Latest research into child abuse and neglect

This week the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) published its latest research into child abuse and neglect. Whilst the incidents of abuse and neglect have fallen, the number of children in care continues to rise. AIHW reports that over the last decade, the number of children in out-of-home care in Australia rose by almost 115%, from around 14,500 children in 1998 to 31,166 children in 2008.

Good Beginnings is concerned to see further increases in the need for children in out-of-home care. Dealing with this problem in a preventive fashion with early intervention is far preferable to our current regime of providing care after the family has become unable to care for its own children. Equally, we are concerned about any conclusions that "incidents of abuse and neglect" are falling when, in fact, these are likely to be rising too rapidly. The report measures incidence of reporting not actual cases and we believe a growing level of incidents of abuse and neglect remain unreported.

Late last year, leading child advocates called for a new approach to tackling child abuse and neglect amid rising rates of abuse notifications and children being brought into State care. Director of the Australian Centre for Child Protection, Professor Dorothy Scott, says the challenge for child protection systems is to intervene and support families before they’re in a situation that would warrant statutory action.

“While urgent action is needed to protect children being abused and neglected, we need to broaden adult-focussed services such as alcohol and drug treatment, mental health, corrections, homelessness, family violence, etc so that they can enhance the parenting of their clients,” Professor Scott said.

“We also need to use health promotion campaigns with messages such as ‘alcohol and children don’t mix’, given that one in eight Australian children now lives in a household with at least one adult who is regularly binge drinking.”

“If there is a real commitment to protect all children, then supporting families and children before they reach the point of being abused and neglected should be a priority,” said Professor Fiona Stanley, Director of the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.

Parents are doing one of the most vital jobs in the country – bringing up the next generation of Australians. Good Beginnings is national charity that provides practical, community-based parenting programs to ensure children get the best start in life.  If we can make a difference in the lives of Australian kids, we can make a difference for Australia; and that’s what Good Beginnings is all about.

Their work is based on the simple understanding that the nurturing and care a child receives strongly influences their development into adulthood. The more we nourish, nurture and encourage our children, the better equipped they will be to make healthy decisions in their own lives. Strong kids; Supported kids; cope better when times are tough”.