Institute of Child Protection Studies

NAPCAN’s new Media Guide was officially launched on Monday September 9 at Parliament House during an event hosted by the Australian Parliamentarians for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (APPCAN). We heard from Emma Macdonald OAM, Senator Dean Smith, Senator Catryna Bilyk, and Zahra Al Hilaly, with NAPCAN CEO Leesa Waters moderating. Developed in consultation with the NT Alliance, these guides provide essential guidance for journalists, editors, content creators, politicians, and educators on reporting about children and young people in a respectful and fair manner. Stay tuned for more information about the guide and how we can all advocate for change to our media landscape, change that can improve the lives of our young people. You can read the guide here: https://lnkd.in/ghFES6jf

ICYMI: National Children's Commissioner Anne Hollonds was interviewed on Radio National's Breakfast program. Her message to politicians and policy makers is that "tough on crime" policies don’t lead to better outcomes for children. Instead, she highlights the need to focus on prevention, support, and long-term solutions and discusses the findings of her newly released report "Help Way Earlier: How Australia can transform child justice to improve safety and wellbeing. Listen to the full interview here: https://loom.ly/24na3cA Report artwork © Bernard Singleton and Saltwater People. 2024

On behalf of the Global Safeguarding Alliance, we would like to invite you to our free webinar - Wednesday 2 October 2024. "How adults across the Church perceive their safeguarding capabilities" The webinar will focus on a global study conducted in seven different countries. It involved a range of adults associated with the Catholic Church — including clergy, school teachers, laity, and other church-related roles. The study revealed notable differences in attitudes, self-confidence, and perceptions of levels of awareness and knowledge about safeguarding. It also found significant variations among people in different roles within churches, schools and child services, and between countries that have conducted national inquiries and countries that have not. Douglas Russell, who leads the Children and Young People’s Safety project at Australian Catholic University’s Institute of Child Protection Studies, will present the details. These findings have important implications for how we approach safeguarding training and awareness-building in different countries and with adults in a range of roles. We would love you to join us. DETAILS Date: Wednesday 2 October 2024 Time: 7.30 pm (Australian Eastern Daylight Time AEDT) and for global subscribers the time is 10.30am (Eastern Europe Time, EET), 4.30pm (Singapore Time, SGT), and 8.30am (Greenwich Mean Time, GMT) Zoom link: contact icps@acu.edu.au for a formal invitation Australian Catholic Safeguarding Ltd Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Archdiocese of Brisbane Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney Catholic Archdiocese of Perth Catholic Schools Office Diocese of Armidale Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Hans Zollner

Bravehearts wonderful partners at the Institute of Child Protection Studies have completed a number of invaluable rapid evidence assessments for our organisation to help guide our work going forward (these are available on our Research page https://lnkd.in/gGFDNBP6 and under the "Reports and Publications" heading). The below report, 'Engaging parents in child-focused child sexual abuse prevention education strategies: A systematic review', considers the question: how can we best engage parents and carers in sexual abuse prevention programs, exploring key areas, such as: • what strategies and methods are used to involve parents in child-focused CSA prevention programs, • the context, barriers and facilitators of parental involvement in child-focused CSA prevention programs, • the timeframe to involve parents in child-focused CSA prevention programs, • who is involved in child-focused CSA prevention programs, • the effects of parental involvement in child-focused CSA prevention programs, and • the rationale of parental involvement in child-focused CSA prevention programs. Huge thank you to amazing Douglas Russell, Sebastian Trew, Lottie Harris, Jessica Dickson, Kerryann Walsh, Daryl Higgins and Rhiannon Smith for providing this research.

This morning Australia's National Children's Commissioner, Anne Hollonds, presented the findings of her report, Help way earlier: How Australia can transform child justice to improve safety and wellbeing, at a briefing hosted by the Parliamentary Friends of Child & Adolescent Health & Mental Health. Commissioner Hollonds' report highlights the underlying causes that lead children into the justice system, including the extent to which other systems (health, education, child protection) are unable to deal with an epidemic of unmet needs. She highlighted the postcode lottery that determines whether children and their families are able to access essential services and supports. Help Way Earlier finds that too many children are growing up in poverty and facing violence, homelessness, ill-health and trauma. It provides a clear agenda for action. Like so many challenging issues, we cannot transform child justice without ending child poverty. We must ensure that all children have the material basics, opportunities to learn, play and be part of their communities, and have strong and supportive relationships. We need to address systemic inequalities and provide more for children.

Today is #WorldSuicidePreventionDay, and the triennial theme for 2024-2026 is “Changing the Narrative on Suicide”. Each day, 9 Australians die by suicide and more than 150 attempt to take their own life.     Today is about raising awareness about the importance of reducing stigma and encouraging open conversations to prevent suicide.     The call to action is #StartTheConversation. Every chat, no matter how small, builds a more supportive and understanding society. Together, we can make a difference and prioritise suicide prevention, ensuring everyone gets the help they need.    Find out more 👉 International Association for Suicide Prevention   If you or a loved one are experiencing suicidal distress, support is available.    Lifeline Australia 💬 0477 131 114 📱 13 11 14  Beyond Blue 📱 1300 224 636     Alternatively, find a helpline that works for you 👉 https://lnkd.in/g_UjrdK    #WSPD #WSPD2024   

THE EXPERIENCE OF AUTISM FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF AUTISTIC ADOLESCENTS - Understanding the experiences of young people on the #autism spectrum can help to strengthen their connections with family, with services and with the community. A recent publication by Dr Sebastian Trew explored how autistic adolescents in Australia perceive and experience autism. The study found that many young people reported a range of strengths, including feeling connected and a sense of belonging. Using interviews to gather their personal stories, Seb was able to understand young people's experience of autism from a realistic perspective, going beyond common stereotypes. The adolescents offered a rich, nuanced understanding of autism. They placed great emphasis on difference and diversity, rather than difficulty. Findings were grouped around a global theme of being different and feeling different to others and discussed in terms of: - unique and different - intense emotions - disconnected and blocked off. While autistic adolescents often experience anger, stress and anxiety, and often feel disconnected from others both emotionally and physically, there are very positive findings too. Most adolescents in the study also experienced autism as an energy and focus and drive, with a strong sense of self. Familial and social interactions can play a significant role in shaping these autistic adolescents’ perceptions and experiences of autism. The study emphasises the need to increase awareness and practices that use the strengths of autistic individuals to foster their wellbeing.  Read the full publication (open access): https://lnkd.in/dcSsbUWD Daryl Higgins Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) Australia Amaze Autism Awareness Australia Autism CRC Autism Association of Western Australia #autism #ASD

Difficult as this is to admit, suicide was the leading cause of death in young people (2014-20). It goes without saying that this increase is concerning. Evidence from a report by Institute of Child Protection Studies suggests children and young people in out-of-home care are 4.9 times more likely to display suicidal behaviour than their ‘at home’ peers. More than 170,000 children were brought to the attention of child protection services across Australia in the 2018-19 period alone. This is alarming and warrants appropriate interventions to prevent suicidal behaviour in children and young people who interact with the child protection and out-of-home care systems. These findings reported by researchers Sebastian Trew Douglas Russell and Daryl Higgins are based on a rapid evidence review for Suicide Prevention Australia. They examined the role played by involvement in the child protection system—including placement in OOHC—as a risk factor for suicidal behaviour. They also reviewed the effectiveness of interventions focused on OOHC for at-risk children in reducing suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts and suicide deaths. If you are working with young people in out-of-home care, the statistics and recommendations (see images below) might be relevant to your work and might even help conversations with young people. Read the review on Analysis & Policy Observatory (APO): https://lnkd.in/dabQ-wQw #WorldSuicidePreventionDay

Congratulations Dr India Bryce PhD, Dr. Simone Collier, Lottie Harris, Daryl Higgins & Joseph Toohey on latest paper: Measuring accumulation: Constructing a tool for evaluating cumulative harm in children engaged with an intensive family support service. The Cumulative Experiences Index was piloted with 50 participants aged 8–17 years old who were actively engaged with an Intensive Family Support service. Researchers found that the index provides a valid and accurate means of reflecting the interconnectedness & complexity of exposure to different forms of harm that accumulates over time. It can be used to inform intervention & prevention strategies, programs & initiatives across all tiers of public health prevention intervention. - Helps practitioners understand frequency, duration & severity of harm to a child or a young person. - Provides a valid & accurate means of reflecting the interconnectedness & complexity of exposure to different forms of harm that accumulates over time. - Benefits practitioners & researchers as a valid and reliable measure of cumulative harm. Read the full paper published on Child Abuse Review (open access): https://lnkd.in/gViRk9FW

We need to listen to young people with lived experience of the mental health system, and include their views when considering how to improve services. At the QFCC Youth Summit, Grace challenged the mental health sector to rethink the status quo and focus on long-term solutions as mental health issues continue to rise. Since then, Grace, a member of the Queensland Government’s LGBTQIA+ Roundtable, has been instrumental in shaping the state’s LGBTQIA+ strategy, Pride in our Communities. She’s also leading the development of a ground breaking youth-focused suicide assessment tool for clinicians, ensuring tailored support and training. Grace is conducting research on people’s experiences of consent and decision-making while in hospital post-suicide attempt. She aims to further understand the difficulties that people with a lived experience of suicide face advocate for their rights and needs. As we approach RUOk Day and World Suicide Prevention Day, we recognise the importance of listening to those with lived experience and working towards a better mental health system. 🔗Learn more in our QFCC Youth Summit Impact Report: https://lnkd.in/ePCTyp9w #QFCC