It is unlikely that every parent with intellectual disability comes under the scrutiny of the care and protection system. That many do is evident in the figures from a number of countries that report between 30 and 40% of the children of parents with intellectual disability are removed from their parents' care and placed in protective custody, in…

In previous eras, teacher training institutions included programs designed to enhance the moral qualities of prospective teachers. With the exception of programs offered in denominational teacher training colleges, such programs have largely ceased to exist. This article advances the argument against a backdrop of increasing incidents of abuse of…

This article commences with a review of the issues in the empirical literature surrounding the concept of 'bonding,' and notes some particular parallels with the concept of 'attachment,' demonstrating links between the two. The comparison is followed by a review of empirical findings of studies involving animals and humans, including those dealing…

This exploration of the dynamics and developmental consequences of child abuse begins with a definition of child abuse and a discussion of child sexual abuse. After a description of the incidence of child abuse, the consequences of abuse--including health and emotional problems, and neuro-developmental disabilities--are discussed. Further…

The article responds to a previous one addressing child welfare practice and legislation in Australia. It maintains that child protection services in Victoria are inadequate, lacking in accountability and good working relations between the police and community services, and fail to meet standards of practice. (DB)

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 describes the Aboriginal culture and lifestyle from precolonization to the present, notes the problem of child abuse which developed after colonization, cites instances in which the judicial system has been sympathetic toward perpetrators and not victims of sexual abuse, and examines possible solutions to the problem. (JDD)

Suggests a connection between schooling and various forms of sexual and/or physical violence (male to male, male to female, and adult male to child) and identifies and critiques the major orientations of mainstream, sociocultural, and feminist anti-violence pedagogies. Identifies the contours of an alternative anti-violence pedagogy. (GR)

Originally prepared for the opening address of a seminar on child abuse and neglect held in Sydney on September 24, 1980, the aim of this discussion paper is to give a very brief picture of the conditions and life patterns of children from the Middle Ages into the twentieth century. The focus of the historical review is mainly on British children…

This commentary discusses the decline in sexual abuse, citing research that indicates differences in self-reported sexual abuse across age-cohorts in a population-based sample of Australian adults. Similar declines in Ireland and the United States are also noted. The usefulness of self-report surveys for examining trends in child victimization is…

An Australian psychiatrist reviews the history of child abuse, especially trends in the last 20 years. Issues addressed include a lack of standards for the diagnosis of maltreatment, lack of knowledge concerning effective prevention, high rates of worker burnout and turnover, and decision making by unqualified workers. (DB)

Argues that inadequate parenting is a feature of Australian social life, partly because as a community, Australians are unaware of some of the problems that exist, and partly because they have few adequate procedures for coping with problems that arise during child-rearing. Problems addressed include short-term separations, child abuse, and joint…

Uses examples of institutional child abuse within the Australian police force, social service departments, diplomatic service, schools, the judicial system, and the church to show that leadership may mitigate or amplify abuse. Contends that the precedence of adults' rights over children's rights contributes to child abuse. The recent creation of a…

The Developing Child Sub-Committee of the Australian International Year of the Child Committee of Non-Government Organizations prepared papers on the main problems facing children from birth to 12 years of age. Topics designated for attention were (1) the parenting role, including the influence of parents on children, factors influencing parental…

One of the greatest dilemmas about implementing competency-based training in Child Studies, as prescribed by the Australian National Training Authority, is not what is stated in the training packages but what is left unsaid--the underlying assumptions. Issues such as cultural beliefs and attitudes are addressed, but generally only at the level of…