Put mums first to break abuse and neglect cycle Small changes to how the system treats some women could stop up to 80 per cent of child protection cases, new UniSA research has found.
Crime by Lauren Novak
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Subscriber only More support for South Australia s most struggling mothers could prevent up to 80 per cent of the child abuse and neglect happening in homes, new research finds. The analysis by the University of South Australia also warns that a quarter of children born to women who were taken into state care during their childhood will experience the same fate. Researchers say the findings, published today in The Lancet Public Health, make a strong argument for redirecting funding and support to mothers with a child-protection history to make a substantial difference. We know who these mothers are, lead researcher Professor Leonie Segal said.
Supporting female survivors of childhood maltreatment is critical to disrupting intergenerational abuse as new research from the University of South Australia shows a clear link between parents who have suffered abuse and the likelihood of their children suffering the same fate.
2:51 PM MYT CANBERRA, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) An Australian study has found that survivors of child abuse are more than twice as likely to die young. Researchers said the study, which was published by the University of South Australia (UniSA) on Monday, marked the first time in the world that they had examined the impact of child mistreatment on the risk of death during adolescence and early adulthood. It focused on the lives of 331,000 young South Australians, of whom one in five had some contact with Child Protective Services. Of that group 980 died between the ages of 16 and 33. Deaths from alcohol, poisonings, other substances or where mental health was a factor, were five times more likely among those who were mistreated compared to those who were not, and suicide was three times more likely.
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IMAGE: Child maltreatment more than doubles the risk of dying during late adolescence and early adulthood, according to a world-first study. view more
Credit: University of South Australia
Globally the statistics are daunting. Across countries and communities between 15 and 50 per cent of children are subject to serious abuse and neglect within their own families, most often at the hands of a parent.
Known as familial child maltreatment, a large body of research has revealed a raft of disturbing longer-term consequences for its victims - such as poor mental and physical health, diminished engagement with education, early substance misuse, involvement in crime, relationship instability and long term under or unemployment.