Key Points
- About 30 per cent of children who experience domestic violence in Australia have a disability
This article contains references to domestic violence.
About 30 per cent of children who experience domestic violence in Australia have a disability, according to a report by Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety.
The finding is based on an analysis of Western Australian police and hospitalisation data, which also showed children with disability were twice as likely as others to have a mother end up in hospital after being assaulted.
Researchers interviewed children and young people with disabilities who had experienced domestic violence to better understand their experiences.
They described being on support service waitlists for up to a year, facing barriers to accessing financial assistance and other government support and attending appointments where service providers failed to turn up.
Advocates say the system is not meeting the needs of those children and an urgent policy response is needed at all levels of government.
"In our study, children and their families had unmet needs for support, experienced unresponsive service systems and intersecting disadvantage relating to violence, poverty, housing crisis and discrimination," lead researcher and Flinders University professor Sally Robinson said.
"Their complex, compounding circumstances often included disability, but disability did not drive domestic and family violence."
Researchers highlighted a lack of skilled support for victims, forcing loved ones and health practitioners to advocate on their behalf.
This was noted to be particularly challenging for family members who may themselves be experiencing domestic violence.
"Children's access to disability and domestic and family violence support must not rely on their family and practitioners' ability to continually negotiate barriers on their behalf," Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety chief executive Padma Raman said.
"Support in principle alone is not enough. Concrete, fit-for-purpose strategies are essential for children and young people with disability, and their families."
Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said the Albanese government was committed to improving the lives of children with disability.
"We will be releasing in October which will directly address the issues raises in the report," she said.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.
