CRIM1020: Victimology Tutorial Notes

Week 11 Tutorial: Child Maltreatment

Institution: The University of Newcastle, Australia
Aim of the Tutorial:
1. Review the difference between child abuse and neglect and explore the types of child abuse and neglect.
2. Discuss issues with embedded institutional cultures that may resist legislative change.
3. Engage with a radio interview (ABC Melbourne, February 2020) about the implementation of findings from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
Warning: This tutorial contains graphic discussions of child maltreatment.

Recap: Abuse vs. Neglect

Question #1: What is the difference between abuse and neglect?
Definitions:
- Abuse:
  - Defined as the non-accidental infliction of injury that significantly impairs a child’s physical or mental health.
- Neglect:
  - Characterized by the withholding of life’s essentials such as food, clothing, shelter, medical treatment, and affection.

Recap: Types of Child Abuse and Neglect

Question #2: What are the five types of child abuse and neglect according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies?
Types of Child Abuse and Neglect:
1. Physical Abuse:
  - Symptoms include unexplained burns, bruises, broken bones, and facial injuries.
  - Signs to look for include fading bruises or marks appearing after absences from school.
  - Children may seem frightened of parents or caregivers, expressing distress when homeward bound.
  - Other indicators: Scared of adults and reports of injury by a parent or caregiver.
2. Sexual Abuse:
  - Symptoms include difficulty walking or sitting and refusal to engage in physical education activities.
  - Emotional symptoms may involve nightmares, bedwetting, or running away from home.
  - Possible changes in appetite, age-inappropriate sexual knowledge or behavior.
  - Significant signs include pregnancies or STIs, particularly in children under 14 years, and disclosures of sexual abuse by a caregiver.
3. Emotional Abuse:
  - Symptoms exhibit extremes in behavior, ranging from compliance to aggression.
  - Behaviors may include inappropriately adult actions (e.g., caring for siblings) or juvenile behaviors (e.g., rocking or head banging).
  - Indicators of emotional abuse may also include maturation delays and attempted suicide, as well as a reported lack of attachment to parents.
4. Neglect:
  - Signs include frequent absences from school, begging or stealing for food or money.
  - Lack of essential medical or dental care, immunizations, and hygiene are also prevalent indicators.
  - Consistent reports include lack of suitable clothing and substance abuse, coupled with statements that no one is home to provide care.
5. Exposure to Family Violence:
  - Children and young people are often seen as a hidden population within family violence discussions, described as ‘silent, forgotten, unintended, invisible and/or secondary victims’ (Richards, 2011).
  - Living with a primary caregiver who experiences sustained violence constitutes emotional and psychological abuse (Goddard & Bedi, 2010).
  - These children face heightened risks of physical and sexual abuse (Dwyer & Miller, 2014; Goddard & Bedi, 2010; Mitchell, 2011), along with significant disruptions in their psychosocial well-being, mirroring symptoms exhibited by other maltreated children (Kitzmann et al., 2003; Mitchell, 2011).
  - Family violence is often associated with issues such as drug and alcohol misuse and mental illness, which exacerbate risks to children in these environments (Bromfield et al., 2010; Mitchell, 2011).

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

Discussion and Media: Listening and viewing associated radio/video interviews to analyze institutional responses to child sexual abuse.
Media Example: Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses To Child Sexual Abuse: How can we do better? (Program by Virginia Trioli)
Questions for Discussion (0:00 - 17:00):
1. What definition of culture did Professor Donald Palmer provide, and how does culture obstruct child protection?
2. How does Penny Savidis prepare clients for engagement with institutions implicated in abuse?
3. Criticisms facing some lawyers who defend institutional abuse claims.
4. Demographics of the secondary wave of victims coming forward, including temporal factors—how many years on average does it take for victims to report such abuse?
5. Cultural factors that inhibit individuals from speaking up about abuse.
6. Measures considered necessary for avoiding institutional child abuse and defining ‘institutionalisation’.
7. Recommendations by professionals such as Daryl Higgins and Donald Palmer regarding accountability in youth organizations.
8. Limitations of legal requirements established by the royal commission, including parent-led change initiatives and challenges encountered.
9. Discussions on whether institutions should lose their non-profit status if implicated in concealing child sexual abuse.
10. Penny Savidis’ alternative strategies, underlining the importance of parental involvement in children’s education, sports, and religious activities.

References

Required:
- Sim (2015). Invisible Children, Dying to Save Others: A Discussion of Three Fatal Child Abuse Cases and the Prevention of Future Deaths. Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 27(1), 79-94.
Recommended:
- Bethea, L. (1999). Primary prevention of child abuse. American Family Physician, 59(6), 1577.
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2020). Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/3a25c195-e30a-4f10-a052-adbfd56d6d45/aihw-cws-74.pdf.aspx?inline=true
- Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse. Retrieved from https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/finalreport-_recommendations.pdf
- UoN Criminology and Criminal Justice Society (2020). The Royal Commission into Institutional Child Abuse Podcast. Retrieved from https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ZUJg9pNLmVccKlQa0U2ZN.