The importance of the desired effect of the Gillard government's proposed reforms to the Family Law system on child protection have been highlighted by the release of a recent report.
The report by the Australian Institute of Criminology, released by Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, and Minister for Justice, Brendan O’Connor, identifies a need to include witnessing domestic violence as part of the definition of child abuse.
The report further underlines the harm to children from growing up in a violent household and emphasises the need for the Gillard Government’s reforms to the family law system to protect children at risk of family violence and child abuse.
“The report shows that a substantial amount of domestic violence is witnessed by children, ranging from a child hearing violence or having to defend a parent against the violence, to “patching up” a parent after a violent incident,” Mr O’Connor said.
The report dscusses other forms of witnessing domestic violence including being forced to watch or participate in the assault, being forced to spy on a parent and being informed that they are to blame for the violence because of their behaviour.
The author, Dr Kelly Richards, further discusses additional solutions seeking to address the impacts of domestic on children including early intervention and “holistic and multidisciplinary approaches that involve police, domestic violence workers, child protection workers and other relevant professionals…”
This article provides basic information only and is not a substitute for a professional or legal advice . If you are likely to be involved in court proceedings or legal action, you should get advice from a family law lawyers.
