The gap

In 2005-2006, Indigenous children nationally were four times as likely as non-Indigenous children to be the subject of abuse or neglect. On 8 August 2006, the Board of Inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse (the Inquiry) was established to find better ways to protect Aboriginal children in the Territory from sexual abuse. The Inquiry provided 97 recommendations detailing the actions required to combat child sexual abuse.

The approach

A clear message from the Inquiry report is that a long term commitment is needed to address the underlying social and environmental factors contributing to child sexual abuse. While the Northern Territory Government supports the messages and recommendations of the Inquiry, additional areas need to be addressed if we are to overcome Indigenous disadvantage within a generation. Closing the Gap goes beyond the recommendations of the Inquiry to provide a long term framework for overcoming Indigenous disadvantage. The Northern Territory Government is committed to tackling child sexual abuse in Indigenous communities and to overcoming Indigenous disadvantage through a long term generational plan of action which has already commenced.

Over the next 5 years, the Northern Territory Government will:

• Establish a Children’s Commissioner from January 2008, at a cost of $1.6m
  The Children’s Commissioner will:
  • monitor operations and administration of the Care and Protection of Children Act
  • review and monitor the child protection and out of home care system in the Northern Territory
  • advocate for and advise the Minister about services to children in the child protection system
  • investigate complaints regarding protected children
  • promote child safe environments
  • monitor the implementation of the child protection actions in Closing the Gap and in response to the Inquiry.
• Introduce the Care and Protection of Children Bill in August 2007 to replace the Community Welfare Act, at a cost of $0.8m
  This Act will:
  • establish the Children’s Commissioner to provide independent monitoring and advice about the child protection system
  • introduce mandatory screening for all people employed or volunteering to work with children
  • establish a Child Death Review and Prevention Committee to review child deaths and advise on potential policy and procedural changes
  • expand the licensing requirements for Children’s Services to better protect children in care.
• Conduct a community education campaign on child abuse, at a cost of $0.44m
  This will provide Territorians with information about:
  • the legal position and community standards in relation to child abuse
  • the impact of abuse on victims
  • the existing child protection reporting and advice hotline – 1800 700 250.
• Recruit 10 additional child protection and family support workers, at a cost of $6.8m
• Provide a residential care unit for young people at risk and establish a specialist therapeutic services team, at a cost of $10.2m
• Provide additional care and case management for children in care, at a cost of $8.8m
• Establish a network of Aboriginal Child Protection and Care Services, at a cost of $10.15m
  This network will:
  • operate in partnership with Family and Children’s Services (FACS) in responding to child abuse and neglect
  • provide advice on investigating child abuse and neglect and on caring for children in ways that respect cultural authority
  • create and expand services in Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs.
• Extend the Sexual Assault Referral Centres, to provide best practice crisis support to victims of sexual abuse, at a cost of $6.3m
  This will include:
  • expanding the Darwin, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC)
  • establishing a SARC in Katherine
  • providing 12 additional counsellors, including some Aboriginal sexual assault workers
  • coordinating integrated responses to counselling, medical intervention and immediate therapy
  • providing ongoing advice and support to Family and Children’s Services, health centres and police
  • providing community education and professional consultation services.
• Expand the Child Abuse Taskforce, including an additional 23 FACS staff, 24 police and specialist child interviewers and to investigate the most serious and complex cases of child abuse, at a cost of $29.04m
• Recruit 10 additional student counsellors to teach protective behaviour to Indigenous children and train school staff in mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse, at a cost of $5.23m.

Safety – Child Protection Fact Sheet (PDF document, 1 megabyte)