The Intervention: Insights from Northern Territory and Australia

Professor Fiona Arney

Director, Australian Centre for Child Protection

University of South Australia

The Northern Territory context

• Population 211,295 • 28.6% identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait

Islander, (cf 2.5% Australian popn) • 40% of the NT Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander population are under 17 years of age

• During 2011-2012, 86% of NT children aged 0-17 who were the subject of substantiations of child abuse and neglect were Aboriginal • Most common primary harm type was

neglect (52.7%) • The number of notifications and

substantiations has increased substantially over the past five years

Little Children Are Sacred (Wild and Anderson)

• Widespread concerns regarding child sexual abuse • Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal victims and

perpetrators • Children with complex sexualised behaviours • Themes consistent with other inquiries (WA, SA,

NSW) • Systemic view regarding poverty, unemployment,

education, housing, community norms, mental health, gambling and pornography

• Strengthening culture and community control • 97 recommendations

The Northern Territory Emergency Response (the Intervention)

• Established under the Howard Govt in 2007, commitment by Rudd Govt to continue

• exemption from the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 • the compulsory acquisition of prescribed

communities (73 prescribed communities but not all compulsorily acquired)

• partial abolition of the permit system • Income management (50% of pensions and benefits

quarantined) • Police, mobile child protection team/s • Child health checks, trauma services

Identification of prescribed communities

Support for and against the intervention

• Hasty establishment and poor implementation (developed and deployed in a very short period – role of armed forces), NT govt sidelined

• Disenfranchisement and further marginalisation • Views of men in communities • Unclear theory of change • View of child sexual abuse being used as a “trojan horse” • Contrary to self-determination • Brought resources into the territory, support for individual

components • A number of well-known proponents of the Intervention –

individual responsibility

Growing Them Strong, Together (Bath, Bamblett and Roseby)

• In response to child deaths of children known to the child protection agency in the NT

• Broad terms of reference – system wide not just CP service

• Examined determinants of child abuse and neglect in the NT (colonisation, intergenerational trauma, Stolen Generations, alcohol, family violence, poverty) – again a systems approach

• 147 recommendations, accepted by the NT Government in their entirety

NT and Federal Govt Responses

• Contrary to the intent of GTST, increased surveillance and sanctions

• Strengthen forensic approach – increase in investigations, substantiations, children in care

• Lack a theory of change – “family support” • Service fragmentation, require CP involvement • Lack of focus on determinants, focus on symptoms • Focus on “front line” child protection practice rather

than family strengthening and family decision making methods (despite successful trial of FGC)

• Change of govt – have removed response to GTST

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11

children admitted to out of home care in year

children in out of home care on 30 June

Number of children admitted to and in out of home care in the NT (AIHW, 2012)

Community control

Professor Fiona Arney

Director

Australian Centre for Child Protection

University of South Australia

(08) 8302 2918

fiona.arney@unisa.edu.au www.unisa.edu.au/childprotection