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.