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National Child Protection Week

Posted on September 10, 2008, 11:11am

A new paper detailing the impact upon children living with parental substance abuse has added weight to the launch of National Child Protection Week (NCPW), providing evidence that children residing with affected parents are at an increased risk of child abuse and neglect.

Established by the National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN), NCPW runs from September 7 – 13 and is a nationwide initiative to raise awareness of child abuse and neglect in Australia.

The report, provided by the Australian Institute of Family Studies, indicates that 52pc of parents involved in substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect in 2000-01 experienced significant problems with family violence, substance abuse, alcohol abuse and psychiatric disability, among other problems.

In 2007, more than 58,000 cases of substantiated child abuse and neglect were recorded in Australia, involving almost 35,000 Australian children.

This abuse resulted in the deaths of hundreds of children, serious injury of thousands, and with tens of thousands of children left physically, psychologically and emotionally damaged.

The NAPCAN “Children See, Children Do, make your influence positive” campaign aims to prevent this abuse and neglect by highlighting the critical importance of adults’ behaviour in shaping children’s behaviour.

NAPCAN chief executive Maree Faulkner said the long-term personal, social and economic costs of child abuse and neglect were immeasurable.

“Child abuse and neglect is the most critical social problem in Australia, but it can be prevented,” she said.

“NAPCAN provides prevention strategies, expert advice and consultation on child abuse and neglect and works directly with at risk parents, children and young people.

“Individual responsibility from adults is the key to prevention — children watch and copy what they see adults do, so every adult can make a difference.”

National Child Protection Week brings together businesses, community organisations and government agencies in thousands of events across Australia aimed at raising awareness of abusive and neglectful behaviours towards children and preventing their occurrence.

To view the “Children See, Children Do” campaign, visit www.napcan.org.au/children_see.htm.

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