What’s the issue?
Child abuse refers to any kind of abuse which affects a child physically and/or emotionally.
Abuse can include neglect, harsh or unjust punishment, repeated criticisms and put-downs, constant ridicule, physical abuse of any kind, ritual abuse, sexual abuse and verbal abuse.
Neglect refers to the failure of families or carers to provide for the development of a child when resources are reasonably available. Development areas include health, education, emotional development, nutrition, shelter and safe living conditions. Basically, parents and carers are expected to provide their children with food, warmth, shelter and supervision so that they don’t come into harm’s way.
Who does it affect?
The majority of abuse and neglect occurs within the family unit and is commited by carers and parents of both sexes. It is also common for child abuse and neglect to occur together. There is no such thing as accurate information about the number of children who are experiencing abuse or neglect in Australia. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) can only provide estimates based on the number of suspected cases which are actually reported to state authorities.
It is easy to imagine how many cases go on unreported – many children do not even realise at the time that what is happening to them is not normal. Also, in abusive households, victims and family members may not feel empowered enough to speak up. Secrecy and shame play a huge role in preventing victims from seeking help, especially in instances of sexual abuse.
What we do know is that 309, 517 reports of suspected child abuse were made in Australia in 2006-07. Out of these, 58, 563 cases were investigated and verified. This process is called ‘substantiation’. These statistics show an increase from previous years, but this is not necessarily a sign that more children are being abused. The AIHW suggests that the increased number of reports could mean that people have a better awareness of child protection concerns and are more willing to speak out when they suspect a child is being neglected and abused.
Girls were found to be three times more likely than boys to be the subjects of sexual abuse substantiations. Boys were found to be more likely than girls to suffer from physical abuse. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are five times more likely to be the subject of reports than non-Indigenous children. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are also placed in out-of-home care at a rate that is eight times higher than for other children in Australia.
Why is it happening?
Like all other recurring social issues, child abuse and neglect has no simple or single cause. Stop Child Abuse suggests that some of the major contributing factors include:
- A lack of community understanding about the negative and lasting consequences of abuse and neglect
- Parents who are under stress and transfer their feelings of financial or emotional frustration onto their children
- Parents with mental health problems which affect their ability to care for their children
- General community tolerance of violence as an acceptable way of interacting with children
Children who have grown up in an abusive environment are also at risk of repeating that behaviour when they have families of their own. This sometimes creates a generational cycle which is hard to break without intervention.
What are the impacts?
Child abuse is a contributing factor to youth suicide, crime, homelessness, mental illness, drug and alcohol abuse and unemployment in young people and adults. A huge proportion of the prison population in Australia, especially women, were found to have experienced abuse or neglect as children. The same goes for those with drug or alcohol addictions. Mental illness and anxiety disorders in adulthood are also strongly linked to traumatic experiences of abuse as a child.
The cost of abuse is high for individuals, but the strain flows on to society as well. As long as the cycle of abuse continues, governments and communities must continue to put funding and resources into creating support structures for those who suffer from the conditions listed above.
What is being done?
Governments, non-for-profit organisations and local communities are all trying to use different initiatives to address the complex issue of child abuse and neglect.
The National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN) runs an annual National Child Protection Week in September. NAPCAN organises creative events in all states and territories in order to educate Australian families about the issue of abuse and neglect. For example, in 2008, more than 60 school children, parents and staff gathered in Martin Place (Sydney) to stage a mass street performance called ‘Children See, Children Do’. The kids mimicked everything the adults did in order to demonstrate the huge influence that parents and carers have on a child’s life.
The Federal Government is trying to get on top of the problem by making sure that existing cases of abuse are properly identified and resolved. In October 2008, the Prime Minister’s office released a new initiative which allows Centrelink to share information with child protection agencies to help them locate children who are at serious risk of harm.
Each state has legislation which outlines ‘mandatory reporting requirements’. This means that certain professions who associate with children are obligated by law to report any reasonable suspicions of abuse that they encounter. These include teachers, doctors, nurses, police officers and child care workers. For example, if a student reveals information to a teacher that suggests there may be abuse going on, the teacher must pass that information onto the child protection authorities.
On a more general level, communities need to support child protection services and organisations such as ASCA, which stands for the ‘Advocates for the Survivors of Child Abuse’. The public needs to be more alert to the possibility of neglect in any family situation, and erase the social stigma that comes with being a victim of child abuse.
Affected by these issues yourself or know someone who is? Check out our sister site: http://www.reachout.com.au/
This page was updated by kate elise
How do I know this?
Advocates for Survivors of Child Abuse http://www.asca.org.au/childabuse/ca.html
‘Child abuse statistics’ ; ‘Mandatory reporting of child abuse’,
Australian Institute of Family Studies, Resource Sheet (March 2008)
http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/sheets/rs1/rs1.html
‘Defining Child Abuse and Neglect’,
Child Welfare Information Gateway,
http://www.childwelfare.gov/can/defining/
Media Release: ‘National Leadership to Better Protect Australia’s Children’ (2 October 2008),
Prime Minister’s Office http://www.pm.gov.au/media/release/2008/media_release_0515.cfm
National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect: NAPCAN www.napcan.org.au
Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care: SNAICC http://www.snaicc.asn.au/index.cfm
‘Stop Child Abuse: Be Aware’,
Australian Childhood Foundation http://www.stopchildabuse.com.au/aware/impact.asp
