Alcohol - a major factor in child abuse

[mantra.]

Over the last 10 years we've experienced an economic boom where people are apparently better off than ever before - but there has been a shocking increase in child abuse and neglect. Children in Australia are the last on the list of priorities and under the Howard government public support services rapidly disappeared. We're seeing a massive increase in cases of starving, abused and neglected children - but there are few support services available. DOCS is overwhelmed and only manages to attend to 13% of all complaints. With all the cash thrown at parents by the coalition under the guise of family payments, baby bonuses and - why hasn't some of it been used to make life a little better for our children?

For years, the hapless Department of Community Services has been a whipping boy for societal ills that go far deeper and broader.

As most Australians got richer, the department's overwhelmed workers were left to deal with crushing numbers of struggling families and damaged children left in prosperity's wake. In the middle of boom times, cries for help to DOCS rose inexorably until a staggering 303,000 calls about children at risk were logged in 2007-08, up from 160,000 just six years earlier.

It is not DOCS that failed; successive state and federal governments failed to tackle the causes of child abuse and neglect - poverty, poor education, alcohol and drug abuse, domestic violence and mental illness.

It would be a pity if Australia spent its way out of recession solely through big infrastructure projects and pensioner shopping splurges. There is a huge unmet demand for mental health services, drug and alcohol treatment and intensive family support workers, and a great need for free preschool for disadvantaged children, and for regular nurse home-visiting programs to targeted families. These human services could help prevent children being harmed.

As well, if governments were serious and brave, they would tackle one of the major causes of child abuse and neglect - the nation's love affair with alcohol.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/toug ... 25255.html

[Rainbow Moonlight]

I think free preschools was on the Rudd election list.

[mantra.]

I think free preschools was on the Rudd election list

They were talking about it before the election Rainbow - but I haven't heard it mentioned recently. This is a great idea and at least it would give disadvantaged kids a chance to learn something productive before they started school. We can thank Howard's removal of funding from Community Pre-schools for this. These neglected kids have nowhere else to go now to learn in their early years how to fit into mainstream life alongside their peers. Free pre-schools would help the kids and the parents.

[Rainbow Moonlight]

I've got the idea that rudd's agenda is being slowed down in some areas and speeded up in others. But certainly federally funded preschools or turning some of th abc learnign centres they are trying to rescue into preschools would be good.

[boxy]

Is alcohol the cause of child abuse, or is alcoholism another symptom of deeper psychological problems that actually cause the child abuse?

[Rainbow Moonlight]

It is probably both. Alcohol is indicated in many domestic violence cases as a factor. It also is something parents may do (go drinking or drink at home) which may encourage neglect of their children. It is sometimes a factor in sexual abuse. On the other hand excess alcohol use can be associated with mental problems such as depression, and that is also possibly a two way street there.

[mantra.]

I've got the idea that rudd's agenda is being slowed down in some areas and speeded up in others. But certainly federally funded preschools or turning some of th abc learnign centres they are trying to rescue into preschools would be good.

The banks are owed more than a billion dollars from ABC - they will probably need to have a fire sale to recoup some of their money. But parents won't want them falling into the same unstable hands again and maybe this is where the government should step in and give Local councils a hand to buy them up and start re-establishing community day care centres again for the good of working and non-working parents.

The government pre-schools were going to be attached to infant public schools - but the cost would be prohibitive and there wouldn't be the space as most of the states have sold off any excess public school land.

[freediver]

It is probably both. Alcohol is indicated in many domestic violence cases as a factor. It also is something parents may do (go drinking or drink at home) which may encourage neglect of their children. It is sometimes a factor in sexual abuse. On the other hand excess alcohol use can be associated with mental problems such as depression, and that is also possibly a two way street there.

Insanity is heredity. You get it from your kids. My father used to say that a lot. Excuses, excuses.

[mantra.]

Insanity is heredity. You get it from your kids. My father used to say that a lot. Excuses, excuses.

I agree completely with your father FD - he's got it spot on. Children take all of your strengths & exploit all of your weaknesses and then turn around and accuse you of not having all of those things they stole off you. When this happens - you just need to remind them that they are the offspring of insanity and that shuts them up quickly.

[Jovial Monk]

Grey hairs are hereditary too