Politicians have been slammed for ignoring Australia’s child maltreatment crisis. 

Child maltreatment remains a growing crisis in Australia, and successive governments are to blame for failing to address the issue, says the National Children’s Commissioner, Anne Hollonds. 

A new study released earlier this month found that over two-thirds of Australians had experienced maltreatment in childhood, with many exposed to two or more types of abuse. 

The five child maltreatment types include physical, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect, and exposure to domestic violence. 

The lack of consistent reporting and data collection is a sign of how little priority child wellbeing has been in the country, according to Ms Hollonds.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s recent claims that widespread child sexual abuse was being ignored in Alice Springs have ignited a political firestorm, with many accusing him of using the issue as a “political football” in his campaign against the Voice to Parliament. 

NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles argued that Dutton was using this issue as a “side distraction”. 

Ms Hollonds said that despite numerous royal commissions and inquiries into child maltreatment, little had changed, and there was a desperate need to overhaul public services to support children and families. 

“Let’s be clear. In a rich and developed country like Australia, high rates of child maltreatment are a sign of failed public service systems: poorly designed, fragmented, and lacking co-ordination across health, mental health, education, and social services,” she said. 

“A large proportion of children who experience maltreatment will suffer serious problems throughout their lives, including mental health disorders and suicide attempts. Child maltreatment is also a major contributing factor to Australia’s youth justice crisis.

“These tragic harms to children also come with greatly increased costs to the community. Mental health services alone have been estimated by the Productivity Commission to cost well over $200 billion each year.

“Child maltreatment can be prevented and ameliorated, but our policies and service systems are poorly designed, uncoordinated, and not fit-for-purpose. Families who need help are often not able to get the help they need.

“Unlike other countries, we have no National Strategy for Child Wellbeing with clear accountabilities. We have no reporting on budget allocations for child wellbeing. We have no Minister for Children.  We have no vision, and we have had no urgency for change.

“In a prosperous country like Australia, child wellbeing should be a bipartisan priority. Today we have a rare opportunity to build a national agreement to prioritise child wellbeing and create a roadmap for reform.”

She called for an overarching national strategy for child wellbeing, with clear accountability across portfolios and jurisdictions.

The Australian Child Maltreatment Study is accessible here.