Why words matter
The words we use to talk to, and about young people matter. Words can drive conversation, deepen understanding, and create meaningful relationships. At the same time, the language we use can perpetuate negative stereotypes, exclude or alienate people, and confuse messages. To build inclusive spaces in which young people can thrive and bring their talent to the fore, we must be intentional in how we engage with young people on a day-to-day basis, starting with the language we use.
Advantaged Thinking
The Brotherhood of St Laurence (BSL) Youth department is committed to working with young people in a way that facilitates future planning and builds on their aspirations, talents and abilities. As part of this commitment, the BSL’s
Youth Team a have been using and promoting Advantaged Thinking across a suite of youth programs and services, including employment, education, housing, youth justice and Out of Home Care (OoHC) settings.
Advantaged Thinking emphasises what people can do rather than what they can’t do. This builds young people’s capacity to make positive decisions in their lives, to think and act on their own behalf. It is reflected in the language that we use when having conversations with young people and also in the language we use to describe them.
The 7 Tests of Advantaged Thinking can be used to frame how we interact effectively and respectfully with others. Test One of Advantaged Thinking; ‘How we talk about people’ focuses on how the language we use should identify people in a dignified and respectful way.
This test challenges us to acknowledge the people we work with as people first and the challenges they are experiencing as secondary. Fundamentally, the Advantaged Thinking approach challenges us to re-think how we speak about young people – to use positive language rather than the language of disadvantage.
How to use this guide
This guide is a tool to be more mindful of language—personally, professionally, and organisationally. It challenges you to think critically about the language you choose and to remember that creating more equitable systems is not possible without deep and intentional cultural change.
Throughout the guide you will find the reflections of young people themselves, checklists that help us return to an Advantaged Thinking mindset, and a glossary of terms and conversation starters to add to our Advantaged Thinking repertoire.
We recognise that language is constantly evolving, and this resource requires regular updates and continued input from young people to stay relevant. We also acknowledge that context matters, and the same word or phrase could feel empowering to one person and dehumanising to another. Practitioners will have the contextual expertise and skill to make this resource work best for them and the young people they work with.