1. Introduction This summary captures some of the most important trends identified by our analysis, which This Executive Summary presents key findings can inform future advances to policy and practice. from this research project entitled Child Abuse 2. Australian Capital Territory and Neglect: A Socio-legal Study of Mandatory mandatory reporting law A comprehensive Reporting in Australia. treatment of our analysis is presented in the full The ACT has a relatively narrow mandatory Report. reporting law, compared with other States and Territories (Fig 1). A key component of this project was to access government data to analyse the reporting of A broad range of occupational groups are different types of child abuse and neglect, by designated as reporters’, including ‘mandated different reporter groups (both mandated teachers, police, doctors and nurses. reporters such as police, and non-mandated Reports (notifications) must be made of situations reporters), over the decade 2003-12 in the where a child has suffered, or is likely to suffer, Australian Capital Territory. significant harm as a result of ‘non-accidental physical injury’ or sexual abuse. Unusually, notifications must be made of physical injury without any qualification on the extent of harm. Fig 1: Mandatory reporting law spectrum* * Reflects general position at 31 December 2012: full reports provide complete details. Victoria limits the reporting duty to situations where the child’s parents have not protected the child from harm. Queensland has uncommenced amendments which will place it close to Victoria’s position. Emotional abuse is sometimes named psychological abuse. NSW, Tas also require reports of prenatal risk of harm in some circumstances. In NT, EDV refers to exposure to physical violence, and is more limited than in NSW, Tas. 3. Major findings from analysis of data on notifications and outcomes 2003-12 Some major trends emerge from our analysis of the data on notifications of child abuse and neglect in the ACT. Non-mandated reporters make approximately half of all notifications.
1. Introduction This Executive Summary presents key findings from this research project entitled Child Abuse and Neglect: A Socio-legal Study of Mandatory Reporting in Australia. A comprehensive treatment of our analysis is presented in the full Report. A key component of this project was to access government data to analyse the reporting of different types of child abuse and neglect, by different reporter groups (both mandated reporters such as police, and non-mandated reporters), over the decade 2003-12 in the Australian Capital Territory. This summary captures some of the most important trends identified by our analysis, which can inform future advances to policy and practice. 2. Australian Capital Territory mandatory reporting law The ACT has a relatively narrow mandatory reporting law, compared with other States and Territories (Fig 1). A broad range of occupational groups are designated as ‘mandated reporters’, including teachers, police, doctors and nurses. Reports (notifications) must be made of situations where a child has suffered, or is likely to suffer, significant harm as a result of ‘non-accidental physical injury’ or sexual abuse. Unusually, notifications must be made of physical injury without any qualification on the extent of harm. Fig 1: Mandatory reporting law spectrum* * Reflects general position at 31 December 2012: full reports provide complete details. Victoria limits the reporting duty to situations where the child’s parents have not protected the child from harm. Queensland has uncommenced amendments which will place it close to Victoria’s position. Emotional abuse is sometimes named psychological abuse. NSW, Tas also require reports of prenatal risk of harm in some circumstances. In NT, EDV refers to exposure to physical violence, and is more limited than in NSW, Tas. 3. Major findings from analysis of data on notifications and outcomes 2003-12 Some major trends emerge from our analysis of the data on notifications of child abuse and neglect in the ACT. Non-mandated reporters make approximately half of all notifications.