Latest research

Introduction

This is the section that will feature summaries of relevant research on the issues of child abuse and child protection. The research will draw from published national and international studies. This section includes two areas.

Click here for research summaries.

Click here for a list of references.

Research Summaries

Research finds that children of drug users experience serious harm to their health and well being.

A report in the United Kingdom has examined the research on the impact on children of parental drug use. The report finds substantial evidence that children in families where parents misuse drugs need high levels of protection and support.

The reference for this article is: Laurence Gruer (2003). Hidden Harm: Responding the needs of children of problem drug users. The report of an inquiry by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. London Home Office.

You can download a copy of the report by following this link:   more...

Research finds that experiences of child sexual and physical abuse increases the risk of problems with drug and alcohol abuse in later life.

In a research review published in the journal Clinical Psychology Review in 2002, researchers found that women who had experienced physical abuse or sexual abuse during their childhood were two times more likely to have drug and alcohol addiction in their adolescence and adulthood than women without histories of child abuse. Many of these women also suffered anxiety and depression. Find the reference for this article by clicking here.

The reference for this article is: Simpson, T.L. and Miller, W.R. (2002). Concomitance between childhood sexual and physical abuse and substance use problems. Clinical Psychology Review, 22, 27-77.  

Australian survey about community attitudes towards child abuse and child protection.

In the first ever national survey of its kind, Tucci, Goddard and Mitchell (2003) found that there is little understanding of the seriousness, size and cost of child abuse in Australia. Child abuse rated thirteenth on a list of community concerns after problems with public transport and council rates. Alarmingly, there appeared to be a lack of trust about children’s descriptions of their experiences of abuse and family violence. Just on half of respondents did not believe or were uncertain about believing children’s disclosures about being abused.   more...