That's true, RObert.
But we also need to keep in mind how well the authorities investigate it, how they deal with it, and how shifty some parents can be about covering up child abuse.

A couple of years ago, I read a book I wish I never read because it haunted me in my dreams for years- it was so distressful to just read it.

"A Child Called It" by David J. Pelzer
It is an authobiography written by the surviving victim of one of the most severe cases of child abuse in (I think) California.
From kindergaten age, David was starved, beaten, stabbed... emotionally and physicall abused by his alcoholic mother. His father was aware but did NOTHING about it.
There were his siblings- I recall 4 or 5, who were not abused. David was singled out as the only one to receive such abuse.

I am mentioning this story to show that even though authorities were investigating the case, the abuse went on and on until David was about 12 years old. His mother was just good at covering it up.

It is extremely distressful to read, but it was an eye opener about the inadequacy of the child protection authorities. Even though it happened in the 70s and in the USA, we must keep in mind that our child-welfare system is also quite overloaded and many cases may be overlooked.

We have to be very sensitive and alert to what we observe.
We are all responsible for the children we meet.

We should not only get Child Welfare involved if we suspect the worst, but we also should check whether the welfare system are doing their job well.
It's no good having a Child Welfare system if they fail.

Robert, indeed, emotional abuse is hard to determine. What can often be considered good parenting by one is considered abuse by another.

I too am surprised by those statistics- especially the disproportions between states.

The department of family services in Queensland are so dysfunctional that if they were all to take leave you would not know differently.

I know of cases where children are at risk were placed in an even more dangerous environment.

Perfectly good kids being placed with chaotic, violent, and predatory adults is common place.

The focus is too much on punitive intervention instead of the longitudinal welfare of children.

Interesting original thoughts.

How DO you define the line of abuse (if smacking is made to be illegal) and indeed, does mental count?...could yelling at "my child" (don't have one) just before he/she sets the cat on fire be considered abuse as well?

You can't legislate for a "perfect" society and are the government going to run EVERYONE through a training or re-training course for whatever they decide is the right way to raise your child?.

Celivia, Rainier, good points. I've not done the double checks but my recollection is that substantiated rates of abuse in Qld are similar to other states which leaves me wondering why such a difference in the proportion of notifications being substantiated.

We are drifting off topic from Graham's original post but the topic of child protection (what works, what does not, how do we detect and prove abuse etc) is in my view a much better focus than on just one potential form of abuse.

I've got similar views to Rainer on the state of child protection in Qld. To many horror stories around, to many stories of kids being abused while in foster care (as if kids in foster care have not already suffered enough). My impression is that there are some good people working in the system but they are not adequately equiped (resources and corporate culture) to support them in their job.

R0bert

Robert wrote: "My impression is that there are some good people working in the system but they are not adequately equiped (resources and corporate culture) to support them in their job."

Yes I too know this story of frustration from good people who have found themselves in a dysfunctional system.

But then again I've also heard it from lousy people who use it as a crotch to prop up / cover up their own stuff ups.

Somewhere between these good and lousy people are kids who really don't care how systems work at all and rightfully so.

From my perspective one of the major and yet under reported reason in why child welfare has changed for the worse over the last 2 decades can be attributed to state and commonweatlh fights over funding and responsibility.

We need national legislation that enshrines principle of care and the rights of children. See http://www.unicef.org/crc/

Child abuse is a symptom of not just system failure but of a society that thinks they are expedient.

I might also add that our Elders need protection too. These two book ends of life protection are badly needed - at least until we get it right 'naturally'

hi all interesting posts:

re the TAB gambler, I lived immmediately next door to...
so I got to know the symptoms extremely well...
have now moved..... one year was enough...

one can report child things as they are a crime...
say like if the child is not at school......
these reports if added to regularly might get a look in

in some cases that are so involved, breaking the family up,
just makes things worse..... as any extended family is similar...
and or problematic

not having children if you cant afford them, is the only answer...
and sex education as fast as is possible
..............

education is always the key, so bring the DONT ABUSE adverts on...
the best thing since chocolate...grin

media reminders, sink in, and are actually quoted....

I heard the above/father abusing his son one time, actually saying .....
you are not being abused...
AH EH my big fat toe

however he had seen the late night dont abuse children ads no doubt

slowed him down a wee bit

JHH