Disparity and disadvantage – the context for child protection in the Northern Territory
Disparity and disadvantage – the context for child protection in the Northern Territory Conference Paper
NT Council of Social Services conference
- Author(s): Bath, H
- Published: 2011
Abstract: 1. The local context and demand drivers for child protection 2. Key Child Protection reforms arising from the Inquiry into Child Protection relating to the role of NGO’s Since working on the Inquiry last year I have been increasingly interested in the context in which child protective services operates, especially the circumstances for children and families which act as demand drivers for child protection services. So before I look at some of the reforms and developments in child protection, I’d like to review some of the facts on the ground, particularly those that relate to the circumstances of Aboriginal children and families in the NT. The arena of policy development around Indigenous disadvantage is a fraught one with no shortage of strongly-held opinions and beliefs – I guess “arena” is an apt description. The pros and cons of the intervention are frequently played out in the national media, with a lot of recent comment related to the Opposition Leader’s call for a new Intervention; the merits of directing infrastructure funding to the „growth towns‟ are hotly disputed; there are ongoing controversies around income management; and, of course, there are ongoing battles over alcohol management policy with almost daily media comment and political posturing. I do think that we need to be clear first about the facts of what is happening before we proffer our opinions and solutions. The late American senator and social commentator Daniel Moynihan once famously remarked when involved in some international controversy at the United Nations, “everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not to their own facts.” So I thought I’d start here with some facts about children in the NT to consider before we move on to responding to the need as part of the child wellbeing and protection sector. A trawl through the available research on the wellbeing of children in the NT is a truly sobering experience. I am convinced that the situation for children in the NT, and particularly Aboriginal children, is dire if not catastrophic – it’s not just sexual abuse (the ostensible trigger for the Intervention) but just about every indicator of safety and wellbeing. Bits and pieces (about sexual abuse, the impact of alcohol use or violence) regularly find their way into the local and national media, but a comprehensive picture is rarely provided. The following data are from a number of sources including NT Government and Commonwealth publications, Menzies School of Health Research, the ABS, and the NT Child Deaths Review and Prevention Committee. They highlight the absolute disadvantage experienced by Aboriginal children and families (particularly those in remote areas) as well as the disparity with respect to the non-Aboriginal children in the NT and, indeed, Aboriginal children in the rest of Australia. Covered here are just a few of the developmental hazards that need to be survived and successfully negotiated by Aboriginal infants, especially those in remote areas. I apologise if this appears to be yet another “misery index” (Beadman, 2011, p. 43) – but we do need to start with the facts.
- Urls: http://docplayer.net/162629835-Disparity-and-disadvantage-the-context-for-child-protection-in-the-northern-territory.html
- Publisher Location: Darwin