- One child is reported abused or neglected in Australia every 3 minutes.
- The number of children reported abused or neglected in Australia has risen dramatically over the last 15 years from 42,468 in 1988-89 to 198,355 in 2002-03.
- For every child reported abused or neglected, countless others remain unsafe, unprotected and unnoticed.
- The most common form of abuse in 2002-03 was found to be emotional abuse (34%) followed by physical abuse (28%), neglect (28%) and sexual abuse (10%). Children usually experience more than one form of abuse at the one time.
- Adults who were abused as children are at greater risk of experiencing problems in later life such as suicide, depression, drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness or be involved in crime.
- Children of all ages experience abuse, but babies and young children are particularly vulnerable.
- Children are most often abused by a parent or carer.
- Child abuse seldom happens only once. It is usually repeated over periods of months or even years.
- Violence in the home between adults has a devastating effect on children.
Source: Stop Child abuse - Be Aware