Child Abuse as a Social Issue in Australia

Child abuse is a global concern affecting the physical and mental health of children. In Australia, despite protective acts, 225,487 children were suspected to suffer from child abuse. The NSW child protection legislation includes various acts to provide care and protection, and the Children's Court Clinic produces independent reports based on children for legal proceedings. Key stakeholders such as teachers, nurses, GPs, and OOSH educators play important roles in identifying and reporting child abuse.

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Pre alence o c ild a e in A traliav f h bus us :
• ild a e i re ered to t e incident o p cal mental er al or e alCh bus s ff h f hysu , , v b s xu
maitreatment it c ildren t eir parent or care i er or ot er relati ew h h by h s g v h v s.
• T e incident o c ild a e ma incl de ail re to act properl t e parent or careh f h bus y u f u y by h s
i er t at co ld re lted in potential arm to t e c ildren c incident a ectg v s h u su h h h . Su h ff s
ot t e p ical and mental ealt o t e c ildren t it a ecome a lo alb h h hys h h f h h , hus h s b g b
concern leinman(K 2015).
• n de elopin co ntrie c a a tralia t ere are man protectin act or t eI v g u s su h s us h y g s f h
c ildren till t e incident o c ild a e a een reportedh s h f h bus h s b .
• T e mo t recent tatic pro ided t e A a o n t at c ildren ereh s s s v by h IHW h s sh w h 225487 h w
pected to er rom c ild a e in a tralia ncrea e in t e niti ication o c ild asus suff f h bus us .I s h f f h
e a een o nd to ebus h s b f u b 11.2%.
• T e pre alence i i in ome lnera le ro p c a A ori inal and Torre traith v s h gh s vu b g u s su h s b g s S
lander c ildren c ildren it di a ilit and c ildren rom c lt rall andIs h , h w h s b y h f u u y
lin i ticall di er e ac ro nd art et algu s y v s b kg u (B h . 2013)
c ild protection le i lationNSW h g s :
• T e c ild protection le i lation incl de ario act to pro ide protection to t e c ildrenh NSW h g s u s v us s v h h .
• T e principle act incl de ildren and o n Per on Act t at pro ide care and protectionh u s Ch Y u g s s 1998 h v s .
• t er rele ant act incl de ildren and o n Per on amendment act t at pro ide careO h v s u Ch Y u g s s 2006 h v s
protection and de cri e t e re pon i ilitie o t e parent a ell t e c ild protection acts b s h s s b s f h s s w , h h 2000,
ommi ion or ildren and o n People Act and ot erC ss f Ch Y u g 1998 h s.
• T e c ild protection le i lation pro ide ideline re ardin t e reporta le incident andh h g s v s gu s g g h b s
rea ona le ro nds b g u .
• T e reporta le ro nd incl de emotional p ical e al mental a e and incident oh b g u u s , hys , s xu , bus f
e po re to amil iolencex su f y v .
• T e rea ona le ro nd to pect a i e incident incl de a c ild report a o t non accidentalh s b g u sus bus v u s h s b u -
arm or omeone el e report a o t a i e incident or omeone o er ation re ardin t eh s s s b u bus v s ’s bs v g g h
p ical and mental condition o a c ild report re ardin t e o er ation ild i e or ahys f h g g h bs v (Ch w s . g. u. 2018).
e ta e older and t eir roleK y s k h s h s:
• ome o t e e ta e older incl de teac er n r e P and ed catorS f h k y s k h s u h s, u s s, G s OOSH u s.
• T e teac er pla a central role in t e c ild protection tem e or e co ld ta t t eh h s y h h sys . H sh u ugh h
c ildren a o t maltreatment or a i e e a ior o to report a o t c incident and ot erh b u bus v b h v , h w b u su h h
rele ant in ormation t at co ld elp t e c ildren to nder tand t e incident and reportv f h u h h h u s h
properl to t e parent care i er or teac ery h s, g v h s.
• T e n r e pla an important role in c ild protection e peciall re ardin identi ication oh u s s y h s y g g f f
i n o a e and P elp to con irm et er a e a ta en place or not T e pla ans g s f bus G h s f wh h bus h s k . h y y
important role to pport t e ictim o c ild a e ellsu h v f h bus w .
• teac er are al o important a t e pro ide e ore and a ter c ool care er ice T eOOSH h s s s h y v b f f s h s v . h y
co ld elp to o er e t e e a ior or i n o maltreatment it in a c ild and report a o t itu h bs v h b h v s g s f w h h b u
or rt er actionf fu h .
• n c a t e e ta e older co ld elp to pro ide protection to t e c ildren Ma tenI su h w y h k y s k h u h v h h ( s
2014).
ildren o rt linicCh ’s C u C :
• T e ildren o rt linic i located in t e e o t ale and it i t e part o ildrenh Ch ’s C u C s h N w S u h W s s h f Ch ’s
o pital net or in dneh s w k Sy y.
• t a e ta li ed nder t e c ildren co rt act ection T e main nction o t eI w s s b sh u h h ’s u 1978, s 15B. h fu f h
a enc i to prod ce independent report a ed on c ildren in order to proceed it an le alg y s u b s h w h y g
proceedings.
• T e or ani ation pro ide clinical a e ment report on c ildren and amilie re ardin t eh g z v s ss ss h f s g g h
protection o c ildren and criminal ca e ic i con idered a independent report and not af h s s wh h s s s s
e idence pro ided a partv v by y.
• T e or ani ation recr ited clinician to prepare t e report ic i t en cro e amined in t eh g z u s h wh h s h ss x h
co rt or rt er proceedin c n ealt n o au f fu h gs (S h .h h. sw.g v. u. 2018).
e erenceR f s:
art ermet eim Trelle and Tonia T T e c rrent pre alence o c ildB h, J., B z, L., H , E., , S. , ., 2013. h u v f h
e al a e orld ide a tematic re ie and meta anal i s xu bus w w : sys v w - ys s.
nternational o rnal o p lic
I
j u f ub
ealt
h h ,
58 pp(3), .469-483.
ild i e or aCh w s . g. u. 2018.
ild i e tate e i lation eportin
Ch W s - S L g s & R g NSW online A aila le at. [ ] v b :
ttp c ild i e or a pa e tate le i lation reportin n Acce ed eph s://www. h w s . g. u/ g /41/s - g s - g- sw [ ss 9 S .
2018].
leinman P ed K , .K. ., 2015.
ia no tic ima in o c ild a e
D g s g g f h bus am rid e ni er it Pre. C b g U v s y ss.
Ma ten A lo al per pecti e on re ilience in c ildren and o t s , .S., 2014. G b s v s s h y u h.
ild
Ch
de elopment
v ,
85 pp(1), .6-20.
c n ealt n o aS h .h h. sw.g v. u. 2018.
ildren o rt linic dne ildren o pital et or
Ch 's C u C | Sy y Ch 's H s s N w k.
online A aila le at ttp c n ealt n o a ind a er ice net or er ice[ ] v b : h ://www.s h .h h. sw.g v. u/f - -s v / w k-s v s/
c ildren co rt clinic Acce ed eph s- u - [ ss 9 S . 2018].
DA A A ACHILD BUSE S SOCI L ISSUE