Surge in notifications of alleged child abuse

Media Releases 31 October 2024

Thursday 31 October 2024 – for immediate release

This year the Reportable Conduct Scheme (the Scheme) has seen a surge in notifications of alleged child abuse, according to the annual report of the Commission for Children and Young People, tabled in the Parliament of Victoria today.

The 1,892 notifications of reportable allegations received by the Commission across the year represented a 30 per cent increase on 2022–23, and a 136 per cent increase since the first year of the Scheme, with notifications anticipated to grow further in the coming year.

‘These numbers are both cause for optimism and concern – optimism, because conduct harmful to children and young people is being identified, investigated and addressed; concern because it is clear we are still uncovering the scale of this problem,’ said Liana Buchanan, Principal Commissioner for Children and Young People, today.

The Commission this year closed 1,412 notifications. A total of 383 unique individuals were found to have committed reportable conduct and were referred to the Working with Children Check Unit for assessment in relation to 1,135 substantiated allegations of reportable conduct. Consistent with previous years, 30 per cent of reportable allegations were substantiated in 2023–24.

The increase in notifications this year was primarily driven by a 75 per cent increase in notifications from schools and a 39 per cent increase in notifications from the early childhood education sector.

The schools sector again led the number of sexual misconduct allegations (498), with the sector accounting for 70 per cent of sexual misconduct allegations since the start of the Scheme in July 2017. Across all sectors, 38 per cent of sexual misconduct allegations were substantiated.

This year, eight per cent of unique alleged victims were identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. This represents a significant over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, who only make up two per cent of the Victorian population under 18 years of age.

‘The over-representation of Aboriginal children in notifications of reportable conduct is another example of the disproportionate and unjust harms they suffer in systems that too often fail to protect them. In safeguarding children and young people, we must prioritise our efforts to the most at-risk and address the barriers that separate them from support, including racism,’ said Meena Singh, Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People, today.

This year saw significant work to prepare for the important inclusion of new workers in the Scheme from 1 July, including workers or volunteers provided by labour hire agencies, companies or other providers.

With no additional funding for the Scheme despite increased notifications, the Commission has progressed a risk-based strategy to manage demand. These measures have reduced the oversight of a high number of investigations in order to focus on cases of highest risk.

‘What we see in the Scheme tells us how important it is, but growth in notifications must be matched by increased resources if we are to maximise child safety. We will keep working with government to achieve this,’ Commissioner Buchanan said.

‘The increasing number of notifications under the Scheme also points to the need for organisations to redouble their efforts to implement the Child Safe Standards and prevent child abuse. The Commission this year continued to support organisations in this legal obligation. Where organisations were unwilling or slow to comply, the Commission used its enforcement tools,’ Commissioner Buchanan added.

In 2023–24, from the 129 organisations with active Child Safe Standards compliance cases, the Commission issued seven notices to produce documents or information and eight notices to comply with the Standards.

Over the year, the Commission identified a lack of risk mitigation and appropriate screening practices, in particular in religious and sporting organisations. This included organisations where workers or volunteers were being investigated over, or charged with, criminal offences against children but were still participating in their roles with no strategies in place to manage potential risk. We also saw poor screening practices of volunteers resulting in increased risk of harm and abuse to children by allowing alleged perpetrators to move between organisations.

‘I am confident children in Victoria have benefited from the Reportable Conduct Scheme and the Child Safe Standards, two important schemes that tackle institutional abuse of children and are gradually being implemented across Australia. Our work tells us we cannot afford to relax our efforts; harms to children in our trusted organisations is not a matter of history but an ongoing reality, with devastating effects on its victims,’ Commissioner Buchanan concluded.

Download the Commission’s annual report.

For interview:

Liana Buchanan
Principal Commissioner for Children and Young People

Media contact:

Bree Furlong
0438 346 029