding life-changing relationships?
Sharing your children's lives online. Are there real consequences or can we overthink it?
We're spending more than ever on our pets. What value a pet: too pricey or priceless?
With international borders now open, more Australians are travelling overseas. Some will find themselves in trouble or distress and will seek help from embassies or travel insurance companies. Do Australians get enough help when in trouble abroad or do they have unrealistic expectations of what can be done in a foreign country?
One year after Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, those closest to the conflict reflect on the costs and rewards of Australia’s 20-year involvement in the war. Through the eyes of those forced to flee the country, and those left behind, Insight explores what’s next for Afghanistan and its people.
What is coercive control and should it be criminalised?
A growing number of people are moving beyond identifying as 'he' or 'she'. How are we dealing with the in-between? Presented by Kumi Taguchi.
With marriage rates declining and divorce common place, why do some of us keeping saying 'I do' over and over again? Presented by Kumi Taguchi.
Australians are among the highest users of traditional and natural medicines. But GPs and the mainstream healthcare system often don’t recognise them. Insight asks patients and doctors: Should natural medicines be accepted into the mainstream, and can the two coexist?
What is intuition and should you use it in decision making?
Drug and alcohol deaths are at their highest in decades, why, and what can we do about it?
What's life like when you outlive your cancer prognosis and why can doctors sometimes get it wrong?
The fight for Australia's soul, with so many people leaving religion, who's keeping the faith? Presented by Kumi Taguchi.
Why are more people identifying as First Nations, who decides and what's at stake?
Has political correctness gone too far?
Is it possible to protect your identity nowadays?
When a mid-life change drives a sexual awakening.
Is keeping a roof over our heads killing Aussie dreams, and can we fix it?
Is there such a thing as a soulmate and what are the pluses and perils of pursuing the 'one'?
How are transplant breakthroughs changing lives?
Should discovering a loved one's buried past impact your present-day relationships?
What is body positivity and is there a negative side?
What drives us to seek revenge and what are the consequences?
How do we navigate relationships in the age of consent?
Have shifting gender roles left men without a sense of direction?
How are Australians redefining expectations about growing old?
Can too much empathy be a bad thing?
Social media has normalised the sharing of intimate content online and now it's big business for many. Who's selling, who's buying and what are the pros and cons?
How important is it to talk about dying and what happens if we don't?
What can loners and the lonesome learn from each other?
Sticking to good habits, dropping unhealthy ones, and controlling habits so they don't control us.
Does protesting make things better or worse? And are our laws becoming less tolerant of protestors?
What drives us to take or ignore advice and what are the consequences?
Science is unlocking the secrets to longevity, so how do we ensure we’re here for a good time not just a long time?
Justice: How do we define it and why do we seek it? In this special two-part series, Insight speaks to those who are still fighting for justice and those who've been wrongfully convicted.
Justice: How do we define it and why do we seek it? In this special two-part series, Insight speaks to those who are still fighting for justice and those who've been wrongfully convicted.
Is the hype and hysteria around A.I. justified?
How much say should employers have over the love lives of workers?
Is Nimbyism protecting our communities or holding us back and locking others out?
Does holding on, hold you back? Hosted by Kumi Taguchi.
With the cost of living crunch, Boomers are doing better than Millennials. Why and what can we do about it?
What's an apology worth these days, can it backfire or can it heal deep wounds?
Can you really recover from a betrayal and who's doing it?
Marrying young is bucking the trend. Why do couples do it and how does it work out?
Nostalgia: how can longing for the past affect your present?
Trigger warnings are ubiquitous nowadays. What are the rules around them and can they do good and harm?
We're spending more than ever on our pets. What value is a pet: too pricey or priceless?
Australians are discussing the Voice, leaving out the pollies and talking to family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. What are they saying to convince others to their side?
Is Nimbyism protecting our communities or holding us back and locking others out?
Australia’s birth rate is plummeting with more of us choosing to have one child, or none. So what will this mean for the future?
Baby Boomers are much maligned, but what Millennials mightn't know is how much their parents' generation pushed boundaries for social change. Insight meets single mothers who kept their babies despite pressure to abort or adopt, one of the first Matildas who played in the national soccer team before it even had a name and other trailblazing Boomers who broke taboos- from religion to gender to sex, asking how much have things changed?
Samia was a carefree 19-year-old when an older, charismatic stranger asked her to sail the world with him. Samia tells host Kumi Taguchi how her decision, and the real identity of the man who seduced her, would change her life forever. Insight hears from guests who've made fateful decisions - for better or worse.
A police sniper from the Lindt Cafe Siege explains the overwhelming guilt he felt for the deaths of two hostages, while a woman admits feeling guilty for having an affair with a married man, breaking up his marriage. Host Kumi Taguchi explores why guilt can have such a powerful hold on us, and also why it can be a positive emotion, harnessed for good.
They say revenge is a dish best served cold. This week, we speak to those who’ve sought revenge and those on the receiving end. Insight asks what drives us be vengeful and what the consequences are for both victims and perpetrators?
Tech has made it easier to keep tabs on others. When is being watched okay and when does it cross the line?
Can relationships of convenience truly last? Kumi Taguchi meets two single mums who combined their households to co-parent together, a migrant who married an Australian man for a better life, and a woman who found her sperm donor online. Insight also hears from a self-described “sugar daddy” and a private escort to learn about the ins and outs of transactional, sexual relationships.
Australia’s biggest Kylie Minogue fan meets a woman whose marriage ended because her husband was obsessed with Liza Minneli. Host Kumi Taguchi also hears from a woman who stalked Justin Bieber as well as super fans of sports teams and TV shows. Why do people become super fans and what happens when it goes too far?
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