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Child Abuse Prevention Newsletter vol. 16 no. 2, 2008

Published by the Australian Institute of Family Studies
ISSN 1447-0039 (Print); 1447-0047 (Online)
Manager, National Child Protection Clearinghouse, Leah Bromfield

Contact the Australian Institute of Family Studies for a copy of this newsletter, or access articles as listed below in HTML or PDF format. The full newsletter can be downloaded in PDF format (710 KB) or in sections as listed below. You will need an Acrobat Reader which is free from the Adobe Systems website.

In this issue

For the latest conferences refer to the current listing

Editorial

Much has taken place in the child and family welfare sector since the release of our last Newsletter. We have seen the release of the Australian Government's discussion paper, Australia's Children: Safe and Well, which outlines the government's plans to develop a national framework for protecting Australia's children. The discussion paper emphasises six key aims: (1) stronger prevention focus; (2) better collaboration between services; (3) improving responses for children in care and young people leaving care; (4) improving responses to Indigenous children; (5) attracting and retaining the right workforce; and (6) improving child protection systems. Since the discussion paper's release, over 200 organisations and individuals have prepared submissions, and many consultations have taken place across Australia. At the time of writing, it is anticipated that the National Child Protection Framework will be released by the Australian Government at the end of 2008.

In addition to activity surrounding the National Child Protection Framework, there have also been several conferences of high relevance to the sector this year, including: the Australian College for Child and Family Protection Practitioners conference; the Australian Institute of Family Studies conference; the Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies conference; and the International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) conference - not to mention National Child Protection Week in September! Clearinghouse staff were fortunate to partake in many of the above events and highlights are provided in this edition of the Newsletter. There is also a range of other interesting articles, including:

Readers will also note the return of Clearinghouse literature highlights.

We hope you enjoy this edition of the Newsletter, and as always, we invite questions, comments and Newsletter contributions from people across the sector.

Prue Holzer
National Child Protection Clearinghouse

Understanding child maltreatment trends

Reflections on 25 years of data from the Royal Children's Hospital Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect team

Melissa Faulkner

Reported rates of statutory child protection activity have increased substantially across Australia over the past few decades. However, due to changes in data management and child protection procedures, few studies to date have reported on long-term trends in child abuse and neglect data. In this article, Melissa Faulkner describes a study she has been conducting, funded by the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation, which reviews 25 years of data from the Royal Children's Hospital and Health Service District Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect team in Queensland.

Background

Recognising that multiple government departments were responding to issues concerning child abuse and neglect within their day-to-day practice, in 1978 the Queensland State Government established the Coordinating Committee on Child Abuse (CCOCA). CCOCA was designed to coordinate the activities of these departments, and ensure that the needs of children at risk of abuse and neglect within the community were met. In 1980, CCOCA initiated the development of a state-wide system of Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) teams, designed to ensure a coordinated and multidisciplinary response to concerns about child abuse and neglect. Thirty-nine SCAN teams were established across Queensland, one of which was run by Queensland Health at the Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane and another by The Mater Children's Hospital, with the remaining teams coordinated by the statutory child protection agency in Queensland.

From 1980 to 2005, all SCAN teams included core members from Queensland Health, Queensland Police Service and the Department of Child Safety (DChS), formerly the Department of Families. Other agencies and organisations also invited to participate in SCAN meetings included Education Queensland, Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Agencies and Mental Health Services. Additional organisations also participated in SCAN meetings depending on the individual characteristics of presenting cases. All agencies had the right to refer cases of abuse or suspected abuse to the SCAN team for review.

Through the participation of various agencies, SCAN teams were designed to facilitate information sharing for complex cases of abuse or suspected abuse. Although SCAN teams did not have a distinct authority, they provided recommendations regarding the appropriate actions to be taken by the agencies involved, and reviewed the effectiveness of these recommendations prior to case closure.

This study, conducted by the Child Advocacy Service, reviewed 25 years of data from a SCAN team. The Child Advocacy Service is situated within the Community Child Health Service, Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) and Health Service District, Queensland Health. The Child Advocacy Service provides specialised assessment of child abuse and neglect, health and developmental assessments of children in care, and education and training for health professionals in the area of child abuse and neglect.

The Child Advocacy Service coordinated the RCH SCAN team from 1980 until May 2005, at which time the Department of Child Safety became the lead SCAN agency. As such, this study reviewed all cases referred to the SCAN team located at RCH Brisbane between January 1980 and January 2005. The aims of this study were: (1) to gain greater knowledge of the types of concerns and related demographic features of children coming to the attention of the RCH SCAN team, and (2) to examine abuse and neglect trends occurring throughout this 25 year time period.

Method

All 6,669 cases referred to the RCH SCAN team between 1980 and 2005 were analysed in the study. Data from the paper-based SCAN pro forma, which are completed at intake were entered by four trained data entry staff employed by the Child Advocacy Service. Data entry was completed over a six-year period from 2001 to 2007. Data were validated through a review of a randomly selected sample of 333 children's original paper-based SCAN charts (5% of total sample), in addition to the validation that occurred at the time of data entry.

Results

Demographic variables

As can be seen in Figure 1, the most common presenting concerns related to physical abuse, closely followed by neglect and sexual abuse respectively. Emotional abuse concerns and domestic violence concerns were listed in only a small percentage of cases.

Figure 1. Percentage of cases featuring each concern type over the 25-year period.

Note: As some children were subject to more than one concern type, the overall percentage of cases subject to each concern type does not equal 100.

Figure 1. Percentage of cases featuring each concern type over the 25-year period.

 

At the time the abuse and neglect concerns were raised:

Male children were found to be significantly more likely than female children to be the subject of concerns relating to physical abuse, neglect, emotional abuse and domestic violence. However, female children were significantly more likely to have sexual abuse concerns recorded than were males. In all concern types, biological mothers or fathers were the most frequently listed alleged perpetrator.

The mean age of children within each abuse type was also examined. As evident in Figure 2, the mean age of children involved in each of the abuse types was the highest in sexual abuse concerns, followed by emotional abuse concerns. Given that Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) data indicate that children in the 10-14 year age bracket have the highest rates of sexual abuse victimisation in Australia (AIC, 2008), it follows that children with sexual abuse concerns would be on average older than those in other abuse categories. The mean age of children involved in each of the abuse types was the lowest in neglect concerns, followed by domestic violence and physical abuse. Again, this pattern is to be expected given that young children are less able to protect themselves from physical harm or to care for themselves in situations of neglect than are older children.

Figure 2. Child mean age by abuse type.

Figure 2. Child mean age by abuse type.

Abuse and neglect trends

After examining the demographic features of children coming to the attention of the SCAN team over the 25-year period of the study, trends in the data throughout these years were investigated. As can be seen in Figure 3, in 1980 the SCAN team formation resulted in only a small number of concerns being referred by core member agencies (the then Department of Families, Department of Education and Queensland Police). In the three years following conception, the RCH SCAN team received increasing numbers of referrals, presumably as knowledge of the team and their function increased within the area. By 1984, the number of concerns for each type of abuse being reported began to stabilise. A dip in the level of reports for each abuse type occurred between the mid to late nineties, with reports again trending upward after the year 2000. With the exception of sexual abuse, the number of concerns recorded for each abuse type peaked within the final two years under investigation (2003 and 2004).

Figure 3. Number of concerns for each concern type by year.

Figure 3. Number of concerns for each concern type by year.

In examining the increased level of concerns, it is useful to consider the population growth within the Brisbane area over the 25-year period of the study. One would expect that abuse concerns would have increased over this time period, in line with population increases. From the years 1980 to 2005, Brisbane recorded a 70.3% increase in population (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2008).1

As can be seen in Table 1, when evaluating increases based upon numbers of concerns at the time the SCAN team was fully established (i.e., 1984) compared to the concern numbers reported in the final year of the study, with the exception of sexual abuse, the increases in the level of concerns reported for each abuse and neglect type exceeded population increases.

Table 1: Increases in abuse and neglect concerns reported to RCH SCAN between 1984 and 2004

 

Physical abuse

Neglect

Sexual abuse

Emotional abuse

Domestic violence

Concern increase

76.8%

128.1%

8.2%

246.5%

866.7%

The researchers involved in the study identified a number of factors that may explain the trends evident within these data, including:

Introduction of the Child Protection Act 1999

The large increases in concerns received by the RCH SCAN team after the year 2000 coincide with the introduction of the Child Protection Act 1999 in Queensland. The Child Protection Act 1999 puts particular emphasis on the impact of emotional harm and domestic violence, which previously were not the focus of child protection legislation in Queensland. The recognition of these forms of harm within the Act appears to have corresponded with an increase in reporting of these concerns.

The Crime and Misconduct Commission report, Protecting Children

The CMC inquiry into the abuse of children in foster care was released in January 2004, and may have contributed to the increase in concerns documented within the final year of the study. Media coverage arising from the release of this report concerning the reform of the then Department of Families may have contributed to the increase in referrals during this period by raising public and professional awareness of child abuse and neglect.

High-profile child abuse and neglect cases

As Goddard and Saunders (2001) noted, through coverage of specific child abuse and neglect cases, the media has played an active part in raising society's awareness of child abuse and neglect. It is possible that many of the trends evident within this study are related to high profile cases of abuse and neglect. For example, the death of Victorian child Daniel Valerio and subsequent trial, regarded by some as "the most well-known of such [child abuse death] cases in Australia" (Goddard & Saunders, 2001), may in part be responsible for the increased number of referrals to the RCH SCAN team within the 1992 and 1993 period.

Changing child protection referral patterns by the Queensland Police Service

The vast increase seen in emotional abuse referrals in the final years of this study are congruent with DChS figures. In the 2004-2005 period, the DChS reported that emotional abuse became the most frequently substantiated abuse type. Increased Queensland Police child protection referrals as a result of exposure to domestic violence (a concern that is generally classified as emotional abuse of a child) were thought to be responsible for the trends observed in DChS data (DChS, 2005), and are likely to also be related to the trends evident within the data obtained from the RCH SCAN team.

The possibility of a declining incidence of child sexual abuse

While determining the incidence of child sexual abuse is fraught with difficulty, there is some evidence to suggest that child sexual abuse, both within Australia and internationally, has declined over recent years. Dunne, Purdie, Cook, Boyle, and Najman (2003) conducted a cross-sectional analysis of childhood sexual abuse within Australia. Using a telephone-based survey, 1,784 Australian's aged between 18 and 59 years were questioned regarding their experiences of child sexual abuse. The authors found a linear decrease with age in the experience of child sexual abuse for males, with younger males experiencing significantly less child sexual abuse than older males. Similarly, younger women who had intercourse before the age of 16 were more likely to report that they were a willing partner on the first occasion than were older women.

As Dunne et al. (2003) noted, ascertaining trends in the incidence of sexual abuse within Australia is difficult in part due to the hidden nature of the crime. However, administrative data released in the 2007 DChS Performance Report indicates that the number of children subject to sexual abuse substantiations within Queensland declined each year between 2002 and 2007 (DChS, 2007, p.15). Potential explanations for these trends include: increased parental awareness of sexual abuse ensuring a higher level of protective parental behaviour; education campaigns designed to reduce the risk of sexual abuse and promote self-protection behaviours in children; and public awareness of sexual abuse acting as a deterrent to potential perpetrators.

In addition to these possible explanations for the relative stability of child sexual abuse referrals compared to the increases observed for referrals pertaining to other abuse types, it is also plausible that the emphasis on parental "willingness and ability to protect" made within the Child Protection Act 1999 may have contributed to these trends. Cases of sexual abuse in which there remained a parent willing and able to protect the child were unlikely to be referred to the SCAN team following the introduction of the Child Protection Act 1999. As such, there may have been a decrease in the number of extra-familial sexual abuse cases being referred following the introduction of the Act. This hypothesis requires further examination in order to determine if the trends in sexual abuse documented within this study are simply reflective of changes in policy regarding child protection referrals, rather than being indicative of a decreasing incidence of child sexual abuse.

Limitations

When reviewing the results of this study, it should be noted that these data are not indicative of overall child abuse levels in the population. Many studies have suggested that child abuse and neglect remains under-reported within our society, therefore the actual rate of child abuse and neglect within the community may be significantly higher than the results from this study suggest.

Summary of findings to date

This study has given us a clearer understanding of child abuse and neglect within the context of the Brisbane Royal Children's Hospital and Health Service District SCAN team:

The trends documented within these child abuse and neglect data highlight the impact that changes in legislation and public awareness may have upon community reporting of child abuse and neglect concerns. Specifically:

Public awareness through media coverage of abuse cases, changing child protection referral patterns and changing abuse rates within the community have also been identified as possible explanations for the trends evident over the 25 year period of this study. There are other factors that may also have contributed to the variations in reporting of concerns exhibited within these data, and research into these trends is continuing.

For further information on the study, please email Melissa Faulkner, Senior Research Officer, Child Advocacy Service, Royal Children's Hospital

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2008). Queensland Statistics, July 2008 (No. 1318.3). Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Author.

Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC). (2008). Sexual Violence (AIC Fact Sheet, No. 3). Canberra, Australia Capital Territory: Author.

Department of Child Safety (DChS). (2005). Child Protection Queensland: 2004-05 Performance Report. Brisbane, Queensland: Author.

Department of Child Safety (DChS). (2007). Child Protection Queensland: 2006-07 Performance Report. Brisbane, Queensland: Author.

Dunne, M. P., Purdie, D. M., Cook, M. D., Boyle, M. F., & Najman, J. M. (2003). Is child sexual abuse declining? Evidence from a population-based survey of men and women in Australia. Child Abuse and Neglect, 27, 141-152.

Goddard, C., & Saunders, B. J. (2001). Child abuse and the media (Child Abuse Prevention Issues, No. 14). Retrieved 17 April 2008, from http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/issues/issues14/issues14.html

Melissa Faulkner is a Senior Research Officer, Child Advocacy Service for the Royal Children's Hospital and Health Service District.

Australian Council for Children and Youth Organisations' Safeguarding Children Program

Katherine Sylvan & Linda Franco

In this article, Katherine Sylvan and Linda Franco describe the Australian Council for Children and Youth Organisations' (ACCYO) Safeguarding Children Program. The program is designed to assist organisations to provide safe environments for children, by introducing policies and procedures to reduce the likelihood of harm to children, and by being alert to possible signs of abuse and neglect. Katherine and Linda outline the development of the program, its key elements, and feedback received from participating organisations.

Child maltreatment in organisations

Each day in Australia, children and young people enjoy millions of positive and enriching interactions with staff members and volunteers from a broad range of organisations. These organisations care for children and young people and provide them with services in areas such as childcare, education, sports, recreation, arts, welfare, religion and health. The interactions that take place between adults and children in these settings are enormously valuable in enhancing the wellbeing of children and young people and in enriching their life experiences. However, due to their dependent status, children and young people are inherently vulnerable in interactions with adults.

We know from historical accounts of institutional child maltreatment that child abusers have been able to infiltrate well-meaning and reputable community organisations, thus gaining access to children (Australian Government Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, 1997; Australian Senate Community Affairs Committee, 2001, 2004; Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions, 1999; Irenyi, Bromfield, Beyer, & Higgins, 2006; Vardon, 2004). For example, statistics from the Victoria Police reveal that 43% of perpetrators of child sexual abuse investigated between 1988 and 1996 gained access to their victims through children's organisations (Petraitis & O'Connor, 1999).

In addition to deliberate acts of abuse towards children, staff and volunteers of organisations may inadvertently maltreat children as a result of poor training and skills (e.g., neglect through inadequate supervision). Knowing that child maltreatment can have a devastating long-term impact on the lives of children and young people, it is vital that action is taken to prevent the physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect of children and young people in organisations. There are clear and decisive steps that organisations and institutions can take to ensure the safety of children and young people in their care.

Police record checks

Recent years have seen the implementation of Working With Children Checks in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia (for further details, see http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/resources/police/policechecks.html). While screening tools like Working With Children Checks are important in assisting organisations to gain insight into a person's criminal history, they are only one component of a multi-faceted system required to safeguard children and young people. Working With Children Checks, and police checks generally, are limited to identifying known perpetrators, therefore it is also important that organisations couple such checks with other initiatives (e.g., interviews, thorough reference checks, and policy frameworks that focus on creating safe environments for children). Of note, Queensland has legislated for mandatory child protection risk management frameworks to accompany its Working With Children Check system (referred to as the Blue Card system in Queensland).

The Australian Council for Children and Youth Organisations' role

The Australian Council for Children and Youth Organisations assists organisations to strengthen their capacity to prevent child abuse and neglect. The Safeguarding Children Program provides organisations with tools and resources to facilitate a comprehensive approach to safeguarding children and young people. For example, components of the program include assisting all personnel within an organisation to better understand and recognise child abuse. The program provides organisations with access to information, training, standards, policy advice and ongoing support.

Development of the Safeguarding Children Program

In 2003, ACCYO piloted the National Child Protection Accreditation Project, with funding from the then Department for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FACSIA). The pilot involved four components:

The project was successful in raising awareness of the issue of child abuse within an organisational context and helped organisations to undertake an evaluation of the potential for abuse within their service context. Organisations were provided with information and policy direction with respect to developing policies and procedures to manage risks associated with protecting children. For many organisations the impact was significant, given that they previously lacked policies and had minimal procedures specifically to protect children and young people from abuse.

At the conclusion of the national pilot and accompanying evaluation, ACCYO engaged in a two-year research and development phase (Sharples, Hoiles, & Prilleltensky, 2003). ACCYO staff drew on Australian and international research examining best practice in relation to abuse prevention in an organisational context, and incorporated this information into the formulation of the program's standards and training. After drafting the new standards, ACCYO staff consulted with key child protection experts, including, the NSW Commission for Children and Young People, the National Child Protection Clearinghouse, Victoria Police and the Australian Childhood Foundation, as well as organisations working in a diverse range of fields. This research and consultation phase resulted in the development of the comprehensive Safeguarding Children Program.

Published in 2007, the Safeguarding Children Program is a framework specifically designed for organisations working with children and young people to raise awareness of the problem of child abuse and neglect in organisations. It provides practical policy and procedural guidance to safeguard children and young people from maltreatment.

The Safeguarding Children Program consists of two components: (1) the Safeguarding Children Program Kit and (2) the Safeguarding Children online training.

1. Safeguarding Children Program Kit

The Safeguarding Children Program Kit ("the kit") includes a set of achievable and measurable standards, practical step-by-step information, and examples to assist organisations to adopt strategies and undergo training to prevent and reduce the likelihood of child maltreatment.

Organisations that proceed with the implementation of the Safeguarding Children Program can also participate in an accreditation process to recognise their efforts in providing a safer environment for children and young people. The accreditation process involves an independent audit, conducted by someone external to the organisation, to determine the organisation's compliance with the standards. Accreditation is for a period of three years with annual self-assessments required.

The Safeguarding Children Program Standards include:

Standard 1 - A commitment to safeguarding children
Through its "safeguarding children" statement, the organisation documents its clear commitment to safeguarding children and young people from abuse and neglect.

Standard 2 - Personnel roles and conduct
The organisation ensures that all people involved in the delivery of services to children and young people understand their role, and the behaviour expected of them in safeguarding children and young people from abuse and neglect.

Standard 3 - Recruitment and screening practices
The organisation has appropriate measures in place to minimise the likelihood that it will recruit a person who is unsuitable to work with children or young people.

Standard 4 - Personnel induction and training
The organisation's induction, education and training programs are a vital part of its commitment to safeguarding children and young people from abuse and neglect.

Standard 5 - Involving children and parents
In developing a safe, inclusive and supportive environment the organisation involves and communicates with children, young people and their parents. The organisation encourages parental involvement and behaviour that helps to protect children and young people.

Standard 6 - Child abuse reports and allegations
The organisation has measures in place to ensure that all people who work with children and young people understand their responsibility to report possible abuse or neglect and understand the organisation's reporting procedures.

Standard 7 - Supporting a child-safe culture
The organisation is committed to maintaining and improving its policies, procedures and practices to safeguard children and young people from abuse and neglect.

 2. Safeguarding Children training

The online training is approximately 3.5 hours in duration and can be completed on a computer with internet access. It can also be delivered as a one-day face-to-face training program.

The Safeguarding Children Program is suitable for organisations that provide services to children and young people across all sectors. The program is applicable and relevant to all organisations - large or small, national or state-based - that work with children and young people. The program takes into account differences in service provision and operating environments.

The training can be undertaken face-to-face or online. The training includes information on:
• behaviour that constitutes child abuse (physical, emotional and sexual) and neglect;
• how to recognise indicators of child abuse and neglect;
• the modus operandi of child sexual abuse perpetrators;
• strategies that organisations can implement to prevent child abuse and neglect occurring; and
• how to handle reports, allegations and disclosures of child abuse and neglect.

Benefits of the Safeguarding Children Program

Preliminary feedback from organisations that have implemented the new Safeguarding Children Program has provided insights into the multiple and potential benefits for organisations and their personnel.

Increased awareness

Organisations have indicated that the implementation of the program and the training component has increased awareness of the issue of child abuse, its incidence, indicators, and appropriate reporting responses for all staff and volunteers. There is a sense within organisations adopting the framework and/or training, that staff and volunteers develop a shared understanding of the importance of identifying and preventing child abuse and neglect. Organisational personnel have also reported that they feel more confident in identifying abuse that may be occurring in other contexts, for example, the familial context, and in responding appropriately and effectively to support the child or young person experiencing abuse. Personnel also report that the program brings the protection of children to the forefront of an organisation's thinking and planning for the delivery of services to children and young people.

Strengthened organisational capacity

Organisations have reported that the Safeguarding Children Program has helped to strengthen organisational capacity to protect children and young people. Organisations believe that children and young people are benefiting from enhanced safeguards as a result of the development of specific policies and procedures to reduce the likelihood of abuse occurring.

Enshrining good intentions into policy and procedures

Organisations often acknowledge that good intentions to protect children have not been put into practice. The program has assisted organisations to translate these good intentions into policy and practice.

Tailoring policy to suit operational context

Feedback also indicated that a benefit of the program was that resources could be tailored to suit specific operational and service contexts.

A consistent organisational approach to the protection of children

Organisations highlighted the importance of developing a consistent approach to child protection. The program enabled organisations to ensure all personnel were aware of child abuse and the organisation's stance on prevention. Crucially, it also helped ensure that organisations delivering services over multiple sites (urban, rural and remote) across states and nationally had a consistent approach to child protection.

Unexpected benefits

Interestingly, one organisation reported that they extended the principles of the Safeguarding Children Program to include other vulnerable client groups such as the elderly and young adults with disabilities.

Information and resources available in the Safeguarding Children Program Kit also assisted organisations (in particular those based in Queensland) to meet legislative and/or funding requirements in relation to the protection of children.

The way forward

The Safeguarding Children Program is a comprehensive framework for organisations working with children and young people. By adopting the program, organisations report feeling confident that they are being proactive rather than reactive in relation to protecting children and young people from abuse and neglect. ACCYO recently received a grant from Perpetual Trustees to evaluate the Safeguarding Children Program. The broad goal of the evaluation is to analyse the impact of the Safeguarding Children Program on a diverse range of organisations. This will include state-based, national and regionally located organisations. The expectation is that the evaluation will track a sample of organisations undertaking the program through all stages of the process. This will include data collection in the pre-program phase, during program implementation, and in the period post implementation of the program. The evaluation is to commence in late 2008.

For further information, contact:

Katherine Sylvan, Chief Executive Officer or Linda Franco, Policy Development Manager
Australian Council for Children and Youth Organisations
12 Lansdowne Street, East Melbourne, VIC 3002.
Ph: 1800 724 754
www.accyo.org.au

References

Australian Government Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. (1997). Bringing them home: Report of the national inquiry into the separation of aboriginal and torres strait islander children from their families. Sydney Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.

Australian Senate Community Affairs Committee. (2001). Lost innocents: Righting the record - report on child migration. Canberra: Australian Senate Community Affairs Committee.

Australian Senate Community Affairs Committee. (2004). Forgotten Australians: A report on australians who experienced institutional or out-of-home care as children. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.

Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions. (1999). Report of the commission of inquiry into abuse of children in queensland institutions. Brisbane, Queensland: Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions.

Irenyi, M., Bromfield, L. M., Beyer, L., & Higgins, D. J. (2006). Child maltreatment in organisations: Risk factors and strategies for prevention (Child Abuse Prevention Issues no. 25). Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies. Available at: http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/issues/issues25/issues25.html.

Petraitis, V., & O'Connor, C. (1999). Rockspider: The danger of paedophiles - untold stories. Melbourne: Hybrid Publishers.

Sharples, J., Hoiles, L., & Prilleltensky, I. (2003). Evaluation of the australian council for children & youth organisations (accyo) pilot accreditation project. St Albans, Vic: Wellness Promotion Unit, Victoria University.

Vardon, C. (2004). The Territory as parent - Review of the safety of children in care in the act and of act child protection management. Canberra: Australian Capital Territory Government.

Katherine Sylvan is the Chief Executive Officer, Australian Council for Children and Youth Organisations. Linda Franco is the Policy Development Manager, Australian Council for Children and Youth Organisations.

Building Generations

A strengths-based, solution-focused parenting program for female adult survivors of intra-familial sexual assault

Carol Ronken & Nadine McKillop

In this article, Carol Ronken and Nadine McKillop from Bravehearts review a parenting program for adult survivors of childhood intra-familial sexual assault.

Building Generations sets out a valuable parenting program for adult survivors of childhood intra-familial sexual assault. Produced by the Incest Survivors Association in Western Australia, this manual provides for a much-needed program with valuable objectives.

Difficulty with parenting is one of the most common experiences for survivors of child sexual assault, and particularly for female survivors of incest. Survivors often struggle with parenting practices, including fears of:

The program is embedded in both a research-based and practice-based framework, providing a strong rationale for the program and its objectives. Utilising information from women about their parenting concerns, the Incest Survivors Association developed the manual to reflect a number of themes common among women who were sexually assaulted as children.

Although the authors of the manual have assumed that facilitators using the program are trained in the facilitation of groups, and have knowledge of the dynamics of both child sexual assault and family violence, the background information in the manual's early chapters is valuable in assisting with the implementation of the program's objectives in a consistent and practical manner.

One issue that may arise is the need for more than one facilitator when delivering the program. Although it is stressed that the program is not a therapeutic group, when working with survivors of sexual assault there are many potential triggers of emotional distress. Having two facilitators at each group would allow for individual debriefing if the discussion triggers painful memories or creates distress for a group member.

The comprehensive manual is well set out and easy to follow. The structure lays the groundwork for understanding the parenting concerns and issues experienced by survivors of incest. The manual is divided broadly into 5 sections:

Placing their understanding of parenting issues into the theoretical frameworks of Bowlby's Attachment Theory and Bandura's Social Learning Theory, the authors utilise Belsky's model of multiple determinants of parenting to summarise the interaction of seemingly independent factors, and how these factors influence the way in which parents relate to their children. The premise of this theory is that qualities of parents' dispositions (e.g., their history, temperament, personality) influence how they parent.

The authors also identify intergenerational issues associated with abuse. For example, the authors identify the silence, false sense of shame and guilt, difficulties disclosing abuse, pressures from family members, patriarchal dynamics and "masks over abuse" (e.g., addictions, psychological issues, family violence) that survivors of abuse often experience.

Facilitators using the program are advised to pre-interview participants to ensure suitability and effective group dynamics. This acknowledges the importance of assessing an individual's capacity to engage effectively in group work. It is certainly important to acknowledge that group work is not beneficial for all and, particularly when working with adult survivors of sexual assault, it is essential to recognise that individual therapy should precede group work.

The provision of folders, handouts and copies of the completed group work to each participant allows them to "build their own resource file," providing them with a level of ownership over the information and skills learnt, and a resource to reflect back on as needed.

Each of the eight sessions link well to the last. The format builds on skills in an empowering way, allowing facilitators and group members to easily pick up and work with the manual on a weekly basis. Information is provided for facilitators to distribute to participants, which sets out the structure and objectives of the program, and assists in setting group boundaries and rules in the first week.

The weekly topics include:

  1. Problems and expectations - provides an opportunity for participants to identify the major issues and questions they have and the group's expectations of the program.
  2. Healthy versus unhealthy parenting - challenges unhealthy parenting patterns and provides alternative parenting approaches.
  3. A consistent parent - building on the previous week, this session further explores healthy parenting styles and provides participants with an understanding of how our internal and core beliefs inform our parenting actions.
  4. Handling emotions in the family - provides exercises that help participants explore the differences and interrelationship between feelings/emotions and behaviours/actions.
  5. Child development and behaviour - provides practical summaries of child development theories (specifically Piaget and Erickson) and behavioural theories (Popkin's ABC of behaviour).
  6. Safety issues for children - gives information to parents on a range of child safety issues, including differentiations between discipline and punishment. Importantly, it acknowledges the potentially triggering impact of the child's behaviours for the survivor parent.
  7. Options when things go wrong - this part of the program explores negative emotions and how to handle and respond to feelings of anger and instances of violence in a positive way. Activities help participants explore alternatives to old patterns of response and action.
  8. Self-care, group closure and evaluation - focuses on parents and their need for self-care, as well as providing them with tools to instil self-care behaviours in their children. A positive way to finish the program.

Transactional analysis is one of the main concepts used across the activities. It provides a useful framework for understanding the influence of internal psychological dynamics on people's interactions (parent/adult/child ego state).

The realistic scenarios built into the group work cover several important aspects of parenting, allowing groups to practice the implementation of skills and knowledge in a range of situations.

It may be beneficial to further explore the child protection issues covered in week 6. Although the manual provides in-depth guidelines for both parents and young people in relation to cyber safety, the manual does not build on general child protection "skills" that can be applied more widely to different types of risk (e.g., sexual, physical, emotional). One suggestion would be to include general personal safety and "touching" rules.

The section that provides data and feedback from previous participants is incredibly useful in showing how the program works in practice. The information published here provides practitioners with a valuable understanding of the program's development; this type of information is often crucial to ensure that facilitators have a common understanding of the program's history and objectives.

The concluding chapters of the manual provide additional information including references and resource sources.

As a final observation, it would be useful to extend this program (and there is no reason why it could not be easily adapted) to include male survivors and survivors of extra-familial sexual abuse. While there are certainly some aspects of parenting that are of particular concern for female incest survivors, these other groups also experience parenting issues as a result of childhood sexual assault.

Taking the aforementioned comments and suggestions into consideration, the Incest Survivors Association has produced an invaluable tool for practitioners working with female adult survivors of incest in a group context. Furthermore, the overall program objectives will greatly benefit female survivors, not only in providing an opportunity to validate their own experiences, but also in providing them with necessary parenting skills and, most importantly, the confidence to use them.

Building Generations: A strengths-based, solution-focused parenting program for female adult survivors of intra-familial sexual assault was developed by the Incest Survivors Association. All inquiries about the program, including requests for the workbook, or to be trained in using the framework, should be addressed to the Coordinator at ISA offices. Visit http://www.isa.asn.au/ for further information.

Bravehearts is a research, counselling and advocacy organisation that specialises in providing counselling for children and young people who have experienced, or who are risk of, child sexual assault; advocacy and support for adult survivors; and education, prevention, and early intervention programs.

Carol Ronken is the Research & Policy Development Manager at Bravehearts. Nadine McKillop is a Psychologist at Bravehearts.

The Australian College for Child and Family Protection Practitioners

Aims, activities and opportunities

Danny Foster

In this article, Danny Foster from Windermere Child and Family Services provides an overview of the Australian College for Child and Family Protection Practitioners and his recently received Fellowship of the College.

The Australian College for Child and Family Protection Practitioners (ACCFPP) is a professional body that promotes excellence in child & family protection practice across Australia. To this end, the College provides and promotes professional development opportunities for child and family protection practitioners. The third national conference of the ACCFPP, Ethical Responsiveness, is one such example. The conference was held in Adelaide, 23-25 May 2008. Speakers provided many varied and interesting papers (see the Clearinghouse conference highlights).

In an effort to obtain a Fellowship with the College, I took part in an interview in relation to my practice framework and skills, which coincided with the conference. The interview consisted of questions from a panel of my peers in relation to my paper, practice framework, ethical approach, commitment to students, education and supervisory skills. I also presented a paper entitled, "Review of Kids Becoming Champions: Legislation Edition" (see below for a summary).

Kids Becoming Champions

The Victorian Government's vision for Victoria's children, as documented in The State of Victoria's Children Report 2006 is for "a Victoria in which every child thrives, learns and grows and is respected and valued to become an effective adult" (Victorian Government Department of Human Services, 2006, p. 7). In order to achieve this vision, the Victorian Government has undertaken substantial legislative change over the past several years. In 2005, the Victorian Government passed two pieces of legislation, which have changed how child protection practitioners, family/community service workers, and the Victorian Children's Court practice when dealing with matters relating to children. The Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005 (Vic) and the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 (Vic) came into effect during 2007, replacing the former Children and Young Persons Act 1998 (Vic). Welcomed across the sector, these Acts provide clearer emphasis on a child's wellbeing and, for the first time, have formalised many best practice interventions.

Kids Becoming Champions is a long-term, intensive, early intervention program that works with children and families in the Southern Metropolitan region of Melbourne. As the program works with children, it is bound by the above Victorian legislation. Reviewing the program's previous and current practice, it was clear to me that the program has been fulfilling Victoria's vision for children and young people since 2003. The purpose of my paper was not only to highlight the innovative and progressive practices of the Kids Becoming Champions program, but to promote the program as a model of best practice.

The review of the program in relation to the Victorian Department of Human Services' Best Interest Case Practice Model highlights that Kids Becoming Champions is indeed working in the best interests of a child and achieving the desired outcomes set out in the Victorian Children's Outcome Framework. The program was reviewed with respect to how it delivers the following desired outcomes for children:

There were two areas in which the review of the Kids Becoming Champions program identified room for development, these were: (a) the engagement of culturally and linguistically diverse clients; and (b) the development of a more extensive suite of services for children aged 0-3 years. Further development of the program structure and its procedures for engagement and referral in these areas is being considered.

College fellowship

Having participated in an interview in relation to my practice framework and skills, I was awarded a Fellowship with the Australian College for Child and Family Protection Practitioners. Honorary Fellowships were also awarded to Dr Gail Winkworth (Australian Catholic University) and Associate Professor Maria Harries (University of Western Australia), recognising their commitment and expertise in the sector, and their support and commitment to the College.

For more information about the Australian College for Child and Family Protection Practitioners please see http://www.accfpp.org.au/

References

Victorian Government Department of Human Services. (2006). The state of Victoria's children report 2006: Every child, every chance. Melbourne, Victoria: Department of Human Services.

Danny Foster is a Team Leader of Kids Becoming Champions at Windermere Child and Family Services.

Clearinghouse activities

The 3rd national conference of the Australian College for Child and Family Protection Practitioners, 23-25 May 2008

In May 2008, Clearinhouse staff attended the Australian College for Child and Family Protection Practitioners third national conference themed "Ethical Responsiveness". Delegates provided a variety of diverse, interesting and sometimes challenging papers on a range of issues relevant to people in the child and family welfare sector. The conference celebrated the work done by both statutory and non-government agencies in supporting vulnerable children, young people and their families.

Clearinghouse researchers, Leah Bromfield and Prue Holzer gave papers at the conference. Leah Bromfield provided a keynote and commenced her presentation by posing the question: "what does it mean to be ethically responsive?" Drawing on her PhD research, and her work with the National Child Protection Clearinghouse, Leah  touched on ten key points:

Prue Holzer provided a presentation on "Getting research into practice: Lessons learned from the National Child Protection Clearinghouse." This paper provided an overview of the main findings of a collaborative research project between the Clearinghouse and the Australian Centre for Child Protection at the University of South Australia. Using the Clearinghouse as a model, Prue discussed the barriers and facilitators to using research in practice, and provided an overview of promising initiatives in the sector.

Both Leah and Prue's presentations are available online at: http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/presentations/presentations.html

Conference highlights

The 10th Australian Institute of Family Studies conference. Families Through Life, 9-11 July 2008

The 10th Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference was held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, 9-11 July 2008. The theme for this year's conference was "Families Through Life". During three very busy and stimulating days, delegates attended presentations and symposia on family relationships; children, youth and patterns of care; families and work; families and community life; and violence and protection issues. Full details of conference papers are available on the AIFS website (http://www.aifs.gov.au).

Many issues relevant to child protection were raised and discussed at the conference. The following section provides an overview of a select number of child protection related conference papers, which we thought readers might find of particular interest.

Views of children and young people in care: A landmark study in Queensland

Lee Tennent, Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian, Queensland

The Queensland Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian is undertaking ground-breaking research to investigate and document the views of children and young people in foster care, residential care and in detention centres in Queensland. The research features a repeated, cross-sectional, longitudinal design, enabling the Commission to identify changes in these views over time. The first phase was conducted in 2006, the second in 2007. To date, a total of 4,882 children and young people have participated. This presentation reported on the survey methodology employed to gather data and key findings.

Analysis revealed high levels of satisfaction with many aspects of alternative care. In 2007, more than 98% of children and young people in foster care and 89% of children and young people in residential care and detention centres, reported feeling safe where they lived. The majority of children and young people in foster care and residential care also felt that they were better off since coming into care and indicated that their lives had improved in the past 12 months.

The research also highlighted a range of system issues that can impact negatively on the care experience. More than 40% of children and young people in foster care and residential care reported having little or no say in decisions that affected them. Many children in foster care appeared dissatisfied with the frequency of contact they had with their family and at having to get permission to do things that children who are not in care can readily do. A considerable proportion of children and young people also reported having experienced numerous placement changes and a sense of worry that they might have to change placements again in the coming months.

Increasingly, findings from the research are being used to inform policy and practice decision-making among stakeholders in the Queensland child protection and youth justice systems. The research also demonstrates to individual children and young people that they have an important voice in shaping the future directions and priorities within these systems.

Reports relating to the surveys can be downloaded from the commission's website at http://www.ccypcg.qld.gov.au

Children tell us about "having a say" in family law decision-making

Robyn Fitzgerald and Anne Graham, Centre for Children and Young People, Southern Cross University, Lismore.

This presentation reported on a recent study that explored children's understandings and experiences of supervised contact, and their participation in the decision-making processes that surrounds supervised contact. The aims of the study were to identify: (a) what are children's experiences of having a say? (b) what are children's views and understandings of having a say? (c) did children want a say in the decision for them to have supervised contact? and (d) how did having (or not having) a say feel?

The presenters reported that children's conceptualisation of participation tended to focus on the importance of dialogue, and emphasised close, caring and open relationships with adults. Participation was understood as an active and on-going process in which adults and children had opportunities to clarify what was happening, consider new possibilities and choices, and to make meaning of the events taking place in their lives. However, frequently children were not given space in which to "have a say" - whether they wanted to or not - and the failure to recognise children, and what they had to say, was a dominant theme, particularly evident in narratives of confusion, sadness and isolation.

The findings suggest such "non-recognition" compromised children's ability to understand, cope and adapt to the changes in their families' circumstances. With these findings in mind, the presenters suggested that when we talk about "children's participation" in the difficult and complex context of supervised contact, we need to focus more closely on the ways we invite, engage and interpret dialogue and conversations with children.

Academic performance of children in the care of the state: How do they compare?

Nicole Hunter, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has conducted a pilot study examining the academic performance (as assessed by literacy and numeracy test scores) of children in years 3, 5 and 7 who were on guardianship or custody orders. The first study of its kind in this field in Australia, the research involved interdepartmental linkage of administrative data from five states and territories. The project was designed in two stages. Stage 1 was to collect baseline data, and Stage 2 will include a longitudinal component, exploring children's educational outcomes over time.

Stage 1 findings were published in 2007. The AIHW reported that children on orders had poorer academic performance than all children sitting the reading and numeracy tests, and were considerably less likely to achieve the national benchmarks. Indigenous children on orders were found to have much lower reading and numeracy scores than other children on orders. The lower reading and numeracy scores of Indigenous children were notionally equivalent to being behind by about 8 to 12 months of schooling.

Further work is needed to fully identify and understand the factors influencing these patterns. Stage 2 of the study will incorporate a longitudinal analysis of how educational performance changes over time for children on orders. It is expected that a report will be released on the second phase of the study in mid 2010. The Stage 1 publication - Educational outcomes of children on guardianship or custody orders: A pilot study - can be downloaded for free from the AIHW website (www.aihw.gov.au).

Making a life after care: The provision of support across the life course

Suellen Murray, Liz Branigan & Jenny Malone, RMIT University

This presentation discussed findings from research undertaken in partnership with MacKillop Family Services on the long-term experience of support needs for care-leavers. The study involved the collection of life history interviews with forty people who grew up in Catholic Homes in Victoria and left during the period 1945 to 1983.

Many of the research participants were not able to draw on the support of their family after leaving care. This had implications for housing, financial security and emotional support, implications which, for some, have had life-long effects. Other long-term effects stemmed from interrupted education and the trauma of abuse while in institutional care. Despite these difficulties, there was evidence of great resourcefulness in seeking support. As specialist services have only emerged in recent times, much of the support provided was informal, acquired through the assistance of partners, friends and wider social networks, or through accessing generalist services that did not necessarily recognise the particular needs of people who had grown up in institutional care.

Nearly half of the 40 people interviewed mentioned mental health issues as an outcome of care. Many accessed professional support including general practitioners, psychiatrists and counsellors. However, for some people, the process of finding a skilled counsellor who could make the links between adult experiences and childhood institutionalisation took several attempts and large investments of trust with each attempt. These experiences emphasise the importance of bringing attention to the effects of contact with care systems and childhood institutionalisation within the health profession. For others, specialist services had been particularly helpful as they had been able to assist people to deal with experiences of abuse, link people to others with similar experiences, assist them with practical life skills and promote self-confidence.

Contact with the child protection system: An analysis of South Australian data

Nancy Rogers, Ros Wilson and Craig Hirte, Department for Families and Communities SA

This presentation reported on findings from a study that analysed longitudinal child protection data held by the South Australian Department for Families and Communities. The study analysed data relating to children born in three different years - 1991, 1998 and 2002. The aims of the study were to identify: (a) the extent to which the three birth cohorts had come in contact with the statutory child protection system; (b) the nature, extent and outcomes of these contacts; (c) the extent to which children subject to notifications went on to have other contacts with the statutory welfare system (including juvenile justice) and the relationship between identified variables and outcomes/other contacts; and (d) changing trends and patterns over time (across the three cohorts).

The presentation outlined a range of findings with high relevance to child protection policy and practice. For example, children born in the later cohorts were far more likely than those born in 1991 to be the subject of at least one notification and also to be notified at a far earlier age. This trend was particularly strong for Aboriginal children. The presenters questioned whether these increases are due to increased abuse in the community, or to a greater readiness to notify. The presentation also grappled with the complex question of whether the system is effectively identifying children most at risk. The report on which this presentation was based is available to download at: www.familiesandcommunities.sa.gov.au/Default.aspx?tabid=596

Project Safehands: What are the Queensland Police doing about child abuse?

Charysse Pond, Queensland Police

Project Safehands is a joint cross-government and local community initiative led by the Queensland Police Service aimed at raising awareness of the need for safe handling of children and community reporting of suspected physical abuse of children. In partnership with the Department of Child Safety, Department of Communities, and Queensland Health, this innovative prevention and early intervention campaign targets the safe handling of children aged 0-4 years, and is designed to build both individual and community resilience to reduce and prevent child physical abuse.

Project Safehands utilises a variety of social marketing strategies and communication mediums to engage, empower and support parents and families, and creates linkages with a range of local and state-wide government and non-government support services. This presentation explored the basis of the project, including service delivery collaboration, community engagement and principles of prevention and early intervention. The presenter reflected on early learnings from the initial three months of implementation within the greater Ipswich District, including statistical and anecdotal feedback on key issues of community response, use of referral pathways and effectiveness of marketing and information resources. Finally, the presentation outlined the critical aspect of program analysis and evaluation in the context of refining and expanding Project Safehands for state-wide implementation.

Project Safehands has been the subject of an evaluation. See: Adkins, G. (2008). Report on the evaluation of the Safehands Pilot Project. Ipswich City, Queensland. August 2007-February 2008. Brisbane: Centre for Excellence in Policing and Security, University of Southern Queensland.

Supervised contact centres in New Zealand: Families' experiences

Megan Gollop and Nicola Taylor, Children's Issues Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

As part of a New Zealand Government review of the sector in 2005, research was undertaken to explore the factors contributing to an effective supervised contact centre; to investigate why families discontinue their attendance at such centres; and to ascertain what types of contact arrangements they utilise once they have left a centre. Data were collected from past and present clients (parents and children) and staff in four supervised contact centres using interviews, focus group discussions, and written questionnaires.

Parents, caregivers and children were generally satisfied with the service they received and attending a centre was a positive experience for most participants. They valued the role the centre played in maintaining or reforming parent-child relationships. However, some parents found the constraints of attending a supervised contact centre - such as supervision and monitoring, and the presence of other families - problematic and believed it impacted on their children's contact with their visiting parent. Some visiting parents reported feeling the stigma of having to have supervised contact.

Centre staff played a major role in how families experienced attending a supervised contact centre. Parents seemed more likely to accept what they perceived to be intrusive and restrictive practices if warm, supportive staff enacted them in a non-judgemental manner. When staff were perceived to be solely supervising and did so in a remote or judgemental manner, parents were less satisfied with the service. The parents and caregivers found it very supportive when staff actively engaged with them, assisted with their parenting, and facilitated their interactions with their children.

While transition and change in the families' contact arrangements was common, their move out of the centre was often sudden, with little planning. Most of the families who had left a centre were having safe, unsupervised contact, but they nevertheless reported ongoing safety concerns and problems with contact. For further information, email Megan Gollop

Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies conference

On 18-20 August 2008, the Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies hosted its conference "Strong, safe and sustainable: Responding to children, young people and families in a civil society" at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney. The conference was comprised of a variety of stimulating papers. Keynote presentations were provided by Professor Jonathan Bradshaw (Department of Social Policy and Social Work, University of York) and Professor Mark Courtney (Professor and Executive Director, Partners for Our Children, School of Social Work, University of Washington).

Professor Bradshaw discussed how child wellbeing has been conceptualised and measured in comparative research. He presented the results of an index of child wellbeing in OECD countries produced for UNICEF, and gave particular attention to Australian results. Professor Courtney's keynote "Beyond Safety and Permanency: Making Wellbeing a Focus of Policy and Practice for Children in State Care" outlined the consequences of inattention to child wellbeing. He argued that when we measure the quality of services provided to children in care, we need to do so against the benchmark we set with our own children. Professor Courtney challenged the "corporate parent" to engage with children's outcomes and wellbeing in the way a "good parent" would.

The Hon. Jenny Macklin MP opened the second day of the conference. Ms Macklin's address considered the development of the national child protection framework and the continued leadership that the Australian Government intends to provide in this area. Professor Dorothy Scott (Director of the Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia) provided a closing address in which she reflected on similarities and differences between child protection systems of the early 19th century and the present structure of the service system. Professor Scott's main argument was that the way forward is to collectively commit to a child wellbeing agenda.

These papers and others are available on the ACWA website: http://www.acwa.asn.au/

Endnote

1. Total population figures are used in this article as directly comparable data on child population increases within the Brisbane area during this time period are not freely available. However, ABS census data indicate that between 1996 to 2006 the Brisbane total population increased by 21%, while the child population in Brisbane increased by 14%. Taken together, these figures suggest that the child population within Brisbane may have increased at a slightly lower rate than the total Brisbane population over the 1980 to 2005 period, thus the comparison of abuse reporting trends to total population increases presented within this article may slightly minimise the true child abuse and neglect reporting increases evident within this period. In other words, it seems that the Brisbane child population has experienced slightly lower growth than the total population, at least in the final 10 years of the study.