Child protection Australia 2023–24

Notifications are the entry point for children into the child protection system. A notification can be received from members of the public or mandated reporters. A child protection notification triggers an intake process where child protection workers assess the notification and determine what action to take. If the notification meets a threshold for further action an investigation is commenced. At the conclusion of the investigation, the case manager will make a substantiation decision. An assessment of substantiation is made when a threshold of harm or potential harm is met.

Due to differences in the way jurisdictions collect and report on notifications, investigations and substantiations, data are not comparable between jurisdictions. Refer to Appendices for more information on differences in jurisdictions’ policy and practice.

Refer to The process of determining child maltreatment section of Child protection Australia (CPA) 2023–24: Insights for more information on notifications, investigations and substantiations.

How many notification assessment decisions were made?

When a notification is received, the relevant department or agency will begin a process to determine the level of assistance it should provide for the child who was the subject of the notification. In keeping with the prevention element of the ATSICPP, departments respect the rights of children to be brought up in their families, ensuring that families have equitable access to quality support services. This includes having alternative intake and referral pathways to early intervention prior to families being investigated by the child protection system.
Refer to Appendices for more information on how notification assessment decisions are made across jurisdictions.

In 2023–24, child protection departments made an assessment decision for around 139,000 notifications of alleged child maltreatment involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (Figure 1). Of these notifications, around 47% (65,200) were assessed as requiring an investigation. The remaining 53% (73,400) of notifications with an assessment decision were resolved without an investigation^*:

• 14% (19,800) did not require further action as the subject child was assessed as not being at risk of harm.
• 4.7% (6,500) required other involvement, such as cases where the family needs were still being assessed and a case plan was being developed.
• 6.5% (9,100) were provided with advice or referred to another agency.

Source: CPA 2023–24: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, data table 10.1

* Note the remaining 38,100 notifications are from New South Wales and Tasmania, where notifications cannot be differentiated by some or all assessment decisions.

Assessment of substantiated maltreatment

In 2023–24, around 12,900 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were the subject of an assessment of substantiated maltreatment.

Sources: CPA 2023–24: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, data table 10.2

Children in care can experience further maltreatment, for example, by their carer or another person in the household or care facility. For more information see CPA 2022–23: Safety of children in care.

For substantiated assessments of maltreatment, the ‘primary’ type of maltreatment is considered the most severe or most likely to place the child at risk of harm in the short term. The ‘primary’ type of maltreatment is assessed by the case manager. If more than one type of maltreatment has occurred, those not classified as the ‘primary’ type are classified as ‘other’ type. A child may have multiple or no ‘other’ types of maltreatment.

Most common primary and other types of maltreatment

In 2023–24, emotional abuse was the most common type of primary abuse (52% or 6,600) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were the subject of a substantiation assessment. Of the children who primarily experienced emotional abuse, the other types were:

• 24% (1,600) neglect
• 19% (1,300) physical abuse
• 1.9% (130) sexual abuse.

Source: CPA 2023–24: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, data table 10.2

Emotional abuse was also the most common other type of abuse for all other primary types of maltreatment.

• For children with a primary substantiation of physical abuse, 53% (790) also had emotional abuse as other type of maltreatment.
• For children with a primary substantiation of neglect, 38% (1,400) also had emotional abuse as other type of maltreatment.
• For children with a primary substantiation of sexual abuse, 24% (240) also had emotional abuse as other type of maltreatment.

Source: CPA 2023–24: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, data table 10.2

Least common primary and other types of maltreatment

Sexual abuse was the least common primary type of abuse (7.6% or 980), and the least common other type of abuse for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.*

• For children with physical abuse substantiations, 3.8% (56) had sexual abuse as other type of maltreatment.
• For children with neglect substantiations, 2.7% (100) had sexual abuse as other type of maltreatment.
• For children with emotional abuse substantiations, 1.9% (130) had sexual abuse as other type of maltreatment.

Source: CPA 2023–24: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, data table 10.2

*Statistics of child sexual abuse may be an underestimate due to the challenges faced by children and young people when disclosing sexual abuse (Alaggia et al. 2019; Esposito 2014). For further information, please see Child sexual abuse – Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.