Bibliography

Child abuse prevention and intervention

Australia. Department of Family and Community Services.
Review of the Early Intervention Parenting Program and Good Beginnings prototypes: volume 1: final report.
Canberra, ACT: Department of Family and Community Services, 2004, 77p, and Online (PDF 866K)
http://www.facs.gov.au/family/goodbeginnings/vol1/index.html

This final report outlines the key findings and issues arising from a review of the Early Intervention Parenting Program (EIP) and Good Beginnings Prototype (GBP), the two main sub-components of the Child Abuse Prevention Program. EIP and GBP projects are aimed at child abuse prevention, improved parenting and strengthening families, with a key focus being to meet the special needs of families in rural and remote areas; Indigenous families; and families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The purpose of the review was to consider the effectiveness of the program against its current guidelines and to develop a strategic framework for the program that ensures it is aligned with the Department's current policy directions and priorities in particular, the National Agenda for Early Childhood. Volume 2 of the report includes the literature review and the project profiles.

Available from: Department of Family and Community Services, PO Box 7788, Canberra Mail Centre ACT 2610. Internet http://www.facs.gov.au/

Australia. Department of Family and Community Services.
Review of the Early Intervention Parenting Program and Good Beginnings prototypes: volume 2: literature review and project profiles.
Canberra, ACT: Department of Family and Community Services, 2004, 106p, and Online (PDF 917K)
http://www.facs.gov.au/family/goodbeginnings/vol2/index.html

This is volume two of a review of the Early Intervention Parenting Program (EIP) and Good Beginnings Prototype (GBP), the two main sub-components of the Child Abuse Prevention Program. It includes: a literature review; the background to the review; a summary of good practice principles; characteristics of successful early intervention programs; characteristics of effective home visiting programs; early childhood and school based early intervention initiatives; examples of evaluated early intervention programs; and project profiles for each state.

Available from: Department of Family and Community Services, PO Box 7788, Canberra Mail Centre ACT 2610. Internet http://www.facs.gov.au/

Blakester, Adam.
Practical child abuse and neglect prevention: a community responsibility and professional partnership.
Child Abuse Prevention Newsletter v.14 no.2 Winter 2006: 2-10, figures, and Online
http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/newsletters/nl2006/winter.html#practic al

This paper explores the factors that have led to success in a number of promising Australian community initiatives where responsibility is being taken for the well being of children and young people to prevent child abuse and neglect. It presents the case for child abuse and neglect prevention and discusses the features of effective prevention strategies and the benefits of improving the well being of children. The paper includes five case studies, which demonstrate how effective strategies can operate. (Journal abstract, edited)

Available from: Australian Institute of Family Studies http://www.aifs.gov.au/

Brown, Alex; Brown, Ngiare J.
The Northern Territory intervention: voices from the centre of the fringe.
Medical Journal of Australia v.187 no.11/12 Dec 2007: 621-623, and Online
http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/187_11_031207/bro11318_fm.html

Child protection and survival remains central to the fight for Aboriginal rights, identity and cultural continuity. Revelations about child sexual abuse in Central Australia, made public by the Alice Springs Crown Prosecutor in 2006, were greeted with public horror, yet they were not new; they echoed the repeated appeals for action made by Aboriginal communities over several decades. Indigenous communities have long called for improved policing, measures to reduce alcohol related harm, enhanced educational and vocational opportunities, improved infrastructure, health services and community safety. The Anderson and Wild report, 'Little children are sacred', followed a long list of reports whose recommendations have largely been ignored. Although the intervention targets of the Federal Government's Northern Territory emergency response are supported by Indigenous communities, there is a general feeling of despair at the prospect that any progress towards self determination will be reversed and Indigenous communities disempowered. The removal of Indigenous people's rights to control or participate in decision making and implementation will not promote their survival and protection. The intervention itself is likely to fail without a focus on healing, mental health and support for Indigenous youth.

Available from: Australasian Medical Publishing Company http://www.mja.com.au/

D'Arcy Pope, Jane.
Staying connected and holding onto hope: a community document created by three mothers who have been separated from their children due to statutory child protection intervention.
Developing Practice: The Child, Youth and Family Work Journal no.18 Autumn 2007: 12-20

This article is the outcome of a documentation project inspired by the author's observation of mothers who have managed to stay in touch with their children after they have been removed from their care by state child protection authorities. The resulting document gives an indication of the skills and knowledge that three mothers have either gained or hung onto through difficult times of separation from their children. It serves as a resource for parents who risk falling into despair and isolation as a result of their children being removed from their care.

Available from: Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies http://www.acwa.asn.au/

Elizabeth, Vivienne.
Children in the frontline of family violence prevention: a site of unease?
In: Families Matter: 9th Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference, Melbourne, February 2005 - proceedings. Melbourne, Vic: Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2005, 10p, illus., Online only
http://www.aifs.gov.au/institute/afrc9/elizabeth.html

That New Zealand has a family violence problem must surely be beyond doubt. Numerous studies during the 1990s and 2000s testify to its all too frequent occurrence in our homes. Alarmingly, much of this violence is either witnessed by, or directed at, New Zealand's children. Taking a stand against this violence, a wide range of statutory and non-statutory agencies in Waitakere City (Auckland) have formed a collaborative partnership called Great Start Waitakere: Te Korowai Manaaki. This paper considers one of the projects to have emerged out of this collaborative partnership: a billboard campaign that coincided with a more detailed exploration of the issues in the local newspaper. Charting the story of the development of the billboards and associated newspaper coverage, this paper examines how the problem of violence for children was framed within the campaign. It considers whether this framing indicates the resolution, or continuation, of a well-known clash between child welfare advocates and domestic violence workers. (Author abstract)

Available from: Australian Institute of Family Studies, Level 20, 485 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000. http://www.aifs.gov.au/

Fernandez, Elizabeth.
Effective interventions to promote child and family wellness: a study of outcomes of intervention through children's family centres.
Child and Family Social Work v.9 no.1 Feb 2004: 91-104, tables, figures

The effectiveness of interventions in reducing families' involvement with child protective services was investigated in this study. Interventions with 29 New South Wales families were monitored for changes in family functioning and parent child relationships over a six month period. The author reports the study design, methodology and findings.

Available from: Blackwell Publishers

Havnen, Olga.
A response to the Federal Government's intervention in the NT.
Impact Winter 2007: 6-9

The Combined Aboriginal Organisations of the Northern Territory (CAO) represents various Northern Territory organisations and community sector organisations across Australia. In July 2007 it published a response to the Government's 'emergency' measures to address child abuse in the Northern Territory. This article summarises that response. It puts forward a two tiered proposal, consisting of an emergency response and a long term development plan. The emergency response includes funding and programs to deal with the problems of violence, abuse, sale of alcohol, health care and education services, on which agreement can be reached quickly by governments and community leaders. The long term development plan would continue the work commenced in the emergency response and would improve the capacities and services in Aboriginal communities to combat the underlying risk factors for children. The CAO's full response can be downloaded at: http://www.acoss.org.au/upload/publications/papers/ 2787__CAO%20report%20%208%20july.pdf

Available from: Australian Council of Social Service http://www.acoss.org.au/

Healey, Jean B.
Peer abuse as child abuse and indications for intervention in schools.
Coldstream, Vic: Australian Association for Research in Education, 2005, 23p, (AARE conference paper 2005 HEA05418), Online (PDF 459K)
http://www.aare.edu.au/05pap/hea05418.pdf

The paper discusses the types, frequency and intensity of bullying behaviour reported in high schools in NSW, arguing that in terms of impact, outcomes and intervention requirements it can be equated with other forms of child abuse. However, it is evident that teachers currently often do not interpret the behaviours as either abusive or bullying, but as mutually aggressive interactions between peers, leaving victims feeling unprotected and unsupported. It is suggested that implementation of legislative requirements for mandatory notification by teachers of all forms of abuse should be considered as a means of intervention and as a protective measure in severe cases of peer abuse. Further, employing bodies need to ensure teachers are aware of the relevance of child protection procedures and requirements to the issue of peer abuse.

Available from: Australian Association for Research in Education http://www.aare.edu.au/confpap.htm

Higgins, Daryl; Richardson, Nick; Bromfield, Leah.
Facilitating child abuse prevention research and models of best practice: the role of a national clearinghouse for child protection research.
In: Blossoming of our children: 10th Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, Wellington, NZ, 14-16 February 2006: poster presentation, 1p, Online only, (PowerPoint in PDF 1140K)
http://www.aifs.gov.au/institute/pubs/papers/2006/higgins1-accan.pdf

Evidence on the effectiveness of programs that aim to prevent the maltreatment of children and young people is reviewed in this poster presentation. The review covers child focused interventions, including personal safety programs and therapeutic programs for maltreated children and young people; family focused interventions, including parent education programs, home visiting programs and family preservation programs; and community focused interventions. It discusses the potential for a national coordinated framework for prevention.

Available from: Australian Institute of Family Studies http://www.aifs.gov.au

Higgins, Jenny R; Bromfield, Leah M; Richardson, Nick.
Child abuse prevention: what works? The effectiveness of home visiting programs for preventing child maltreatment.
Melbourne, Vic: National Child Protection Clearinghouse, Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2006, 16p (Research brief no.2), Online only
http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/brief/rb2/rb2.html

This paper is a meta-analysis of 14 articles evaluating the effectiveness of Australian and North American home visiting programs in preventing child maltreatment. It is the second in a series that summarises research on the effectiveness of different types of child maltreatment prevention programs, as part of the Child Abuse Prevention: What Works? project. Home visiting is an early intervention service aimed at supporting prenatal women or mothers with young children, whether for all families, for specific problems, or for at risk families. A 1996 review found one quarter of Australian child abuse prevention programs included home visiting. Most evaluations of home visiting programs reported some degree of effectiveness in reducing child abuse risk factors. These successful programs were more likely to target at risk families, use highly trained professional rather paraprofessional visitors, longer duration, and designed to improve the well being of both the mothers and children. However, few programs measured effectiveness in child abuse prevention, so further research is needed.

Available from: Australian Institute of Family Studies http://www.aifs.gov.au/

Holzer, Prue J; Bromfield, Leah M; Richardson, Nick.
Child abuse prevention: what works? The effectiveness of parent education programs for preventing child maltreatment.
Melbourne, Vic: National Child Protection Clearinghouse, Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2006, 13p (Research brief no.1), Online only
http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/brief/rb1/rb1.html

This paper is a meta-analysis of 20 articles evaluating the effectiveness of Australian and North American parent education programs in preventing child maltreatment. It is the first in a series that summarises research on the effectiveness of different types of child maltreatment prevention programs, as part of the Child Abuse Prevention: What Works? project. This paper outlines the characteristics of successful programs, which are more likely to target at risk families, have a more intense and prolonged duration, offered a combination of interventions, and adopted a strengths based approach. However, the programs mostly measured the impact on risk factors, rather than on maltreatment prevalence, so the paper concludes with cautious optimism.

Available from: Australian Institute of Family Studies http://www.aifs.gov.au/

Holzer, Prue J; Higgins, Jenny R; Bromfield, Leah M; Richardson, Nick; Higgins, Daryl J.
The effectiveness of parent education and home visiting child maltreatment prevention programs.
Melbourne, Vic: National Child Protection Clearinghouse, Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2006, 23p, (Child abuse prevention issues no.24, Autumn 2006), and Online
http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/issues/issues24/issues24.html

This paper investigates the effectiveness of child maltreatment prevention programs. The paper begins with an overview of the different types of prevention programs (for example, primary / universal, secondary and tertiary interventions) and the way in which programs can be evaluated. Different modes of evaluation are described (that is, process, impact and outcome evaluations) and the benefits and limitations of adopting certain methodological approaches are outlined. Particular attention is given to two widely used prevention programs: parent education and home visiting programs. Parent education and home visiting program evaluations are critiqued in order to determine whether these programs are effective in preventing child maltreatment and the degree of evidence that exists to support these claims. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of the present findings and their applicability to practice. (Author abstract)

Available from: Australian Institute of Family Studies http://www.aifs.gov.au/

Irenyi, Mel; Bromfield, Leah; Beyer, Lorraine; Higgins, Daryl.
Child maltreatment in organisations: risk factors and strategies for prevention.
Melbourne, Vic: National Child Protection Clearinghouse, Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2006, 23p, (Child abuse prevention issues no.25, Spring 2006), and Online
http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/issues/issues25/issues25.html

This paper investigates recent literature on child maltreatment in organisational settings. The paper begins with a discussion of Senate inquiries investigating the history and current concerns of organisational child maltreatment in Australian institutions before outlining some risk factors for children. The problematic notion of seeking to profile perpetrators of organisational child maltreatment in order to identify actual or potential high-risk individuals is then explored. The paper outlines some of the common myths and facts about perpetrators before considering organisational risk factors. This is followed by an outline of positive strategies to increase child safety in the context of organisations. Special attention is given to the development of current theoretical models, and strategies for responding to disclosure of past or current abuse. (Author abstract)

Available from: Australian Institute of Family Studies http://www.aifs.gov.au/

Nancarrow, Heather; Huggins, Jackie; Slann, Shirley; Lui, Bel; Fatnowna, Harold.
2005 Indigenous family violence prevention forum: men and women working together.
Mackay, Qld: Queensland Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research, 2005, 7p, Online (PDF 129K)
http://www.noviolence.com.au/public/papers/2005forumissuespaper.pdf

Issues raised at the 2005 Indigenous family violence prevention forum are outlined. These are: responding to domestic and family violence in rural and remote communities; child protection policy and practice; innovations in education to prevent Indigenous family violence; and Indigenous justice issues. This paper includes recommended strategies to address these issues.

Available from: Queensland Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research http://www.noviolence.com.au/

New South Wales. Child Protection Senior Officers Group (CPSOG).
New South Wales interagency guidelines for child protection intervention.
Sydney, NSW: NSW Government, 2006 ed., 2006, 133p, Online (PDF 8.2MB)

Based on the 1997 Guidelines reviewed and updated in 2000 and 2005 this edition represents a major review of the Guidelines to reflect the current child protection environment in 2006. The purpose of the guidelines is to assist professionals and agencies in their work with children and families where there are child protection concerns. The Guidelines are presented in 6 chapters: Chapter 1 - Building interagency collaboration; Chapter 2 - Making a child protection report; Chapter 3 - Practices and procedures following a child protection report; Chapter 4 - Exchanging information in a child protection context; Chapter 5 - Criminal Proceedings; Chapter 6 - Best practice principles in working with children and families. Practitioners are referred to the appendices for specific information such as a combined risk indicator list, services and programs in all agencies, an overview of early intervention initiatives, and a protocol that may assist in working with Aboriginal communities.

New South Wales. Department of Community Services. Centre for Parenting and Research.
Neglect: key intervention strategies.
Ashfield, NSW: Centre for Parenting and Research, NSW Department of Community Services, 2006, 3p (Research to practice note), Online (PDF 221K)
http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/docswr/_assets/main/documents/researchnotes_neglect_key_intervention.pdf

Key issues in child neglect and intervention strategies that have been found to be effective are presented. Child neglect is defined, and the effectiveness of intervention programs in high quality child care and home visiting are discussed. Techniques to help caseworkers engage with and treat families are described.

Available from: NSW Department of Community Services http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/

Nixon, Amanda; Clifford, Rachael.
Hidden child protection: young people at risk, causes and prevention.
In: Working Together for Families: CROCCS 4th International Conference, Mackay, Queensland, 4-6 August 2006: papers. Mackay, Qld: Centre for Research on Community and Children's Services, 2006, 15p, Online (PDF 136K)
http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/56368/20070824-0001/www.croccs.org.au/downloads/2006_conf_papers/Amanda%20Nickson%20and%20Rachael%20Clifford%20-%20Hidden%20Child%20Protection%20-%20Young%20People%20at%20Risk.pdf

A decrease in traditional forms of support for families from extended family, friends and neighbours has resulted in increased demand for support from social welfare and other agencies. In Australia this has meant that families must present with significant issues in order to get assistance, affecting the availability and adequacy of services to families who might benefit from early intervention and prevention programs. This paper explores the nature of families in Australia today and the factors leading to extreme family breakdown, in particular those affecting some families in the Twin Cities region of Northern Queensland. Early intervention and prevention programs available to families are also discussed, using information gained through interviews with professionals working with young people and families in the Twin Cities. (Author abstract, edited)

Available from: Mackay Centre for Research on Community and Children's Services http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/56368/20070824-0001/www.croccs.org.au/index.html/

NT intervention flagged as flawed.
Law Institute Journal v.82 no.5 May 2008: 24

The annual Law Institute of Victoria and Victorian Women Lawyers Dame Roma Mitchell Memorial Luncheon for 2008 featured presentations by the Institute's President, Tony Burke, and the the Australian Red Cross Head of Indigenous Strategy Development, Olga Havnen. Mr Burke spoke of improving opportunities for Indigenous law students and lawyers. In her speech, Ms Havnen questioned the benefits of the Federal Government intervention strategy into child sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. She discussed the Government's use of increased administration, income quarantining, and punitive measures which infringed human rights, and advocated alternative use of resources to improve social and living conditions.

Available from: Law Institute of Victoria http://www.liv.asn.au

Pocock, Julian; Tynan, Melinda.
From fostering to flubber? Australian Government directions in Indigenous parenting and child abuse prevention.
In: Knowledge into action! Effective practice for child and family services: proceedings of the 2004 Conference of the Association of Children's Welfare Agencies. Haymarket, NSW: Association of Children's Welfare Agencies, 2004, 13p, Online (PDF 857K)
http://www.acwa.asn.au/Conf2004/acwa2004papers/25_Tynan.pdf

A number of Australian Government Indigenous child abuse prevention programs are outlined in this paper. It considers early lessons from the 2003 reviews of Aboriginal and Islander child care agencies and Indigenous parenting programs. It discusses services delivered to Indigenous communities by the Australian Government that use participatory or community building approaches and considers future directions in Indigenous children's services.

Available from: Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies, Locked Bag 13, Haymarket NSW 1240. Email acwa@acwa.asn.au. Internet http://www.acwa.asn.au/

Reeve, Belinda.
Causal frameworks in child unintentional-injury prevention policy in New Zealand.
Social Policy Journal of New Zealand no.27 Mar 2006: 38-56, and Online
http://www.msd.govt.nz/publications/journal/27-march-2006/27-pages38-56.html

Nick Spencer has argued that there is a split in causal frameworks in child health research. This paper demonstrates that this causal split is also found in child unintentional injury research and in policy documents from different government departments. It considers how this may lead to different prevention methods being advocated. Documents from the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), which focus on micro level causes of injury such as individual behaviour, and from the Ministry of Health, which emphasise macro level factors such as socio economic status, are compared to British policy documents on child unintentional injury prevention, which provide a very different causal story. It is argued that the different portrayal of the causes of unintentional injury by different government departments in New Zealand serves to allocate responsibility for injury and justify the different injury prevention measures advocated by ACC and the Ministry of Health. (Journal abstract, edited)

Available from: Ministry of Social Development http://www.msd.govt.nz/

Reisner, Tom.
Child abuse prevention help sheets: help sheet 1.
Child Abuse Prevention Newsletter v.13 no.2 Winter 2005: 2-5, and Online
http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/newsletters/nl2005/winter.html

This help sheet is designed to assist organisations that deal directly with children and young people to take the first steps in minimising the risk of exposure to child abuse. Organisations working with children and young people have a responsibility to prevent placing children in a situation where they are at risk of child abuse. This article covers the following areas: definitions of child abuse; the extent of child abuse; developing child abuse policies, procedures and standards; appropriate behaviour towards children and young people; mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse; and useful Australian web sites and contacts.

Available from: National Child Protection Clearinghouse, Australian Institute of Family Studies, Level 20, 485 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000. http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/

Reisner, Tom.
Child Abuse Prevention help sheets: help sheet 2.
Child Abuse Prevention Newsletter v.14 no.1 Summer 2006: 3-8, and Online
http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/newsletters/nl2006/summer.html

Tips for developing guidelines for the recruitment and screening of staff and volunteers who regularly deal with children and young people are presented in this article. It covers the following areas: current employment standards across Australia; to whom the guidelines would apply; the recruitment and screening process; the pre and post interview processes; what to do if the records check discloses a court outcomes or pending matter; maintaining privacy and confidentiality; State and Territory departments responsible for protecting children; as well as other useful information.

Available from: Australian Institute of Family Studies. Email ncpc@aifs.gov.au. Internet http://www.aifs.gov.au/

Resofsky, Vivien.
Stewards of Children: a primary prevention program for child sexual abuse.
Child Abuse Prevention Newsletter v.15 no.2 2007: 12-16
http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/newsletters/nl2007/winter.html

This article profiles a new approach to the prevention of child sexual abuse that has been developed in the United States over the last decade: the Stewards of Children program. The program educates adults to recognise, prevent and respond responsibly to child sexual abuse. The article explores the rationale for considering the program and its potential usefulness in Australia. It then outlines the key elements of the program and feedback from some of those who have participated in the Stewards of Children training program. (Journal abstract, edited)

Available from: National Child Protection Clearinghouse, Australian Institute of Family Studies http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/

Richardson, Nick.
Evaluating child abuse prevention programs.
Melbourne, Vic: National Child Protection Clearinghouse, Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2004, 7p (Child abuse prevention resource sheet no.5), Online only
http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/sheets/rs5/rs5.html

Three different types of child abuse prevention program evaluations are described: process evaluations, impact evaluations and outcome evaluations. Outcome or impact evaluations can be further broken down into non experimental studies, quasi experimental studies and experimental designs. This document then discusses trends in Australian and international evaluation of child abuse prevention programs, some possible barriers to program evaluations, evidence based practice, action research and recommendations for future evaluations of child abuse prevention programs.

Available from: National Child Protection Clearinghouse, Australian Institute of Family Studies http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/

Robilliard, Tina E.
The kindness of strangers: family-based early intervention and improved outcomes for children.
In: Blossoming of our children: 10th Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect: papers, presentations and abstracts. Christchurch, NZ: New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse, 2006, 22p, tables; 17p, figures, tables, Online (PDF 297K (paper); 203K (presentation))
http://www.nzfvc.org.nz/accan/papers-presentations/abstract220v.shtml

This study examined the effectiveness of three family based early intervention services provided through home visitation in California. Individual family data were analysed to determine the relationship between program involvement and changes in outcome indicators for children. The paper presents the findings and discusses how early intervention programs for families can protect children from abuse and neglect. The paper discusses family based early intervention in New Zealand and considers the implications of the study for New Zealand's children's services.

Available from: New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse http://www.nzfvc.org.nz/

Sanders, Owen.
Evaluating the Keeping Ourselves Safe Programme. (New Zealand's approach to child abuse prevention education in schools).
In: Blossoming of our children: 10th Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect: papers, presentations and abstracts. Christchurch, NZ: New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse, 2006, 9p, Online (PDF 151K)
http://www.nzfvc.org.nz/accan/papers-presentations/abstract11v.shtml

The child abuse prevention program, Keeping Ourselves Safe, implemented by the New Zealand Police, has been running in primary and secondary schools for a decade. The program has been evaluated to determine whether it is effective in protecting children and young people from abuse. The unusual delivery method was a focus of the evaluation. Changes after using the program and ongoing gains and deficits over time were investigated. Results suggest that the program is effective in meeting its objectives; however, maximising the value of Keeping Ourselves Safe can still be difficult to achieve.

Available from: New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse http://www.nzfvc.org.nz/

Sanderson, Jennifer.
Child-focused sexual abuse prevention programs: how effective are they in preventing child abuse?
Brisbane, Qld: Crime and Misconduct Commission, 2004, 8p, (Research and issues paper series no.5 June 2004), Online (PDF 108K)
http://www.cmc.qld.gov.au/data/portal/00000005/content/014700011296179 74440.pdf

This paper examines the current research into the effectiveness of programs designed to prevent the sexual abuse of children. The paper includes discussion of the prevalence of child sexual abuse; core concepts; how child-focused sexual abuse prevention programs are being evaluated; characteristics of effective programs; differences in how children benefit from prevention education; and conceptual weaknesses in current programs that may be rendering them less effective.

Available from: Crime and Misconduct Commission, GPO Box 3123, Brisbane Qld 4001. Internet http://www.cmc.qld.gov.au/

Sinclair, Tom.
Mad, bad or sad? Ideology, distorted communication and child abuse prevention.
Journal of Sociology v.41 no.3 Sept 2005: 227-246, table

Ideologies associated within the practice of child protection have been previously identified by various writers. This article expands on the previous work by applying the work of Jurgen Habermas. The article explores the manner in which ideology impinges on child protection practice to the extent that it contributes to distorted communication practices that occur at the level of the inter subjective relations between the system (as represented by the various actors in child protection practice) and the life world (as represented by the client). Habermas' reconstruction of ideology as systematically distorted communication is applied to a hypothetical child protection case to illustrate the manner in which ideology influences everyday child protection practice. (Journal abstract)

Available from: The Australian Sociological Association (TASA). Internet http://www.tasa.org.au/ . Subscription: Sage Publications

Standards New Zealand.
NZS 8006:2006. Screening, risk assessment and intervention for family violence including child abuse and neglect.
Wellington, NZ: Standards New Zealand, 2006, 94p, figures (NZS 8006:2006), Online (PDF 2273K)
http://www.police.govt.nz/resources/2006/nzs-8006-2006/nzs-8006-2006 .pdf

This standard was prepared for screening, risk assessment and intervention for family violence including child abuse and neglect in New Zealand. It establishes the minimum requirements that should be met by individuals, agencies and services that work with families living with family violence, child abuse or neglect. It aims to provide a consistent set of guidelines for these services and workers, and to enable a coherent response to incidents and symptoms of family violence, abuse and neglect. This standard also addresses the issue of risk assessment and the practice of intervention in the form of safety planning. The standard discusses: the role of the Treaty of Waitangi; the role of human rights; who should use this standard; its purpose, application and benefits; interpretation of the standard; Maori violence; Pacific peoples and family violence; immigrant and ethnic communities; information sharing; police; risk screening; risk assessment; and safety planning.

Available from: New Zealand Police http://www.police.govt.nz/

Teague, Rosie; Mazerolle, Paul.
Childhood physical abuse and adult offending: are they linked, and is there scope for early intervention?
Brisbane, Qld: Crime and Misconduct Commission, 2007, 8p (Research and issues paper no.6), Online (PDF 275KB)
http://www.cmc.qld.gov.au/data/portal/00000005/content/ 67797001186460602095.pdf

This study examines the relationship between childhood physical abuse and offending among 480 male and female offenders serving community corrections orders in Queensland. Do offending rates differ between respondents who have been abused during childhood and those who have not, and if there is a relationship, is it magnified or mitigated by certain characteristics or experiences? It was found that physically abused offenders report higher rates of violent, property and total offending than non abused offenders and that certain experiences can minimise the negative consequences of physical abuse. The paper discusses practical ways that criminogenic consequences of physical child abuse on offending pathways across the life course can be minimised or prevented.

Available from: Crime and Misconduct Commission http://www.cmc.qld.gov.au/

Victorian Community Council Against Violence.
Family violence is a workplace issue: models of family violence prevention through the workplace.
Melbourne, Vic: Victorian Community Council Against Violence, 2004, 13p

Models of family violence prevention through the workplace are examined. Through case studies what workplaces can do to prevent family violence are described with practical examples and procedures. The important role of the workplace in preventing and recognising family violence is emphasised.

Available from: Victorian Community Council Against Violence, Level 4, 456 Lonsdale Street Melbourne Victoria 3000. http://www.vccav.vic.gov.au.

Victoria. Department of Human Services.
Child protection and family violence: guidance for child protection practitioners: (incorporating the use of intervention orders).
Melbourne, Vic: Department of Human Services, 2005, 32p, Online (PDF 1.7MB)
http://www.office-for-children.vic.gov.au/child_protection/library/publications/protection/guidance

Developed to assist child protection workers to work more effectively with families where violence presents a risk to the safety and well being of children, this guide covers: background principles and definitions, assessment guidance using the Victorian Risk Framework (VRF), child protection intervention, child protection case planning, culture and family violence, working with other services, impact of family violence on workers. The appendices include information on the use of intervention orders and case examples.

Available from: Office for Children http://www.office-for-children.vic.gov.au/

Victoria. Office for Children. Child Protection and Family Services Branch.
Earlier intervention under the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005.
Parity v.20 no.1 Feb 2007: 52-53

The Victorian Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 guides the actions of the state and community services in pursuing the best interests of vulnerable children and young people. The legislation is intended to provide for earlier intervention and prevention, improved delivery of services to families through collaboration and partnerships across the service systems, stronger recognition of children's cultural identity and in particular Indigenous children's cultural connectedness. The Child FIRST (Child and Family Information Referral and Support Teams) initiative has been established in response to these principles and represents a key service system change. It provides entry to an integrated local service network that is readily accessible by families, and its focus is on early intervention and the best interests of the child.

Available from: Council to Homeless Persons http://www.chp.org.au/

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