Children of the killing fields: Cambodian adolescents in New South Wales

The legacy of over two decades of destructive wars and of the Pol Pot regime (1975- 1979) has forced many Cambodians to flee their homeland. Since 1975 about 15,000 have resettled in Australia. A substantial influx did not start until 1980. According to the 1986 census, there were 5898 Cambodian-born people living in N.S.W., concentrated mainly in the western suburbs of Sydney. Among them were many adolescents who are the target o f this study. Adolescents represent a big proportion of the total Cambodian population. In N.S.W., over a quarter (25.72%) of the Cambodian population are in the 15 to 24 age group. This age group was chosen because: -they are a group at risk;-without proper settlement assistance their contribution to Australian society will be hindered.