Childhood Neglect

Family violence and abuse take shape in our minds, they’re tangible and we can understand these kinds of harm. However, when it comes to neglect, there are many contributing actions or inactions, that we may not have even considered. 

Host, Richelle Hunt explores the breadth of what constitutes neglect, with Annette Jackson, Executive Director of Statewide Services at Berry Street. She is responsible for many of the organisation’s big, innovative programs, including Take Two therapeutic services, the Berry Street School and the Berry Street Education Model. 

Annette also recently completed a PhD looking at the worldwide prevalence of, and response to childhood neglect.

In 2023, the Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS)* team published the primary outcomes of a study that sought to identify for the first time how many Australians in the general population experienced any of the five types of child abuse and neglect. It found that a large percentage of Australians (aged 16-65+) have experienced some form of child maltreatment: 

32% have experienced physical abuse, 28.5% have experienced sexual abuse, 30.9% emotional abuse, 8.9% neglect and 39.6% have had exposure to domestic and family violence.

Note: Emotional neglect data was included under emotional abuse, so neglect is under-represented in these figures.

 

*2023 the Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS) https://www.acms.au/findings/ 

 

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