National Children’s Commissioner to launch report on children’s safety

20 Aug 2015

By The Record

L-R Dr Tim Moore, Senior Research Fellow at ICPS; Megan Mitchell, National Children’s Commissioner; Professor Morag McArthur, Director ICPS. PHOTO: Supplied

Australia’s National Children and Young People’s Commissioner, Megan Mitchell, has this week launched a report in Canberra that looked at children and young people’s views on safety in institutions.

This report, Taking Us Seriously: Children and young people talk about safety and institutional responses to their safety concerns, is part of a study being conducted by Australian Catholic University’s (ACU) Institute of Child Protection Studies (ICPS), in partnership with Griffith University and the Queensland University of Technology.

It has been commissioned by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, and outlines the findings from focus groups with 121 children and young people aged 4–18 across Australia.

“This study is the first of its type and scope to engage directly with children and young people about issues of safety in institutions,” said Project Manager and ICPS Senior Research Fellow, Dr Tim Moore.

Findings from the report also informed the development of a national online survey of children and young people aged 10–18 years, which is open until the end of September.

ICPS promotes and enhances the protection and wellbeing of children, young people and families in their communities by conducting and disseminating quality research and evaluation; and has become a nationally recognised centre of research excellence in the area of child, youth and family welfare.

ICPS is experienced in undertaking research with children, young people, families and communities on sensitive issues.

ICPS is part of the Learning Sciences Institute Australia at ACU.

A full copy of the report is available here and the national online survey can be accessed here.