One in 12 Australian men and women have experienced physical abuse by a family member before the age of 15 and one in 28 have experienced sexual abuse by a family member, according to new data contained the Australian Human Rights Commission’s annual report on children’s rights.
Launching the report with anti-violence campaigner Rosie Batty in Sydney on Monday, National Children’s Commissioner Megan Mitchell said that it was important we do “all we can to remove violence from the lives of our children”.
“If ending violence is a priority – and it must be – we need a seismic shift in cultural attitudes, one that recognises every child, every woman, every person as holders of inalienable, universal rights to freedom from violence in all its forms.”
Ms Mitchell said it was key the experiences of children “be understood in their own right, and not just as part of an adult situation.”
“We know that family and domestic violence is widespread and predominantly associated with violence against women, but its impact on children is variable, poorly documented and not well understood.”
Among the recommendations in the report are calls for targeted collection of data on the experience of children with regard to family and domestic violence, and better screening for family and domestic violence during pregnancy.
~ www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/childrens-rights/publications/childrens-rights-report-2015
