When the author was adviser to the Australian Minister for Education for writing the national Safe Schools Framework (2003), meetings were held with early-childhood care and education administrators from all state, Catholic and independent sectors. Their unexpected message was that educators were facing new problems, those of child sexual abuse in…

This study examines the efficacy, as experienced by offenders with their victim, of self-protection strategies used in child sexual abuse cases. It also investigates whether the efficacy of self-protection varies according to victim characteristics. The sample consists of 94 adult offenders who sexually abused a single child and who agreed to…

Victims' responses to violent experiences within intimate relationships are highly diverse and can range from remaining silent, at least temporarily, to disclosing the abuse to informal and formal sources of support. Decisions to remain silent or to reach out for support are influenced by a complex range of factors, including situational…

Current research demonstrates relationships between child abuse and neglect, homelessness and criminal activity. This report presents key findings from analysis of a data set linking three community-sector data collections: Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP), juvenile justice supervision, and child protection notifications and…

Investigates the relationship between the severity of childhood trauma and proneness to victimization in adulthood in a sample of 155 Australian women. A tendency for both violent and non-violent revictimization was found. Findings suggest that some coping styles mediate the relationship between childhood abuse and victimization in childhood,…

Objective: To analyze perpetrator and medical evidence collected during investigations of infant abusive head trauma (IAHT), with a view to (a) identifying cases where injuries were induced by shaking in the absence of any impact and (b) documenting the response of infant victims to a violent shaking event. Method: A retrospective study was…

Psychological, sociological and social-psychological variables are involved in most cases of domestic violence in Australia. In general, the modern family faces external forces, pressures, and strains, as well as internal problems such as blurred generational and sex roles. Numerous characteristics of modern life (for example, the collapse of…

This paper argues the importance of moving beyond the state of affairs that makes victims "either" of children "or" of teachers by exploring the conditions of possibility for the idea of a victimless school. The argument is developed drawing data from a study being conducted by the authors into the impact of risk management on…

This booklet was written for educators and child care personnel who are uncertain about their roles in reporting suspected cases of child abuse and neglect. The guidelines contained in this document are intended to promote: (1) the development of school policies on child abuse and neglect; (2) the raising of awareness about the problem; (3) the…