SWSAHS Child Protection

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Key Concepts in Child Protection

Each person has responsibility for acting to protect the best interests of a child who may be abused or neglected.

The safety of the child must be the primary focus of any intervention.

Children are abused and neglected across all cultures in Australia. Respect for cultural difference does not mean that abuse or neglect can be condoned.

Indicators of abuse and neglect can be more easily detected if it is understood that children's behaviour reflects their feelings and experience.

Discipline and punishment are frequently confused. Discipline is intended to guide and promote healthy development and achieve behaviour change, whereas punishment fulfils the more powerful person's needs for control or vindication.

The seriousness of the problem of abuse and neglect is minimised and discounted in our society. There are many reasons for this, including:
- general community acceptance of violence as a method of managing conflict in relationships
- the powerless position of children in society
- the effect that childhood experiences have had on parents.

Discounting abuse and neglect seriously jeopardises the safety of children in our society.

Children's safety can only be ensured once the barriers to naming the child's experience as "abuse" or "neglect" are identified and removed. This needs to occur at both the individual or family level and at the wider, community and societal levels.

Child sexual abuse is different from physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect in its nature, dynamics and the way we should intervene.

Physical abuse and neglect of children (PANOC) are caused by inter-related factors. Although poverty, social isolation and environmental stress greatly increase the likelihood of abuse/neglect occurring, most isolated, stressed and poor adults are competent parents.

Domestic violence is a significant (but frequently overlooked) factor in many families where a child is abused and/ or neglected. Children may be directly assaulted or suffer emotional abuse as a result of being exposed to domestic violence.

Some children are especially vulnerable to physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect. The child has an elevated level of risk under the age of one year, if the mother is a victim of domestic violence, or if they have a disability.

A child may be emotionally abused even though s/ he is not neglected or physically or sexually abused. However, emotional abuse is inherent in neglect, physical abuse and sexual abuse.

Interventions can be designed to prevent re-abuse and reduce the extent of the harm on the child. This can be achieved only if:
- the agencies involved with the family work cooperatively to reduce risks and address the barriers to safety for the child
- the strengths of the child, the carer and their support system are identified and built upon.

Abuse and neglect are sometimes inter-generational processes. Children who are able to define their experience as abuse / neglect may be in a better position to choose what they would like for their children rather than being caught in a pattern of abuse.

Principles underpinning all SWSAHS child protection policies which will guide agency decisions on child protection and provide a framework for individual agency policies, practices and procedures:

the safety, welfare and well-being of the child or young person is paramount
children and young people must be given the opportunity to participate at a level appropriate to their age and development in decisions which significantly impact on their lives
child protection decisions must take account of the culture, disability, language, religion and sexuality of the child or young person, their family
and caregivers
families must be given an opportunity to participate in decisions which affect the safety welfare and well-being of a child or young person
in acting to protect a child or young person, practitioners or agencies should maintain the child's or young person's relationships and sense of identity and should intervene only as far as is required to secure their safety, welfare and well-being
children and young people who are unable to live with their families will be provided with an environment which meets their care, support, education and health needs
government agencies will work in partnership with each other, with non-government organisations and with the child or young person and their family to secure and sustain their safety, welfare and well-being

government and non-government agencies will follow policies and practices that ensure staff are screened for employment and are qualified, trained and supervised". NSW Health Frontline Procedures for the protection of Children and Young People (2000).

Last Modified: Tuesday, 4 January 2005