Child abuse is anything done or not done by an adult that endangers or impairs the child’s emotional or physical health or development. Abuse is general mistreatment of children and is mostly intentional.

Whilst we would hope that every child is living in a safe and supportive environment, statistics tell us that this is not the experience of all children. Sadly, in Australia almost 1 out of every 100 children are abused; these are only the statistics that are being reported and substantiated, and mostly from city areas. The true ‘numbers’ are likely to be many more. Australia’s children,

Child abuse and neglect – Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (aihw.gov.au)

Initial effects and long-term consequences of abuse affect the child, family, service and community.

Why do people abuse others?

There are community, societal, parental/family and developmental factors that MAY contribute to abuse. However, these neither excuse nor make abuse inevitable for a child.

There is NEVER an excuse for abuse, but these may be contributing factors. These factors may place a child at a HIGHER RISK of being abused. Educators should be aware of the child’s background and living situation and be vigilant in documenting and reporting concerns.

Some factors that place a child at a higher risk may include:

• Living with person who was a victim of abuse
• Living with an over-controlling person
• Mental health disorders within the home
• Anger management problems
• Alcohol, drug or substance addictions of any kind
• Socioeconomic factors (housing arrangements, loss of work, low income)
• Isolation and little support