Understanding the Abuse problem
Jun 25, 2025
Child abuse and neglect is a vile crime that affects children’s mental physical, and social development. It can lead to serious consequences for them in their lives such as low self-esteem or trouble forming unhealthy relationships later on down the track when they get older. The consequences and outcomes of child abuse obviously have a direct, immediate and potentially lifetime impact on the victim.
Because of the nature of the crime, it is hard to accurately quantify the number and type of events. This is born out through the significant difference between the ‘annual’ and ‘lifetime’ numbers, which suggests we may be seeing only 1 in 3 events. The outcomes accrue with direct costs to communities and government [State and Federal] in the order of billions of dollars per year. Deloitte has also modelled the DALY (disability-adjusted life years) costs that dwarf the direct costs. Organisations that have a duty of care for children (e.g. Schools, Councils, Sporting and Faith groups etc) have a reputational issue to manage and new child-safe capabilities to be compliant with the emerging state government laws.
Understanding the problem is the first step in being able to make informed decisions to address its root cause.
