One in four Australians physically abused as children by parents
New research on 2,623 Australians finds one in four experienced physical abuse by parents as children, mostly before age ten.
A new study of the Australian Child Maltreatment Study reveals one in four young people have experienced physical abuse by a parent or family member before age ten. Physical abuse includes hitting, pushing and kicking, and can extend to beating, punching, choking or burning.
Injuries are not always visible, but the research counts all such incidents as abuse. Children are 20 times more likely to experience abuse by a family member than by an institutional adult like a teacher or coach.
Girls experience familial physical abuse more often than boys (28.6 per cent versus 24.4 per cent). When only one parent abuses, boys are twice as likely to be hit by their father as their mother.
Among one in three adults abused before age ten, both parents were involved.
- 25 per cent
- Abused by parents before age 10
- 2,623 people
- Study participants
- 20 times
- More likely family than institutional
- 28.6 per cent versus 24.4 per cent
- Girls abused versus boys
Why it mattersMost abuse happens at home, not in institutions, so prevention efforts need to shift to supporting parents and teaching kids their rights.
AustraliaThe research suggests Australia's violence prevention strategy should focus more on family support and early intervention to reduce physical abuse in homes.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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