An annual report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has revealed the number of children who received children protection services increased to about 180,000 in 2022-23.
This was compared to 177,556 the previous year.
In the five-year period between 2018-19 and 2022-23, the rate of children who were subjects of child protection notifications increased from 48 to 51 per 1000.
There were more than 500,000 reports made to child protection authorities in Australia in 2022-23.
Of those, 45,400 children were confirmed to have experienced abuse and neglect throughout Australia, slightly decreasing by 148 from the previous year.
Of those confirmed, about 50% were girls and about 48% were boys.
Disturbingly, 13,700 of those confirmed were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
Act for Kids CEO Dr Katrina Lines said the more than 500,000 reports of harm to children in 2022-23 showed the community was aware of the need to disclose their concerns.
“However, that is not enough. These figures show that as a society, we are not doing what helps children thrive in Australia, as nothing has changed in years,” Dr Lines said.
“We need to support families so children don’t become statistics and we can be proud of how safe, happy and healthy children and young people are in our society.”
The AIHW report also found of the children confirmed to have experienced abuse and neglect in 2022-23, those living in very remote areas were almost four times more likely to be maltreated than children living in major cities.
Emotional abuse was the most common type of maltreatment, and infants aged under one were more likely to be maltreated than any other age group.
The rate of children in out-of-home care remained stable between June 2019 and June 2023 at around eight per 1000.
About us:
Act for Kids is a for-purpose organisation that delivers evidence-led professional therapy and support services to children and families who have experienced or are at risk of harm.
Established in 1988, our dedicated team of psychologists, speech therapists, early education specialists, counsellors, occupational therapists and family support workers have helped thousands of children and families for over 30 years.
Act for Kids operates over 30 centres with a team of over 450 staff from Adelaide all the way up to the Cape York Peninsula.
