Children exposed to family violence have greater mental health issues – UWA research

Freya Lucas

Jul 26, 2022

Save

Children who are exposed to domestic and family violence are at a much higher risk of mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and substance abuse, and are five times more likely to need help from a mental health service by the age of 18 than children with no known experience of violence a new study from the University of Western Australia (UWA) has found.

Alarmingly, the study also found there was an average six-year delay between health or police intervention and the child receiving mental health help.

While other studies have looked at the impact of domestic and family violence on the mental health of children, the report, by Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety, followed a much larger number of children over a longer time.

The study, Investigating the mental health of children exposed to domestic and family violence through the use of linked police and health records, looked at the impact of violence in the home on children in Western Australia born between 1987 and 2010. Their interactions with health services were followed until the end of 2016.

Exposure to family and domestic violence was one of the most common and harmful traumatic events experienced in childhood, lead researcher Dr Carol Orr said.

“Children experiencing domestic and family violence have a 36 per cent greater risk of depression, a 49 per cent greater risk of anxiety and an almost 60 per cent greater risk of intentional self-harm,” Dr Orr said.

“Children need to be recognised as victims in their own right.”

Fellow researcher Professor Colleen Fishe said the study provided sound evidence of the mental health impact on children in physically and emotionally abusive homes.

“Children are sometimes described as the hidden victims of family and domestic violence and these findings show there’s an urgent need for early and appropriate intervention to help children and mitigate any harm,” Professor Fisher said.

To access the study please see here.

Don’t miss a thing

Keeping children safe with one simple lesson

Water safety remains at the forefront of national concern, as drowning continues to be the leading cause of accidental death for children aged 0-4.

Ecological identity: a new lens on an age-old practice

The journey to embed ecological identity is a personal one, as identity sits close to one’s heart and is shaped from our own foundational years. For myself, it was founded in warm summer afternoons playing in the rockpools along the beaches in Sydney, discovering the names of all the little creatures that lurked there, including the starfish that suctioned to my curious fingertips.

What Can Australia Learn from Ontario’s Child Care Ratios?

As workforce pressures continue to shape early childhood education and care (ECEC) policy discussions in Australia, international comparisons provide useful perspectives. Canada’s approach, particularly in Ontario, offers a case study in how educator-to-child ratios, maximum group sizes and qualification requirements can be legislated as an integrated framework.

Integrated school and early learning hubs linked to stronger transitions and family engagement

A new evaluation has found that integrating early learning, health and family support services within schools significantly improves access for families and strengthens outcomes for children, adding momentum to calls for expansion of integrated hubs across Victoria.

AERO reports growing uptake of evidence-based practice across schools and ECEC

The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) has reported increasing adoption of its evidence-based guidance across Australian schools and early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings, signalling a strengthening national focus on research-informed practice.