NCJ Number
238364
Date Published
April 2011
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This report from the Australian Institute of Family Services presents data on the involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in child protection and out-of-home care in Australia.
Abstract
Highlights from this report include the following: in 2009-2010, while Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children comprised only 4.6 percent of Australian children, they accounted for 26.6 percent of all confirmed reports of abuse or neglect; the most common substantiated forms of abuse and neglect among Indigenous children were neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse; and in 2009-2010, Indigenous children were over-represented in the out-of-home care system in Australia, with 32 percent of all children in the system being identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children. This report presents data on the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children involved in child protection and out-of-home care in Australia. Data for the report were obtained from child protection services agencies in all of Australia's States and Territories. The report indicates that 70.5 percent of Indigenous children placed in out-of-home care are placed according to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle. Several factors that are unique to the Indigenous community are identified as barriers to higher preferred placement rates. The report also discusses several factors that make Indigenous children more at risk of being abused and/or neglected. These factors include the legacy of past government actions of forced removal and cultural assimilation; increased rates of family violence, and alcohol and drug use; increased incidences of pornography; and overcrowded and inadequate housing. Tables and references