CHCPRT001 Learner Guide - High Res V1.0 (ID 186842)

Learner Guide
CHCPRT001
Identify and
respond to
children and
young people
at risk
R
Edition 1 first published 2021 by Eduworks Resources
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About this Learner Guide
About this
Learner Guide
This Learner Guide covers the following units of competency:
CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk
Trigger Warning
This Learner Guide discusses topics in relation to abuse, neglect and sexual assault
that may be difficult and trigger painful memories for some readers.
If you need support, please reach out to a trusted friend, speak to your community supports or call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk 1

Using this Learner Guide
Using this Learner Guide

Look for the following throughout this Learner Guide
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Activity 1A
You will find the following icons and call out boxes
throughout this Learner Guide.
Learning Activities
A range of different learning activities are provided THINK
throughout this Learner Guide. You may be required
to conduct your own research, interpret information, Encouraging you to think about a topic
practice something in your own time or reflect on or idea further.
your own experiences and opinions on a topic.
CASE STUDY
You may be asked to provide other students with
A scenario that puts the content into its
feedback. It is suggested that you take time to write
practical application and a real life situation.
down your responses to the learning activities.
The situation doesn't necessarily have to be
based on a real example, but the case study
Chapter 1
will help you bring life to the content.
Review
Questions EXAMPLE
An example that helps you put the content
At the end of each chapter you will find a series
into context.
of review questions which will help to assess your
knowledge of the content from that chapter before
NOTE
you move onto the next.
A tip or useful information that may be
particularly important to remember.
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https://scnv.io/65488 WEBSITE
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QR codes and Watch boxes are used throughout
useful information.
to aid in your streamlined use of this Learner Guide.
To use the QR codes, download a QR reader on your WATCH
smart device from the app store on your device. A link to a video to watch online with
Simply scan the QR code by using the camera the duration eg https://scnv.io/abcde 3:50
on your device. The media will be shown on your
device. If it is a Watch box it will be a video on
KEY POINTS
Key points to remember.
YouTube. Other media may include a website,
or PDF or so on.
"Learn More" appears throughout, to READ
provide additional information on a topic. Additional reading such as a link to a PDF or
relevant website, research article, legislation.
LEARN MORE RESOURCE

A useful resource that you may wish to
save for your future reference such as a
Example of the title for the link or
template or guide.
article to read for more information:
https://www.xyz.com.au
2 CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk

Contents
Contents
1. Child Protectionand Child Abuse 4 Chapter 3 Review Questions 55

1.1. Why Do We Need Child Protection 4. Child-Focused Practices and Skills 56
Legislation and Services? 5
4.1. Child-Focused Work Practices 57
1.2. What Is Child Abuse? 6
4.2. Communication Skills for
1.3. Types of Abuse 7
Child-Focused Practices 58
1.4. The People Who Abuse and
Neglect Children 10 Chapter 4 Review Questions 63
1.5. Indicators of Abuse and Neglect 13 5. Trauma-Informed Care 64

1.6. The Impact of Abuse and Neglect
5.1. What Is Trauma-Informed Care? 65
in Childhood 20
Chapter 5 Review Questions 69
1.7. A Rights-Based Approach to Abuse
and Neglect 25 6. Responding to Potential
Chapter 1 Review Questions 27 Abuse and Harm 70
6.1. Roles and Responsibilities 71
2. The Legal Framework 28
6.2. Responding to Disclosure of
2.1. The Australian Legal System 29 Abuse or Harm 72
2.2. Duty of Care 32 6.3. The Process for Reporting Concerns 74
2.3. Child Protection in Australia 36 6.4. Techniques for Reporting Concerns 75
2.4. Child Protection Legislation in Australia 37
Chapter 6 Review Questions 79
2.5. Mandatory Reporting 38
Chapter 2 Review Questions 39 Bibliography 80
3. Ethical Considerations 40
3.1. General Ethical Principles 41
3.2. The Role of Personal Values,
Beliefs and Ethics 44
3.3. Sources of Information on Ethical
Principles and Practice 46
3.4. Making Ethical Decisions 47
3.5. Nurturing and Ethical Practice 49
3.6. Responding to Unethical Conduct 50
3.7. Professional Boundaries 52

1. Child Protection and Child Abuse
Chapter 1
Child Protection
and Child Abuse
In this chapter, we will discuss a range of topics relevant to child protection,

including why child protection legislation and services are needed, what
constitutes child abuse and neglect, and the different types of child abuse
and harm. We will also discuss the impact of harm and abuse and how to
identify when a young person is being harmed or is at risk of harm.
By the end of this chapter,

you will understand:
3 The meaning of abuse and neglect
3 The different types of abuse
3 How abusers coerce and manipulate children

into keeping abuse secret
3 Some of the physical and behavioural

indicators of abuse
3 Some of the short- and long-term impacts

of childhood abuse
3 Children’s basic rights in relation to

abuse and neglect
3 Where to access information about child

abuse and neglect

The protection and safety of children and young people is always of the
highest priority. This unit will cover each area of abuse and its impacts
on children and their families’ lives. It will assist you in becoming
confident to identify indicators and behaviour of potential abuse
and be able to respond in a sensitive and lawful manner.
1.1. Why Do We Need Child Protection Legislation and Services?

Far too many children and young people are in need of protection services. Statistics show that the number of
reports of children and young people at risk of harm is increasing and rose to almost 360,000 in 2015–2016.
Sadly, there are many children and young people in our society who continue to live in danger of neglect and harm,
in most cases, from those who are supposed to protect and care for them.
LEARN MORE
Activity 1A
For more information about the prevalence of
child abuse and neglect in Australia, explore Prevalence of child abuse in Australia
the following links:
Conduct research about the prevalence of child
abuse in Australia:
‘The Prevalence of Child Abuse 1. Look for up-to-date statistics on the
and Neglect’ from the Australian Australian Bureau of Statistics website:
Institute of Family Studies (AIFS)
https://scnv.io/jHLv
https://scnv.io/h00K
2. Find and read media articles about child abuse.
‘Australia Facing an “Epidemic of 3. Visit the AIFS website:

Child Abuse and Neglect”, According https://scnv.io/Yhpf
to Experts’ from ABC News
https://scnv.io/hdSF 4. Visit the website of your state/territory
child protection authority.
After you have finished your research, consider whether
you were you surprised or shocked at what you found out
and, if possible, share and discuss your thoughts with other
students in class or online.

1.2. What Is Child Abuse?

The World Health Organization defines child abuse and neglect as follows:
All forms of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment
or commercial or other exploitation, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health,
survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power.
World Health Organization
This definition makes it clear that there are many

aspects to harm. Abuse and neglect can result in harm Watch
to a child’s: For a clear introduction to the topic
of child abuse and neglect, watch
• Physical welfare and physical health
the following video:
• Emotional wellbeing and mental health
‘What Is Child Abuse and Neglect?’
• Development, both physical and psychological
by Centers for Disease Control and
• Self-esteem and identity
Prevention (CDC) on YouTube
• Development of social relationships
https://scnv.io/5iKm 2:19
The impacts of abuse and neglect can last for a lifetime.
Abuse and Neglect

Abuse is the intentional infliction of harm, whether it
is physical, emotional or sexual harm, and involves
deliberate acts.
Neglect is the failure to protect or provide for a child’s
needs, either intentionally or through negligence. It refers
to the failure to provide the necessary care.
Example
Physically injuring a child on
purpose is abuse. Allowing a child
to be injured by failing to provide
a safe environment is neglect. The
outcome of both situations is harm to the child.
Child protection legislation, policies and services
address harm arising through both abuse and
neglect.

1.3. Types of Abuse

Child abuse includes physical, sexual, psychological and emotional abuse and neglect. It can also include exposure to
domestic and family violence or other forms of violence – allowing a child to witness violence is a form of abuse.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse is intentional injury to a child. It does not
LEARN MORE
always leave visible marks or injuries.
Physical injury to the child may not be the perpetrator’s The following resource further defines the
primary intention. Injury may happen in the course of specifics of child abuse:
disciplining or punishing the child, but the key point is ‘Types of Child Abuse’ from the Blue
that the person’s actions are intentional, not accidental. Knot Foundation
In the past, some forms of physical abuse were justified https://scnv.io/l0i6
as ‘discipline’, and it is only recently that physically
punishing children has come to be frowned upon in
Australia. Key Points
Physical abuse can include: Sexual abuse usually occurs in secret.
The child often feels shame, guilt
• Hitting
and self-blame and is reluctant to tell
• Shaking anyone about the abuse. When the
• Choking abuser is a trusted adult (e.g. a primary caregiver), the
• Smothering child is often coerced into silence through fear of the
• Throwing abuser being punished. The child is usually dependent
on the abuser for their basic needs.
• Burning
• Biting Children may be led to believe that the abuse is an
• Poisoning expression of love or that they are responsible for the
• Using physical restraints abuse. Except in cases of abuse between children of
similar ages, the abuser always has more power than
• Any other act that causes physical injury
the child.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse involves using power, authority,
manipulation, physical force or coercion to engage a
minor in a sexual act. A minor is anyone under the age
of 18. Exposing children to sexual behaviour or material
also constitutes sexual abuse. The abuser may be an
adult, an adolescent or another child.

Grooming impacting the child’s ability to develop appropriate

behaviours to be successful in life. Psychological abuse
Grooming is the process whereby an abuser
behaviours include:
manipulates a child into sexual activities. Grooming
behaviours include: • Constantly belittling, shaming and humiliating a child
(as with emotional abuse)
• Targeting or selecting a child to whom the perpetrator
• Intentionally misrepresenting other people to child to
has access
mould their thoughts or actions
• Bribing, which may involve giving the child ‘special’
• Calling the child names to minimise their self-worth
attention, including spending time with the child and
giving gifts • Threatening a child
• Maintenance behaviours, meaning encouraging • Keeping a child isolated from other people or friends
dependence, fostering secrecy, making the child and not allowing them to participate in normal
believe they are responsible for the abuse and have activities, such as sports and attending classmates’
chosen to participate in the sexual activities, and birthday parties
using a combination of bribes and threats to ensure • Encouraging a child to act inappropriately
secrecy – fear, shame and feelings of responsibility
also work to maintain secrecy Neglect
Neglect refers to a child not being provided the basic
Psychological and Emotional Abuse
survival needs. This can be either out of choice or
All forms of abuse have an emotional and psychological because of hardship. Survival needs include food,
impact. However, some forms of abuse use emotions shelter, medical treatment, supervision and care. Neglect
and psychological ‘bullying’ as the primary means of may be acute, episodic or chronic.
abuse.
Acute neglect is severe and/or causes immediate harm,
Emotional abuse occurs over a period of time and for example, leaving a child in an unsafe environment
incudes a person or people using negative verbal and where they are very likely to be injured or harmed.
non-verbal language to put down a child. This abuse
Episodic neglect occurs as a series of separate events,
moulds the child’s self-belief and worth. Emotional
for example, a child occasionally being left alone in the
abuse behaviours include:
house or not being provided with meals.
• Constantly putting a child down by telling them they
Chronic neglect is ongoing over a long period of time.
are stupid, worthless, incompetent, ugly, unwanted
For example:
and so on
• Humiliating or shaming a child by mocking or • Leaving a child alone without appropriate supervision
laughing at their mistakes or calling them humiliating • Not ensuring that a child attends school or not
names, often in front of other people enrolling a child in school
• Not showing love, support or guidance • Allowing a child to contract infections because of
• Continually ignoring or rejecting the child poor hygiene or lack of medication
• ‘Blowing hot and cold’ with inconsistent and • Not giving a child affection or emotional support
unpredictable praise/affection and rejection • Not getting medical help when required
• Exposing the child to family and domestic violence • Not providing a safe environment for the child (e.g.
• Threatening abuse or bullying a child exposing the child to drugs and alcohol, allowing
strangers unsupervised access to the child’s home or
• Threatening to harm loved ones, property or pets
leaving the child with strangers)
Psychological abuse is the act of treating or speaking
• Exposing the child to violence within the family or
to a child in a manner that moulds the child’s thought
other violent situations
processes and actions in a negative way, often

Activity 1B
Understanding child abuse What are three key learning outcomes you can aim for?
Watch the following video:

‘Understanding Child Abuse’ by Official
FIRST on YouTube
2:19
https://scnv.io/qmli
Reflect on the following questions after viewing: Share and discuss your thoughts in class or online if
possible.
What did you learn from watching this video?
How much did the information in the video surprise

you?

1.4. The People Who Abuse and Neglect Children

We all warn our children not to speak to or accept sweets from strangers. However, statistics show that many sexual
abusers are actually people from within the child’s social or family circles, and physical and emotional/psychological
abuse and neglect are mostly carried out by parents or caregivers.
Note Website
A lot of abuse and neglect goes For more information about
undisclosed and unreported, which institutional abuse, explore the
makes it difficult to record an following website:
accurate picture of who abuses and Royal Commission into Institutional
neglects children. Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
https://scnv.io/eR12
In recent years, evidence of historical abuse and neglect

of children in institutional settings has come to light. The To learn about the Australian
Government Department of Social
problem was widespread in Australia, especially within
Services’ ‘National Redress Scheme’,
programs such as the child migrant schemes and in
visit the following website:
institutions charged with caring for children removed
National Redress Scheme
from their families.
https://scnv.io/OXJw
Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander children removed
from their families (the Stolen Generations) suffered
abuse and neglect in addition to losing their families,
language and culture. This has had a lasting impact
within these communities over several generations.
There are still stories emerging of children taken into
‘care’ experiencing abuse and neglect.
LEARN MORE
To learn more about people who abuse and

neglect children, visit the following link:
‘Who abuses children?’ from the AIFS
https://scnv.io/vmUU

We would like to advise Aboriginal and /or Torres Strait Islander readers to be aware that this Learner resource
may contain images of deceased persons, or provide links to content that may contain names, images, voices,
and/or videos of deceased persons.
Activity 1C
The Stolen Generations
Visit the following links to collect information about the Stolen Generations, the institutional abuse they
experienced and the impact of the child removal policy on Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people, their
families and their communities:
‘The Stolen Generations’ ‘Track the History Timeline: The

from Australians Together Stolen Generations’ from the
https://scnv.io/qx4h Australian Human Rights
Commission
https://scnv.io/2ZLg
‘The Stolen Generations’
from AIATSIS
https://scnv.io/Kvw3 ‘Explainer: The Stolen
Generations’ from
National Indigenous
‘A guide to Australia’s Stolen Television (NITV)
Generations’ from Creative Spirits https://scnv.io/bjcj
https://scnv.io/1wMe
After reading through the resources, answer the following questions:

What is meant by the term ‘Stolen Generations’?
Over what period of time was the child removal policy implemented in Australia?
Continued on following page...

Activity 1C Continued
What was the intention of this policy?
What happened to children who were removed from their families? How were they treated?
How do you think these children felt? How were they affected? Do you think that this treatment resulted in
trauma?
How did these events contribute to intergenerational trauma?
What have subsequent Australian governments done to try and rectify the harm that was done
to the Stolen Generations?
Share and discuss your thoughts in class or online if possible.

1.5. Indicators of Abuse and Neglect

Indicators are signs or symptoms of something. They may be physical and visible, or they may be behavioural. In
identifying indicators of abuse and neglect, it is important to look at the context, avoid jumping to conclusions and
seek further information. A single indicator is not conclusive evidence, but it can serve as a ‘red flag’.
Skills for Identifying Indicators of Risk and establishing trust and helping children feel listened to.
Harm Observe the child’s body language and other non-verbal
To identify and respond appropriately to indicators that communication. It is important to remember when having
a child or young person may be at risk of harm, the a discussion with a child that you should not lead the
following skills are needed. child with your questioning. It is important to give the child
space to tell you their story. Leading a child to an answer
Observation Skills can cause the confession to be dismissed in court.
Observation skills are the foundation for identifying Reassure the child that they will not get into trouble for
signs that a child or young person is at risk or has talking about painful subjects and provide a safe and
been harmed. Look for any obvious physical signs of private environment for them to do this.
injury or neglect, for example, bruises, burns, cuts and
other injuries; and torn, dirty or inadequate clothing. Indicators of Physical Abuse
Remember that not all physical injuries are visible,
Physical indicators of physical abuse include:
so also look for signs of pain, for example, limping,
favouring one side or part of the body, or flinching when • Bruises in unlikely places (e.g. face, back, ears,
a painful area is touched. hands, buttocks, upper thighs and soft parts of the
body)
Look for behaviours and changes in behaviour that
might indicate emotional or psychological distress, for • Inconsistent or absent explanation for bruises
example, withdrawing from social contact, aggressive • Any bruising on a baby that cannot be explained
behaviour, crying and signs of depression. Children and • Pressure marks or welts from fingers on the face,
young people who may have trouble communicating chest or back
verbally about painful subjects might create drawings • Weal, ligature or bite marks on any part of the body
and engage in play featuring injuries, harm and
• Skull fracture, subdural bleeding, multiple fractures
frightening subjects, indicating they may be at risk.
from different occasions
Early childhood services will observe and document • Suspicious burns, such as small circular burns that
concerns in a formal matter. Services will have could be the result of cigarette stubs
developed templates that educators should use to
• Signs of poisoning or significant overmedicating
document any suspicions of child abuse. Necessary
information to add to documentation will include the Children who have been physically abused may also
date, time and details of the event or observations. show some behavioural signs, such as:
The information must be factual and also include any • Fear in facial responses or body language, especially
physical or behavioural indicators of abuse and neglect. in the presence of the abuser
Questioning Skills • The infliction of the same form of abuse on younger

children, pets or toys
Asking questions – including asking open-ended
• Aggressive behaviour, such as fighting with other
questions, following up with probing or checking for
children, throwing tantrums or destroying property/toys
more information, and allowing the child to tell their
story in their own time – is one of the main methods of • Withdrawal and depression or anxiety symptoms
gathering more information on an issue. Using active • Changes in appetite or eating habits
listening and demonstrating empathy is also important in • Changes in sleeping patterns, including bedwetting,
nightmares or night terrors

Indicators of Emotional and • Behavioural indicators include:

Psychological Abuse • Changes in sleep patterns, including nightmares,
night terrors, resistance to bedtime or persistent
There are usually no physical signs of emotional abuse,
bedwetting
but emotional abuse can lead to physical changes or
responses over time as the abuse continues. Most • Inappropriate sexual behaviour or language based on
indicators of emotional abuse are behavioural. the child’s age
• Promiscuous affection-seeking behaviour
The following may be indicators of emotional abuse:
• Excessive masturbation that does not respond to
• A reluctance to go home (particularly if the abuser is
boundaries or discipline
in the family home)
• Obsessive and compulsive washing
• Run-away attempts or continually staying at friends’
• Wariness around physical contact with others
houses
• Unusually fearful of having their nappy changed
• A fear of the dark, a reluctance to go to bed,
(infants and toddlers)
bedwetting or nightmares
• Dishonesty, including lying or stealing for no reason Indicators of Neglect
• A lack of trust in adults or new people, and a weak Neglect usually has an impact on a child’s health
ability to socialise or engage in peer relationships and wellbeing, so there are physical signs as well as
• Poor self-image and self-esteem, ‘putting themselves behavioural signs.
down’ through negative comments
The following may be indicators of neglect:
• Withdrawal and depression or anxiety symptoms
• Failure to thrive, including not meeting development
• Self-harming behaviours, such as pinching, pulling
milestones for education or socialising
out hair or hitting themselves
(developmental delay)
• Changes in appetite, weight or eating habits
• Prone to illness, repeated infections, common colds,
• Changes in sleeping patterns with no indication of medical care
Indicators of Sexual Abuse • Abnormal hunger, stealing or hoarding food
• Smelly or dirty appearance, inappropriate clothing for
In many cases, there may be no obvious physical
seasonal changes, or old clothing that no longer fits
signs of sexual abuse, but as with emotional and
or is in good condition
psychological abuse, sexual abuse can lead to
behavioural changes that indicate potential abuse. • Untreated medical conditions
• Changes in eating and sleeping patterns
Physical indicators include:
• Withdrawal and depression or anxiety symptoms
• Genital injuries or bruising, marks, welts or other
discolouration on the skin
• Bite marks or other unexplained marks on the body
• Sexually transmitted diseases, or the child
complaining of pain/discomfort when they use the
bathroom
• The child complaining of abdominal pain
• Torn or stained underwear

Activity 1D
Identifying abuse and neglect
Read the following case studies and answer the related questions:
Jessica
Jessica is four years old. Her mother’s boyfriend, Thomas, has recently moved in with them. Thomas has a very
short temper. He often shouts at Jessica’s mother and sometimes hits her.
Last weekend, Thomas was looking after Jessica while her mother went shopping. Jessica was playing with her
dolls and singing to them. Thomas was watching a football game on TV. He got up and grabbed Jessica’s arm,
dragged her into her bedroom, threw her onto the bed and shouted at her to be quiet. In the process, Jessica fell
against a cupboard and hit her head.
When Jessica’s mother came home, she saw bruises on Jessica’s forehead and on her wrist. When she asked Jessica
and Thomas how this happened, Thomas said that Jessica had fallen over while she was playing. Jessica did not
say anything.
Jessica sometimes witnesses Thomas shouting and hitting her mother. Is this a form of child abuse?
What type of abuse can you identify in the scenario?
What are the indicators of abuse?

Activity 1D Continued
Simon
Simon is three. He lives with his father and his two older brothers, Sam and Phillip, aged 18 and 20. Simon’s
father has been unemployed for several years. He drinks heavily, and he, Sam and Phillip are addicted to
methamphetamines.
Simon is often absent from care. When he does attend, his educator notices that his clothes are old and shabby, his
shoes are too small for him and need mending, and he is dirty and unkempt. He carries his school materials in an
old plastic bag and rarely brings anything to eat for lunch. He has constant colds and also appears to be hard of
hearing. He is a small, thin child and does not interact much with the other children.
Is Simon suffering a form of child abuse?
What type of abuse can you identify in the scenario?

Ava
Ella is an educator in the babies’ room at a childcare service. While changing the nappy of nine-month-old Ava, she
notices when removing Ava’s pants and nappy that Ava has dark bruises across both her thighs and what looks
like cigarette burns on her legs. Ella tells Stacey, another educator. Stacey responds by saying that Ava’s parents
are both beautiful people and would never hurt Ava.
Do you suspect that there is abuse occurring in this scenario?
What type of abuse do you suspect is occurring?

Suzie
Suzie is four and a half years old and attends care five days a week. Suzie and her mother moved in with her
mother’s new boyfriend a month ago, as he had just been released from jail. Suzie is typically a happy and bubbly
girl and enjoys coming to care, but recently, she has been trying to kiss some of the boys. She has been caught
behind the play tent showing the boys her bottom, and in the home corner she was observed making the dolls
touch the private parts of their bodies. While Suzie is still happy and joyful, the educators are concerned about her
recent behaviour.
Do you suspect that there is abuse occurring in this scenario?
What type of abuse do you suspect is occurring?

Activity 1E
Child protection and abuse quiz
Test your knowledge by answering whether the
following statements are true or false: Myth Fact
Child protection legislation in Australia is no longer needed because so little
child abuse and neglect happens these days.
It is legal for parents to use physical force to discipline their children

(e.g. by hitting them with a belt).
Child abuse occurs in many forms and involves any behaviour

that harms a child.
Children are only ever harmed by strangers.
Accidentally hurting a child is a form of child abuse.
Neglect means failing to provide the essentials of life.
If a child of 15 bullies a child of 12 into a sexual act, this is not counted

as sexual abuse because both individuals are children.
If a child has a bruise, this is a certain indication of physical abuse.
Emotional abuse is less harmful than physical abuse.
Exposing a child to domestic and family violence is a form of child abuse.

1.6. The Impact of Abuse and Neglect in Childhood

There are many factors that affect the impact of child abuse and neglect on children, including:
• The child’s age and developmental stage at the time of the abuse
• The type of abuse
• The frequency, duration and severity of the abuse
• The relationship between the child and the perpetrator
• The support systems available to the child
• The child’s connections to their community and culture
• The individual and personal characteristics of the child
The impacts of abuse and neglect during childhood can last for a lifetime. Some of the short-term effects may
include the following:
Physical Damage Social Problems

This may be relatively minor, such as bruising, or severe, Abused and neglected children can struggle to develop
such as broken bones, internal bleeding or deep tissue and maintain trusting relationships and attachments in
burns. While physical injuries may heal, the associated childhood and in later life.
emotional and psychological damage may be longer
Some studies indicate that neglect results in children
lasting.
feeling unwanted, while physical abuse does not
necessarily result in feelings of abandonment or rejection.
Developmental Damage
Both abuse and neglect lead to insecure attachment,
Abuse and neglect can cause brain damage and impair with neglected children experiencing high levels of
development in domains such as cognitive ability, anxiety in relationships in adulthood, while abused
language and speech. Sustained abuse can result in children may develop dependent and co-dependent
anxiety and ongoing distress, causing the child to have relationships based on low levels of self-esteem.
difficulty concentrating and self-regulating. This in turn
impairs learning and leads to poor performance at Behavioural Issues
school.
Abused and neglected children often develop
‘challenging’ and aggressive behaviours in childhood
Mental Health
and in adolescence, or they become withdrawn and
Child abuse and neglect can have lifelong isolated. Anxiety and depression are common, as
consequences for a person’s mental health. Problems are self-harming behaviours, eating disorders, and
such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention promiscuous and risk-taking behaviours.
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and anxiety and
mood disorders (e.g. depression) are common among
adolescents who suffered abuse as children. Research
shows a strong link between childhood abuse and
depression later in life.

Key Points
The consequences of abuse vary,
with some children experiencing
significant damage across many
aspects of their lives, and others
experiencing less. Positive relationships with caring
adults after the abuse can reduce the negative
impacts.
LEARN MORE
There is a wealth of published research and literature

covering all aspects of child abuse. The following
links are a sample of sources about the impacts
of experiencing harm during childhood (it is also
important to conduct your own research):
‘Effects of Child Abuse’ from the

Queensland Government
https://scnv.io/wczE
‘Long-Term Consequences of
Abuse and Neglect’ from Child
Welfare Information Gateway
https://scnv.io/7Zqu
‘The Impact of Abuse and Neglect on

Children’ from the Australian Child &
Adolescent Trauma, Loss & Grief Network
https://scnv.io/jzAz
‘Australia’s Children’ from the

Australian Institute of Health
and Welfare
https://scnv.io/LaHd
‘What Are the Impacts of Child

Abuse?’ from Berry Street
https://scnv.io/SucN

Activity 1F
The impact of child abuse in adulthood

The following case study illustrates some of the long-term effects of child abuse on self-esteem, relationships,
social development, education, mental health, alcohol and drug use, and family relationships. Read it through
and answer the related questions:
Jane Doe
Jane is in her mid-thirties. She lives with her partner, Simon, and their four children, Carly (17), Jason (13),
Melissa (10) and Adam (three months). Jason has been diagnosed with a learning disability and is struggling at
school. He often has temper tantrums and can become violent towards Jane.
Jane and Simon both drink heavily and often use drugs. Simon is a fly-in fly-out (FIFO) worker, which leaves
Jane alone with the children for several weeks at a time. Jane has always suffered from ‘nerves’ and experiences
frequent anxiety and panic attacks. She has also experienced bouts of depression since her early teens.
When Simon is at home, he wants to relax and destress from his job, so if the children are noisy or troublesome,
he becomes angry and blames Jane for not controlling them. Simon and Jane’s arguments often become
violent, and neighbours have called the police on several occasions. Simon controls the family finances, and
Jane does not have her own bank account. Simon gives her a housekeeping allowance. When he is away
working, he phones every evening to check that Jane is at home and ask her what she has been doing during
the day.
Jane and Simon met at high school and have been together since then. Jane left school at 15 and she and Simon
had their first child when Jane was 17. She has never been employed, having stayed at home to care for the
children. Their fourth child was born three months ago, and Jane has been suffering from postnatal depression
since his birth.
Jane recently approached a women’s health service to seek help for her depression and anxiety. She was seen
by a counsellor, and during the first session she suddenly began shaking uncontrollably, broke down into floods
of tears and told the counsellor that she was remembering having been sexually abused by a family friend
when she was around five years old. The abuse continued until she reached puberty, when the perpetrator lost
interest and rejected her. She had never told anyone about the abuse until that session.
In later sessions, Jane and her counsellor explored the impact of the abuse: She struggled at school and found it
hard to concentrate. She began experimenting sexually when she was around 12 years old and started drinking
when she was 13. She has been taking drugs since her early twenties.
Jane disclosed that she has always felt guilty because she was devastated and tried to commit suicide when the
perpetrator rejected her. This made her feel worthless. She has always had low self-esteem and found it hard to
make close friends. She is overprotective towards her own children and fears that they might be abused, too.
She often has nightmares about this. When she found out that Carly, her eldest, was seeing a local boy, Jane lost
her temper and hit Carly. Their relationship has been very strained since then.

Activity 1F Continued
How do you think Jane’s experience of sexual abuse during her childhood has contributed to her low self-esteem?
Refer to information about the impact of childhood sexual abuse on self-esteem.
Why do you think Jane feels guilty about the abuse?
Why do you think Jane feels guilty about being upset when her abuser rejected her?
What signs of complex trauma can you identify in this scenario?
Do you think that Jane is experiencing ongoing trauma through her relationship with Simon? What are some of
the signs of this?
How would you describe the relationship between Jane and Simon?
Do you think there is a connection between Jane’s postnatal depression and her experience of abuse as a child? Why?
Discuss your responses in class or online if possible.

Activity 1G
Child abuse and neglect
Use online and/or offline sources to research an aspect of child abuse and neglect. Choose ONE of the
following topics to research:
a) The prevalence of child abuse and neglect in Australia, including recent statistics and reports:
• Why is it difficult to record accurately the extent of abuse and neglect?
b) The Stolen Generation as a case study of child abuse:

• What impact did the forced removal from their families have on the children and their communities?
• What impact did the harsh treatment and abuse they experienced have on the children and their
families in the long term?
How has this impact contributed to intergenerational trauma?
c) Child sexual abuse in Australia, including recent statistics and reports:

• Why is sexual abuse so hard for a child to disclose?
• What factors influence who, when and why a child discloses their experiences of abuse?
d) The impacts of physical abuse and neglect on children’s development:

• What are some of the effects of physical abuse and neglect on physical development, health, brain •
development and other developmental domains?
• What factors affect these developmental domains?
e) The impact of psychological and emotional abuse on development and on later life:
• What are some of the behaviours that are seen in children who are psychologically and emotionally
abused?
• How do these behaviours affect a child’s ability to complete their education?
• How does psychological and emotional abuse affect a person’s ability to form stable, trusting
relationships later in life?
f) Child abuse and neglect can happen in any family:

• What evidence can you find that this statement is true?
Share and discuss your findings in class or online if possible.

1.7. A Rights-Based Approach to Abuse and Neglect

Rights-based approaches focus on breaches of rights. In the case of child abuse and neglect, this means the
violation of children’s basic human rights. A rights-based approach aims to remedy the violation and works to
uphold the rights of the child.
Rights-based approaches are constructed using

principles of empowerment, participation, equality
Key Points
and equity. These approaches, used with people who All forms of abuse and neglect are a
have survived childhood abuse, work to re-establish violation of children’s rights. Children
have the right to expect that
self-esteem and, if the abuse occurred within an
adults, especially those in positions
institution, seek redress from the institution responsible.
involving childcare, will do their best to keep them
For example, redress was sought in recent cases of
safe from harm.
institutional abuse within churches.
Activity 1H
Children’s rights
The children’s version of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child identifies key rights
of children. Any violation of these basic rights constitutes abuse and/or neglect.
1. Download or print a copy of the full version of the United Nations Convention on the
Rights of the Child:
'How We Protect Children’s Rights With the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child’
from the UNICEF
https://scnv.io/EH5u
2. Download or print a copy of the children’s version of the convention.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: The Children's Version from
Save the Children
https://scnv.io/XZRV
3. Explore the United Nations’ website for more information about children’s rights
and issues that affect children:
The United Nations
https://scnv.io/OvGX
Share and discuss your findings in class or online if possible.

While you are studying this unit, keep these resources to refer to when discussing and examining
children’s right to be protected from abuse and neglect.

Notes

Chapter 1
Review
Questions
Use the following questions to check your knowledge.
Q1. List and describe the different types of abuse.
Q2. List three physical and behavioural indicators for each type of abuse.
Q3. Name three short-term and three long-term effects of abuse.
Q4. What are the basic rights of children in relation to child abuse? (Refer to The United Nations Convention
on the Rights of the Child.)
Q5. What are some of the past and present impacts of the child removal policy that resulted in the Stolen
Generations?

2. The Legal Framework
Chapter 2
The Legal
Framework
This chapter looks at the legal system in Australia relating to child abuse
and neglect, including relevant legislation, authorities and requirements
that you will need to be aware of when working with young people.

3 The basics of the Australian legal system
relating to child abuse and neglect
3 Child protection laws and legislation in

Australia, including:
• Child protection legislation and authorities
• Statutory requirements in relation to child
protection
• Duty of care requirements
3 How to respond to suspicions of child abuse
within relevant legislative requirements
3 Working within your own job role and

level of responsibility in relation to child
abuse and neglect

Duty of care is a part of common law (i.e. there is no ‘Duty of Care Act’).
2.1. The Australian Legal System

We will take a brief look at our legal system so that you can understand the legal context for child protection laws in
Australia.
In Australia’s legal system, there are two kinds of law:
• Legislation
• Common law
Legislation is the statutes or laws enacted by parliaments (state/territory and/or federal/Commonwealth). These are
called Acts of Parliament, or Acts.
Common law is a body of law built up over many years Criminal Matters and Civil Matters
based on precedent or previous decisions made by
Within our legal system, there are two avenues for
courts and judges. It is sometimes called ‘judge-made’
dealing with breaches of laws:
law. Australian common law was inherited from English
common law and later extended by decisions made in • The civil courts
Australian courts. • The criminal courts
Duty of care is a part of common law (i.e. there is no Civil courts deal with civil disputes, such as property
‘Duty of Care Act’). disputes and lawsuits for negligence compensation or
debts, and any matters where there is a dispute that
Because Australia is a federation of states and
does not involve a criminal offence.
territories, each of which has its own parliament, there
may be different laws in different states/territories. Criminal courts deal with criminal offences, such
as theft, assault, distribution of illegal drugs, public
Federal or Commonwealth laws apply to the whole
indecency or damage to property, and identity or
country, and if there is a conflict between a state/territory
financial fraud.
law and a federal/Commonwealth law, the federal/
Commonwealth law usually predominates. Matters relating to breaches of duty of care are usually
dealt with in the civil courts, unless a criminal offence is
Each state and territory has its own child protection
involved.
legislation, so you will need to refer to the relevant Acts
(statutes) for your own state/territory. There are some
differences in these laws between states/territories.
There is no overriding federal law relating to child
protection.

International Law
Website
For more information about
Australia’s legal system, explore
the following website:
The ‘Legal System’ section of the
Attorney-General’s Department
website
Australia is committed to
https://scnv.io/HcOA enhancing the adherence to
international law to prevent
conflict and restore peace
LEARN MORE and security.
‘Different Australian Courts – How

Australian Government Department
Do They Work?’ from Shine Lawyers of Foreign Affairs and Trade
https://scnv.io/sFvm
Australia is also a party to the seven core international

‘How Does the Court System Work in human rights treaties, which means voluntarily accepting
Australia?’ from Legal Vision legal obligations under international law. The seven
treaties are:
https://scnv.io/xEpW
Treaty Date
International Convention on the Elimination

1965
of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD)
International Covenant on Civil and Political

1966
Rights (ICCPR)
International Covenant on Economic, Social

1966
and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of

1979
Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
Convention against Torture and Other

Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or 1984
Punishment (CAT)
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) 1989
International Convention on Protection of the

Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members 1990
of Their Families (ICMRW)

Activity 2A
The legal system
1. Use the sources of information listed in this chapter to find more information about the Australian legal
system. Download or print useful information and summarise the key points.
2. Watch the following video:
‘A Brief History of the Australian Legal System’ by Nick James on YouTube
https://scnv.io/f3En 12:47
3. Answer the following questions:
What did you learn from watching the video?
What are the main components of Australia’s legal system?
How did Australia’s legal system develop?
What is a statute? What is an Act of Parliament?
How do you think having a basic understanding of Australia’s legal system can help you to work within a
child protection context?
Share and discuss your thoughts in class or online if possible.

2.2. Duty of Care

Duty of care is particularly important in relation to children and young people at risk of harm. You need to understand
this concept and its implications for your work as well as for your everyday conduct.
Duty of Care and Negligence

What Is Duty of Care?
Australian common law imposes a ‘duty’ on all of us In the context of child protection, if you are aware of
to take ‘reasonable care’ that our actions do not cause indications that a child has been harmed and you fail to
foreseeable harm or injury to others. In daily life, we meet legislative or practice requirements for reporting
should behave sensibly when we are around other this and for safeguarding the child, this is likely to be
people and avoid causing harm to others by being counted as negligence.
careless.
The Legality of Duty of Care and Negligence
Example Duty of Care Relationship

Everyone in society can uphold A duty of care relationship exists whenever one person’s
duty of care by watching where actions may reasonably be expected to affect another
they are going and avoiding person. The key word here is ‘reasonably’ – we are not
bumping into others when they expected to predict unlikely or unusual outcomes of our
are walking down the street or by obeying the road actions.
rules when they are driving a car.
Standard of Care
The general ‘standard’ for duty of care is how a
As an early childhood employee, you sign a contract ‘reasonable person’ would be expected to behave in
that bines you to a duty of care that requires you to each situation.
report any suspicions of abuse against children.
This sets a minimum standard of care, but there is
Duty of care extends to the role of workers in relation to no simple formula or precise legal definition of a
child protection. ‘reasonable person’. What is considered ‘reasonable
behaviour’ can change over time and from one situation
What Is Negligence?
to another and can vary across cultures.
Negligence is another word for carelessness. To be
Standards of care may be applied differently according
negligent means to fail in your duty of care by acting
to the role and status of the person, the context and the
carelessly and causing harm to others.
circumstances. For example, the standard of reasonable
behaviour for an adult is usually higher than the
standard for a child. The standard of care expected of a
Example
surgeon in treating a patient is higher than that of a first
If you are walking down the street
responder. Workers in community services are usually
reading text messages on your
expected to have more skills and knowledge than their
mobile phone and not paying
clients in relation to their job roles, so a higher standard
attention to where you are going
of care applies to them.
and you bump into a person and knock them down,
you have been negligent. If the person is injured as
a result of your carelessness, they can sue you for
compensation.

Breach of Duty of Care

LEARN MORE
For legal action to be taken, a breach of duty of care
must have occurred. This means that one person For more information about duty of care, explore
must have done something, either intentionally or the following links:
unintentionally, that failed to meet a relevant standard of
care. For example, a worker who has failed to follow a
‘What Is Duty of Care?’ from Slater
particular procedure or has overlooked a task that is part
Gordon Lawyers
of their normal duties has failed in their duty of care.
https://scnv.io/bFBG
Harm, Injury and Loss
Unless someone has sustained harm, injury or loss as a
result of another person’s careless or negligent actions, ‘Negligence’ from the Legal Services
there is no basis for legal action. Commission of South Australia
In most cases, harm, injury or loss will be physical or https://scnv.io/yBV6

economical, but intangible harm, such as psychological
damage and emotional distress, loss of status and
‘What Is the Tort of Negligence?’ from
damage to reputation, may also be included.
Etheringtons Solicitors
Legal Action for Negligence https://scnv.io/d6P9
Legal action for compensation following negligence is
conducted through the civil courts. Breaching your duty
of care is not a criminal offence unless it also involves ‘Duty of Care’ from Shine Lawyers
a criminal offence, such as assault or theft. There is no https://scnv.io/ehWI
‘Negligence Act’ or ‘Duty of Care Act’ – negligence and
duty of care are part of common law.

Activity 2B
Read the following scenarios and discuss the relevant questions:

Jane
Jane is a childcare worker. She is supervising a group of children in outside play. Two of the children begin fighting over
a toy and, while Jane is dealing with this, a boy climbs to the top of the swings and falls, breaking his arm.
Has Jane been negligent is this scenario?
Why do you think this is the case?
What duty of care has Jane provided or breached in this scenario?
Samantha
Samantha supervises a group of high school students for a study group after school. Last week, one of the girls, Julie,
who is 14, told Samantha that one of the boys in the group had been sending pictures of his penis to her mobile phone
and asking her to go out with him.
What is Samantha’s duty of care towards Julie?
What is her duty of care towards the boy?

Activity 2B Continued
Kelly
Kelly is in the babies’ room by herself with four babies. The babies are on the floor playing happily, so she decides
to take this opportunity to change one of the babies’ nappies. As she is changing the nappy, she hears a baby in the
room crying. She moves away from the changing mat to check on the crying child. In the short period of time the
baby on the changing mat is left unattended, it rolls and falls off the nappy changing table.
Has Kelly breached her duty of care?
What do you think would be the consequences for Kelly in this scenario, legally and professionally?
Share and discuss your responses in class or online if possible.

2.3. Child Protection in Australia

The child protection system in Australia includes: The National Framework for Protecting
• Child protection legislation
Australia’s Children
• Child protection authorities The National Framework for Protecting Australia’s
Children 2009–2020 is intended to coordinate the state/
• Child protection and support services
territory responses to children at risk of harm and to
The overriding principle is that the welfare and best apply a public health model with the aim of preventing
interests of the child are paramount. This includes the abuse and neglect through early intervention.
understanding that within a child’s family is the best
place for a child to be cared for, so removing a child
from their family should happen only as a last resort. LEARN MORE
Supporting the family to care for the child is preferable
to removal. However, a child who is at risk of immediate Learn more about the underpinning principles of the
harm may be removed to a place of safety. In Australia, framework at the following link:
state/territory governments have the responsibility for
statutory child protection. National Framework for Protecting
Australia’s Children 2009–2020 from
the Australian Department of
Social Services
Resource
https://scnv.io/X1t5
The diagram found at the following
link gives an overview of the child
protection system in Australia and
the processes that occur when a child is identified as
being at risk of harm: Key Points
A key principle of the framework
‘Child Protection Australia 2018-19:
is that everyone has a role to play
Children in the Child Protection System:
in keeping children safe and that
Introduction’ from the Australian Institute
child protection is a community and
of Health and Welfare (AIHW) societal responsibility.
https://scnv.io/hwYU
For an overview of child protection in Australia in

2018–2019, read the summary of the AIHW report
at the following link:
‘Child Protection Australia 2018-19:
Summary’ from the AIHW
https://scnv.io/hWQN

2.4. Child Protection Legislation in Australia

As stated previously, each state/territory has its own child protection laws and authorities.
These are summarised in the following table:
Overview of Key Australian Child Protection Legislation
Jurisdiction Principal Child Protection Act
Family Law Act 1975

National
Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986
AC Children and Young People Act 2008
NSW Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998
NT Care and Protection of Children Act 2007
Child Protection Act 1999

Qld
Child Protection Reform Amendment Bill 2017
SA Children’s Protection Act 1993
Tas Children, Young Persons and their Families Act 1997
Vic Children, Youth and Families Act 2005
WA Children and Community Services Act 2004
LEARN MORE Resource

For a comprehensive overview
For more information about the relevant pieces of of child protection legislation in
legislation, visit the following links Australia as well as useful resource
sheets on a range of topics relevant to child
‘Australian Child Protection Legislation’ protection, visit the following link:
from the Australian Institute of Family
Child protection legislation overview
Studies (AIFS)
and resource sheets from the AIFS
https://scnv.io/K97p
https://scnv.io/HbLd
Child protection legislation by

jurisdiction from the AIHW
https://scnv.io/QqXS

Activity 2C
Child protection legislation
1. Identify the child protection act for TWO states/territories including your own and find a summary of their
key definitions and provisions.
2. Identify the child protection authority for both states/territories and find a summary of their
responsibilities and functions.
3. Find information about the process of reporting concerns about children at risk in both states/territories.
2.5. Mandatory Reporting

The word ‘mandatory’ means that something is authorised, required and made compulsory by law. Child protection
legislation identifies certain occupations in which reporting concerns about children at risk of abuse or neglect is
mandatory.
There are some variations across states/territories

regarding what must be reported and who must
LEARN MORE
report it.
The following link provides further information about
In addition to mandatory reporting, voluntary mandatory reporting requirements:
reporting is possible, and a person who makes
a voluntary report receives the same protections
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse
regarding confidentiality and legal liability as
and Neglect’ from the AIFS
someone who is legally mandated to report.
https://scnv.io/XaFV
Activity 2D
Mandatory reporting
Download or print the guidelines for mandatory reporting issued by TWO states’/territories’ (including
your own) child protection authorities and then answer the following questions:
Which occupations are mandated to report What are the reporting procedures for your state/territory?
child abuse and neglect in your state/territory?
What differences and similarities can you find across the

What must they report? two different jurisdictions?

Chapter 2
Review
Questions
Q1. Describe in your own words the meaning of legislation and common law.
Q2. In regard to child abuse, what are your duty of care requirements as an early childhood employee?
Q3. Provide one example of when an educator may be found to be negligent in their handling of suspected
child abuse.
Q4. Which child protection legislation is relevant in your state?
Q5. What does mandatory reporting refer to, and in regard to your own state, who is a mandated reporter?

3. Ethical Considerations
Chapter 3
Ethical
Considerations
In this chapter, we will discuss topics relevant to ethical practice in identifying

and responding to children and young people at risk, including principles that
guide ethical practice and ethical decision making, working within professional
and job role boundaries, using ethical and nurturing practices, reporting ethical
concerns and seeking supervision and support when required.

3 The rights of children in regard to ethical
considerations
3 The key ethical principles for working with

children and young people
3 Where to locate relevant codes of ethics
3 A range of ethical concerns you may be

faced with
3 Appropriate responses to ethical concerns

Being impartial and non-judgemental is a part of justice and equity.
3.1. General Ethical Principles

Child protection is a very sensitive area full of ethical dilemmas. Decisions about children at risk can have serious
consequences, so acting in an ethical way is essential.
Ethical dilemmas are about deciding the right thing to do in a situation. Ethical issues and legal issues may overlap,
but they are not the same. You must act within the law, but you must also consult relevant codes of ethics, codes of
practice, service standards and other sources of information about ethical practice for your industry sector.
The following are outlines of some broad ethical principles that apply to all community services work:
Beneficence decision. This principle is linked to transparency, which

means not making decisions in secret, showing you
This means doing good and avoiding doing harm.
are following principles and rules, and being open and
It may include protecting the weak and vulnerable,
honest about your actions. You must also be able to
and advocating for and defending their rights.
explain and justify your actions and decisions with
reference to relevant legislation, policies, procedures
Justice and Equity
and guidelines.
This means being fair and avoiding discrimination. It
also means that rules of behaviour should be applied to Confidentiality
all people equally. Being impartial and non-judgemental
Confidentiality means not sharing information about
is a part of justice and equity.
someone without their knowledge and consent. This can
be difficult in a child protection context because a child
Respect
who discloses information about abuse or neglect might
This means treating everyone with respect for their ask you not to tell anyone about it – but to keep the child
rights, dignity and autonomy. Respecting others safe, you will have to tell someone.
includes being truthful, honest and sincere.
Breaching confidentiality is justifiable in the following
Accountability and Transparency circumstances:
To be accountable is to be responsible for your actions. • In order to prevent harm to a person

Accountability also means that someone else can check • When the information has been requested by a court
to see if you have followed the rules when making a

Activity 3A
Ethical issues
Read through the following case studies and answer the related questions:
John and Josie
John and Josie work in an early childhood service. They are both quite new to this area of work and are still
completing their induction and training.
Yesterday, when Josie was supervising a group of kindergarten children, she overheard one of the girls, Mary,
telling the others that her parents were breaking up and that her mother had ‘told Dad to get out of the house
in her angry voice’.
This morning, Josie could not wait to tell John what she overheard. She and John spent some time talking
about Mary’s parents, whom they have met, and speculating about what might happen next.
Do you think Josie and John’s behaviour is ethical? Why?
Do you think Josie and John should report this incident to their supervisor? Why?
What ethical principles or guidelines apply to this situation?
Erica
Erica is five years old. She attends a day care centre while her parents are at work. This morning, Erica was
dropped off at the centre by a stranger, an elderly man. He did not introduce himself and left quickly.
Maria is a childcare worker at the centre. She noticed that Erica had been crying and was not her usual
bubbly self. Erica was sitting in a corner alone, so Maria sat with her to try to find out what had upset her.
Erica said that, after she went to bed last night, her grandfather had come to get her to stay with him and
her grandmother because ‘Mummy and Daddy were fighting again’. When Mary asked if they had fights very
often, Erica said ‘Yes’ and that last week ‘Mummy had to go to the hospital because Daddy had hit her and
made her head bleed’.
What are the ethical issues in this situation?

Activity 3A Continued
What do you think Maria should do?
Do you think Erica is at risk? Why?
What guidelines would help Maria work out her duty of care obligations towards Erica?
Oscar
Oscar is five years old and attends the local early childhood service. His older brother, Jim, aged 14, is at high school.
Yesterday, after class, Oscar told his educator that Jim was ‘in trouble with Mum’. He said, ‘Jim hits me all the time
and throws his toys at me.’ The educator noticed some bruises on Oscar’s legs and arms but nothing that would have
alarmed her before this confession.
Oscar asked the educator not to tell anyone about this because he does not want Jim to get into trouble.
What do you think are the ethical issues in this situation?
Do you think Jim is at risk? Why?
Should the educator keep Oscar’s information confidential? Why?
What guidelines and principles should the educator follow in deciding what to do?
Check your state/territory child protection legislation and procedures. Is this educator mandated to report their concerns?
What procedures should the educator follow?

3.2. The Role of Personal Values, Beliefs and Ethics

Our own personal values and beliefs will inevitably come into play when we are faced with an ethical dilemma. We
cannot ignore our own values and beliefs, but when we are working in a professional capacity, we must ensure that
we are open about values and beliefs that might affect how we reach a decision about an ethical issue.
If our own personal values will not allow us to act what is important. Ethics are standards, principles or
fairly or impartially in a situation, support a workplace guidelines that indicate what is ‘right’ or ‘moral’ and tell
standard or meet an ethical requirement, we should us how we should behave.
state this clearly and seek advice from a supervisor.
We develop our values, beliefs and ethical standards
For example, a worker who has a strong belief that it is
as part of our socialisation into our culture and society,
wrong to terminate a pregnancy for any reason might
and in response to our own individual experiences. We
find it difficult to support a woman who is pregnant as a
learn them from our family (meaning those who acted
result of rape and seeking a termination. In such a case,
as our parents and raised us), religious institutions, the
the worker should make their beliefs explicit and discuss
education system, our peers, influential cultural figures
with a supervisor whether or not they are able to act
who we admire and our personal experiences.
impartially. As another example, a worker who strongly
believes that paedophiles are unredeemable sinners will
find it difficult to work with perpetrators of child abuse. Think
Reflecting on our own values and
beliefs can be challenging. We
Note often take them for granted until
Awareness of our own values and we encounter a situation that
beliefs and how they influence our challenges them.
work practice is an essential part of It would be beneficial to read a code of ethics
professional practice. relevant to your area of work and compare your
own values and beliefs to those expressed in the
code. Ask yourself whether there are any conflicts,
and if there are, how you could resolve them.
Values, beliefs and ethics are interrelated: Values are
fundamental beliefs about what is worthwhile and good.
Beliefs are thoughts that person perceives to be true.
Values and beliefs guide our actions and help us decide

Activity 3B
Personal values
Read through the following case study and answer the questions that follow.
Ashraf and Mariam
Ashraf and Mariam came to Australia from Iraq as refugees seven years ago. They have three children aged
between 18 months and 15 years. Their middle child is their three-year-old daughter, Zainab, who attends the
local early childhood care service. Zainab is full of life and excited to be part of every experience at the service.
Ashraf and Mariam are very traditional. They do not celebrate Christmas and do not want Zainab to
participate in any Christmas activities or celebrations. Ashraf and Mariam both grew up very dedicated to
their religion and want their children to do the same.
When the educators organise Christmas activities, Zainab wants to join in and gets upset when the educators
try to redirect her to another activity. This horrifies the educators in the room, who become determined to
make Ashraf and Mariam let Zainab join in the Christmas celebrations and activities so she is not excluded.
What are the ethical issues in this scenario?
Refer to a relevant code of ethics and identify at least one principle that applies in this case.
What steps could the educators take to identify their own values and beliefs, and how these might affect
their professional roles?
What would be an ethical course of action for the educators to take? Why?

3.3. Sources of Information on Ethical Principles and Practice

When we are making decisions about the right thing to do in a particular situation, there are several sources of
information that we can consult, including:
• Relevant laws and legislation

• Government policies and guidelines Resource
• Industry standards, policies and procedures For examples of community care
• Codes of ethics, codes of practice and codes standards, visit the following links:
of conduct for our industry sector, profession or
organisation National Standards for Disability
When handling a child abuse or neglect scenario within Services from the Australian
your work role, it is imperative that you: Government Department of
Social Services
Act within the law
https://scnv.io/Zkm6
Check your state/territory legislation and find out what it
requires you to do. Your legal responsibilities are part of ‘Quality Standards Consumer
your framework for reaching a decision. In the case of a Resources’ from the Australian
child protection issue, consult the policies, procedures Government Aged Care Quality
and guidelines provided by your state/territory child and Safety Commission
protection authority.
https://scnv.io/ZDHh
Consider your duty of care
You should also think about your duty of care and what ‘The National Standards for Mental
you must do in order to meet your duty of care in the Health Services’ from Australian
situation. What are the risks? What is a reasonable Council on Healthcare Standards
response to these risks? https://scnv.io/WEMk
Check your job role description/duty statement
Working within professional boundaries and your job
role is an important part of ethical practice. It may Codes of Practice and Codes of Ethics
not be your direct responsibility to deal with a child Codes of practice and codes of ethics are very similar:
protection issue. If this is the case, you should report
your concerns to your supervisor. If you need to take • Codes of ethics tend to be applied more widely.
immediate action to keep a child safe, do so and then • Codes of practice may be more specific to
report to your supervisor. an occupation, profession, industry sector or
organisation.
Check industry standards
Some community care sectors, such as aged care
and disability services, have legislated service standards Key Points
that providers must meet. These can be useful guides Codes of practice and codes of
to consult. ethics support human rights and the
rights of service users.

3.4. Making Ethical Decisions

Activity 1B You will recognise when you are experiencing an ethical
dilemma because there will be more than one set of values
Codes of ethics and interests involved in the situation and you will need
to decide which of them is more important. Within a child
1. Download or print a copy of the following:
protection context, your primary responsibility is towards
Australian Community Workers the child – this much is always clear. How best to protect
Ethics and Good Practice Guide by and safeguard the child and respect their rights is not
the Australian Community Workers always quite so clear.
Association Some of the factors that complicate making ethical
decisions include:
https://scnv.io/FtMw
Competing rights and duties
Child Protection Guide to Policy For example, you may be working with a teenager who is
and Practice by Youth Action using drugs. The teenager has a right to self-determination
https://scnv.io/9ub2 and to make choices, but you have a duty to protect them
from harm.
2. Read: Competing obligations

Ethical Dilemmas in Child Protection For example, you may be working with a family in which
Practice: A Tale of Two Stories’ from the child at risk is not your primary client, and you become
the Australian Childhood Foundation aware of the risks to the child in the course of working with
another family member of theirs. To whom would you owe
https://scnv.io/7aVp
an overriding duty of care?
Competing values
3. Access your state/territory child protection For example, your personal values may conflict with the
agency or authority’s website and collect
action that you are expected to take in your work role.
information and guidelines covering ethical
practices and procedures. The acronym DECIDE represents a simplified version of the
steps you can take to help you make an ethical decision:
4. Summarise the key principles for ethical practice
in child protection work. • Define the problem
• Ethical reflection
Share and discuss your responses in class or online
if possible. • Consider options
• Investigate possible outcomes
• Decide on actions
• Evaluate results
LEARN MORE
For more information on making ethical decisions that apply to workers as well as to managers
and organisations, visit the following link:
‘Information Sheet: A Guide to Ethical Decision Making’ from the New South Wales Council
of Social Service https://scnv.io/zhU9

Activity 3D
Ethical decisions
Read through the following case study, identify the ethical issues involved and answer the questions that follow.
Jan and Ben
Jan is the mother of two-year-old Ben. They have been coming to the early childhood service since Ben was one
year old. Jan has always been quiet but respectful and pleasant when dropping off and picking up Ben. One night,
Jan arrives late to pick Ben up and she is visibly upset, so one of the educators asks her if she is okay. She confesses
to the educator that her husband beats her up regularly when she does not clean or cook to his liking. He is often
threatening and intimidates her in order to control her. The educator offers Jan support and refers her to the police
and a woman’s shelter, but Jan does not want to take any action. She said she is ‘fine’ and that sometimes her
husband ‘just has a bad day’. She thanks the educator for their support and leaves with Ben.
What are the ethical issues to consider in this scenario?
What duty of care does the educator have towards Jan and Ben?
What ethical principles apply in this situation? Refer to a relevant code of ethics or code of practice.
What are the educator’s legal responsibilities in relation to child protection in a situation such as this? (Check your
state/territory legislation and guidelines.)
Use the DECIDE process (outlined previously) to work through the steps that the educator should take to work out
what to do in this situation:
What is the problem?
Whose rights must be taken into account?
What are the educator’s options and the possible outcomes of each of them?
Outline a course of action. How will you evaluate it?

3.5. Nurturing and Ethical Practice

Children and young people who have experienced or are experiencing abuse and neglect are very vulnerable, so you
need to be especially sensitive to their needs and provide nurturing support.
To nurture someone means to support them in a caring way. Nurturing helps a person’s growth and development, and
can help to heal injuries and hurts. Multiplying Connections states that, with children, nurturing involves ‘validating
their feelings; providing physical affection and comfort when sought; laughing and playing games; providing safe
mental, physical and social challenges that promote healthy growth’.
Working Ethically With Children and Young People

Think
It is important to check Working ethically means safeguarding the rights and interests of
your organisation’s children and young people. It includes:
policies on touching
and showing physical • Treating everyone with respect
affection to children, as this may not be • Including children and young people in making decisions that
appropriate depending on your job role affect them, where possible
and the context of the service that you
are providing. • Maintaining confidentiality when appropriate and safe to do so
• Avoiding bias and discrimination, and maintaining a non-
judgemental attitude
Trust and Working Ethically • Responding appropriately to indicators of harm and risk
Trust is an important aspect of nurturing • Following legislative requirements and a relevant code of
practices, and behaving ethically is an ethics when you are making decisions
important element in establishing a trusting • Working within your organisation’s policies, procedures and
relationship. code of conduct
• Seeking further support and advice when needed
• Keeping your professional skills and knowledge up to date
and in line with current practices/policies

3.6. Responding to Unethical Conduct

You may encounter situations in which another person is behaving unethically and perhaps putting children and
young people at risk.
Reporting Unethical Conduct

Example
When reporting unethical conduct:
A colleague who gossips about
clients and their families or who • Follow your organisation’s policies and procedures.
behaves inappropriately around • Refer to your organisation’s code of conduct,
children and young people, or a relevant code of ethics, service standards or
a colleague who steps outside legislation.
professional boundaries in their • Describe your observations accurately, clearly
relationships with clients is and objectively.
behaving unethically. • Avoid personal and emotive comments.
In reporting unethical conduct, include
information about:
In these situations, your first step should be to talk to the
person and express your concerns. Always focus on the • Who is involved
behaviour rather than the person. We respond better to • What happened, when and where
constructive feedback than we do to personal criticism. • Why you believe the conduct to be unethical,
If this is not possible or is unsuccessful, you may need citing relevant legislation and/or policies,
to report the unethical conduct to your supervisor or where appropriate
someone else in authority.
• Any actions that you have taken and the
responses to those actions

Activity 3E
Responding to unethical conduct
Read the following case study and discuss the questions that follow:
Olivia
Olivia is a childcare worker at an early childhood centre. She is very close friends with the mother of Annabel, one
of the children who attends the centre. The owner of the childcare centre is Olivia’s aunt.
Olivia often arrives late for work, avoids cleaning duties and leaves tasks for other workers to finish. She shows
favouritism to Annabel and sometimes brings her sweets and small gifts, which she gives Annabel in front of the
other children.
Yesterday, Olivia forgot to do a head count of the children when they came indoors after an outside play session.
One of the children was left outside and could not open the door to get in. He became very upset.
When other workers commented on this, Olivia laughed and said that she could do what she likes because her
aunt owns the centre.
In what ways is Olivia behaving unethically?
How has she breached her duty of care?
What ethical principles or clauses in a relevant code of practice are relevant to this situation?
What might be the consequences of Olivia’s actions?
What should Olivia’s colleagues do to address her behaviour?
Where could Olivia’s colleagues find information to support addressing Olivia’s behaviour?

3.7. Professional Boundaries

A professional boundary is the line between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour and emotional attachment in
relation to a child (or a child’s family) within or outside your place of work.
Crossing of professional boundaries happens when you allow or initiate behaviour that compromises your professional
relationship with a child and/or family, when the nature of the relationship moves from a professional one to a personal
one and/or is clearly harmful to or exploitative of a child and/or family.
Crossing professional boundaries includes:

Key Points
• Accepting or giving money and gifts
If you are asked or instructed to
• Giving a client or their family special treatment and take on tasks and activities that fall
showing favouritism outside your job role, discuss this
• Disclosing and sharing private or personal with your supervisor and always ask
information about yourself for these instructions to be given in writing so that
• Providing your personal contact details, such as your you have a record of them.
personal phone number or social media accounts Use your best judgement and do not take on any
tasks and activities for which you do not have the
• Social networking (e.g. communicating with a client
skills, knowledge and competence.
or their family on Facebook or similar platforms)
• Contacting or visiting a client or their family outside
your normal working hours
• Inviting a client to your home or including them in
your family’s activities
• Participating in a client’s social activities when
this is not within the remit of your role
• Any sexual relationship with a client or client’s
family member
Some of these behaviours may be well intentioned, and
they may seem innocuous, but they can result in harm to
your clients and to yourself.
Working within professional boundaries is particularly
important when working with vulnerable people. Blurring
the boundaries of a professional relationship results in
confusion about roles and expectations. For example,
becoming a client’s ‘friend’ can lead to unrealistic
expectations, resulting in hurt and distress when these
are not met. It can also increase stress for a worker who
is already working in a demanding industry and may
damage professional reputations.
Working outside your job role and undertaking duties
outside your area of competence can also have legal
implications. It may result in breaches of your duty
of care, and if harm results from this, you will not be
protected by your employer against any legal action
for negligence.

Activity 3F
Professional boundaries
Read through the following case study and discuss the questions that follow.
Kim
Kim is an educator at the local early childhood service. She was the educator who assisted Jan, the mother of two-
year-old Ben, in the case study from Learning Activity 3D. When Kim went home that night, she looked Jan up on
Facebook and sent her a message asking how she was and whether she had left home yet. Kim offered to have Jan
come and stay with her until she found somewhere more permanent to live if she had not yet left home.
How has Kim overstepped her professional boundaries?
What might be the consequences of this?
What would have been a professional approach to this situation?


Chapter 3
Review
Questions
Q1. List and describe three general ethical principles.
Q2. Describe the rights of the child that need to be considered when making ethical decisions regarding child
abuse.
Q3. How can your personal values and beliefs impact your ethical decision-making?
Q4. What is the difference between codes of ethics and codes of practice?
Q5. List and describe three ways you can set professional boundaries.

4. Child-Focused Practices and Skills
Chapter 4
Child-Focused Practices
and Skills
In this chapter, we will outline and discuss child-focused work practices

in relation to children and young people at risk. We will also identify and
discuss communication, observation and other skills for child protection
work as well as the responsibility and boundaries in child protection work.

3 What is meant by ‘child-focused practice’
3 Where to locate information about

child-focused practices and approaches
3 The key principles for

child-focused practice
3 Key communication skills for

child-focused practice

Child-centred approaches also recognise the child’s unique perspective and experience..
4.1. Child-Focused Work Practices

A child-centred or child-focused approach involves keeping the child at the heart of making decisions about
their lives and working in partnership with them and their families. The needs of the child are always the
primary consideration.
According to the Australian Institute of Family Studies Child-focused and child-centred approaches are based
(AIFS), the terms ‘child-focused’ and ‘child-centred’ on a belief that children have the right to grow and
are often used interchangeably to mean focusing develop free from harm and that the best interests of
on ‘protecting and promoting children’s safety and the child should be the primary focus of practice. Child-
wellbeing and ensuring that they are heard in situations focus practices encompass:
that directly affect them’
• The learning or care environment
The AIFS has identified four principles that characterise • The organisation’s policies and procedures
child-centred approaches:
• The worker’s knowledge and skills
1. Recognising critical times and intervening as early as
possible in the life of the child and their problem Other Aspects of Child-Focused
Approaches
2. Taking developmental needs of the child into account
3. Providing children and young people with Child-focused approaches and practices are holistic.
opportunities to participate in decisions that affect This means that the child is seen in context as part
them of a family, community, social network and culture.
Child-focused practices take these considerations into
4. Taking a collaborative approach and working with the
account and work to collaborate with the child’s family
child’s family, school, community and society/culture
and social networks (e.g. school, sporting teams and
Child-centred approaches also recognise the child’s other social and community contacts and agencies)
unique perspective and experience. and acknowledge and respect cultural factors and
requirements.
Using child-focused practices means working in ways
that are ‘child-friendly’, keep the child safe and keep
the child as the focus of the work. The aim is to uphold
children’s rights and ensure that children are safe and
can reach their full potential.

Resource 4.2. Communication Skills for

Explore these sources for more
information about child-focused
practices: Communication
The Good Practice Guide to Communication is the foundation of child-focused
Child Aware Approaches: practices. Effective communication, especially active
Keeping Children Safe and listening skills, is the basis for establishing respectful,
Well by the AIFS trusting relationships with children and young people at
https://scnv.io/g2fE risk. Effective communication requires:
• Developing skills in listening, questioning, clarifying
‘Keeping Child-Focused’ from the New and responding to what is being communicated
South Wales Government Department • Being aware of our body language, facial expressions
of Communities and Justice and tone of voice
https://scnv.io/XNDZ • Demonstrating understanding, respect and honesty
in all our interactions
• Using age-appropriate communication styles and
strategies
Strength-based approaches are also used in Effective communication with children and young people
working with children to focus on the child’s social includes:
network supports and build the child’s capacity, • Listening to the child with the intention to hear and
skills and resilience in line with the principles of support the child
strength-based approaches. (For more information
• Encouraging the child to express themselves and
about strength-based approaches, please refer to
providing praise and encouragement when they do
your Fundamentals of Community Services Learner
Guide [Eduworks Resources]). • Using body language that shows you are interested
and care: getting down to the child’s level, making
eye contact and using an appropriate tone of voice
• Making sure your interactions are appropriate for
the child’s age, including considering how long you
engage for and the way you express yourself
Active Listening
Active listening involves giving the speaker your full
attention and actively engaging in the conversation. Here
are a few tips to develop the practice of active listening:
• Build on what the child is telling you and show your
interest by saying things such as ‘Tell me more
about...’, ‘Really!’ and ‘Go on’.
• Observe the child’s facial expressions and body
language. Listening is not just about hearing words
– it is also about trying to understand what is behind
those words.

• Let the child know that you are listening and ensure Open questions
that you have really understood the important
They work to open the conversation up and usually
messages that they are telling you. Repeat what the
begin with words such as how, when, what, where, who
child has said back to them and make lots of eye
and why. Open questions elicit details, descriptions and
contact.
stories. Closed questions check or confirm information.
• Allow the child time to find the words they want to
say – do not interrupt or hurry them.
• Prompt the child only if necessary. This could include 3 Example - Open questions:
sounding out a word they are struggling with or • How did you feel about your team losing
posing a question. the game on Saturday?
Observation Skills • What did you do on Saturday?
• Why did you miss the match on Saturday?
Good observation skills are essential. Changes in posture,
facial expression, gestures, tone of voice and movements
can tell us as much as or more than words do.
Probing questions
Observe the child or young person carefully when you
They seek to gain more information from the person.
are listening to them. Watch for reactions to particular
topics or words. For example, if a child flinches away
from a particular person, that might indicate fear; if 3 Example - Probing questions:
a child looks away or looks down when a topic is
• And then what happened?
introduced, that might indicate they find the topic
painful. A change in tone of voice (becoming softer, • How did you feel about that?
lounder, more hesitant) often indicates an emotion.
Protective or self-soothing gestures and postures, such
Both closed and open questions are useful, but when
as hugging oneself, rocking, thumb sucking, can also
communicating with children and young people at risk,
indicate strong negative emotions.
you will most likely need to ask a lot of open questions.
Asking Questions Include questions that focus on the specifics of what
There are three kinds of question that you can ask: the child is telling you to elicit more detail and more
information about what happened and how the child
Closed questions was affected.
They work to close the conversation down by limiting
the number of possible responses, which are typically
3 Example - If a child is telling you that they
just ‘Yes’, ‘No’ or ‘Maybe’.
were harmed by a family member, you
could ask questions such as:
3 Example - Closed questions: • So how did this affect your relationship with
• Did you go to the football on Saturday? Uncle Sam?
• Did you enjoy the football match? • Do you think that Uncle Sam was wrong to
do that?
• When did you go to the football?
• How do you think a good uncle is supposed
to behave towards you?
• Did this make it hard for you, given that
Uncle Sam was still living in your home?
How did you feel about that?

Alternative Communication Strategies

LEARN MORE
Many children and young people find it hard to put
certain things into words, so providing alternative ways
To find out more about therapeutic dolls, visit the
of communicating may be helpful.
following links:
With very young children, it may be more productive to
use techniques such as drawing or playing with toys to Therapeutic Dolls More Than Child’s
elicit their story or talk about sensitive subjects. Play’ from Centacare
There are specialised toys, such as anatomically correct https://scnv.io/JKy0
dolls, that can be used to gather information in cases of
sexual abuse. A word of caution, though: To use these
Anatomical Dolls: Their Use in
dolls, you need specialised training, and there is debate
Assessment of Children Who May
on their value and concerns about whether they may be
Have Been Sexually Abused’ from the
suggestive to children.
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse
https://scnv.io/MDQb

Activity 4A
Communication role-play
Read the following case study and then work in pairs in class or online to role-play responding to the disclosure
of abuse. Take turns playing the roles of Martin and the worker. After each role-play, give your partner feedback
about how you felt in each role and whether, in the role of Martin, the worker helped you to feel safe, supported and
listened to.
Martin
Martin is four. He is the youngest of seven children and his family struggles to make ends meet. Martin is currently
in the book corner, and you decide to sit with him. He is reading a book called Families. Martin tells you, ‘My mummy
doesn’t cook my dinner. She just gets angry at me. When she gets angry at me, she hits me and my brother and says
I’m the naughtiest boy and that I should die. I cry all the time when Mummy does that to me.’ Martin then folds his
arms and looks upset.
In your role-play, think about:
• Finding somewhere private to talk to Martin
• How Martin might be feeling
• What you need to do to establish trust and to help Martin feel safe
• How you feel about what happens to Martin
• How your feelings might colour how you respond
• Guidelines for child-focused practice
• What communication skills you will need to use

Activity 4B
Child-focused practices
Watch the following video:
‘What Is Child-Focused Practice?’ by Australian Institute
of Social Relations on YouTube
https://scnv.io/AhH2
Duration 3:39
What did you learn about child-focused practice from watching the video?
What did you notice in the video that surprised you or that you had not considered so far?

Chapter 4
Review
Questions
Q1. List four principles that characterise child-centred approaches.
Q2. What do child-focused practices encompass?
Q3. List and describe two important communication strategies you would use with children.
Q4. Provide an example of when you would use open and closed questions.

5. Trauma-Informed Care
Chapter 5
Trauma-Informed
Care
This chapter discusses trauma-informed care and why it is important you

understand the impacts of trauma when working with young people. We
will discuss the impact of trauma, especially childhood trauma, and the
principles that underpin trauma-informed care.

3 The short- and long-term impacts of trauma
for children and young people
3 Trauma-informed care as it relates to

understanding care for children and young
people experiencing child abuse and neglect
3 The key principles of trauma-informed

practice

We respond to injury with our whole being: psychologically,

emotionally, physically and behaviourally..
5.1. What Is Trauma-Informed Care?

Trauma-informed approaches are currently ‘best practice’ in several areas of community service work, including the
mental health and child protection sectors, so it is important for you to understand what they are.
Trauma-informed approaches provide a framework for human services based on knowledge and understanding
of how trauma affects people and their service needs in both the short and long term. They consider the impact of
trauma on an individual, a family and/or a community.
What Is ‘Trauma’? Additional key principles of trauma-informed

practice include:
In common usage, the word ‘trauma’ means injury,
usually in the sense of a serious injury. We respond to • Do no harm – avoid re-traumatising the person
injury with our whole being: psychologically, emotionally, through the provision of services.
physically and behaviourally. The injury itself does not • Encourage optimism and demonstrate belief that
have to be a physical one – psychological and emotional recovery is possible.
injury can be just as damaging. • Treat survivors of trauma as individuals who have
In the context of trauma-informed care, ‘trauma’ is used managed the best they can in abnormal situations.
to refer to the psychological, behavioural and emotional • Work from the understanding that:
responses to an experience or an event that is deeply • Many people with mental health conditions have
distressing, painful and disturbing. experienced trauma
Trauma-Informed Practice at a Glance • Trauma may be a factor for people in distress

• The impact of trauma can be lifelong
The principles underpinning trauma-informed
• Trauma can impact on the person, their emotions
practice are:
and their relationships
• Possess ‘trauma awareness’ (awareness of the • Trauma is defined by its impact on the individual,
impact of trauma). not by the event itself
• Emphasise safety and trustworthiness.
• Provide opportunities for choice, collaboration and
connection.
• Utilise strength-based and skill-building approaches.

Children and trauma informed practice.

Watch
Children who are abused and neglected suffer trauma,
so trauma informed practice is an appropriate approach Watch the following videos
to working within a child protection context. Depending to learn more about trauma-informed
on the age and developmental stage of the child, care:
practices may need to be adapted to meet the child’s
needs. For example, with younger children, using
Providing Trauma-Informed Care:
concrete means of communication such as dolls to A Case Study of Weave Youth and
help the child explain what has happened to them, or Community Services’ from the
using simple diagrams such as the circle of safety to New South Wales Mental Health
clarify what behaviour is acceptable within different Commission
3:27
relationships. Whatever the age and developmental https://scnv.io/qpSx
stage, the key principles of trauma informed care and
practice should be followed to recognise the short and
long term impact of abuse on the child, and to work
‘Trauma Informed’ from
in ways that provide a safe environment and as many
Emerging Minds
opportunities as possible for the child to regain and
https://scnv.io/KlyZ
retain control.
2:30
LEARN MORE
Explore the following links for more information

about trauma-informed care and practices:
‘Trauma-Informed Care in Child/Family

Welfare Services’ from the Australian
Institute of Family Studies
https://scnv.io/7Bc1
‘Fact Sheet: Having Conversations

About Trauma – Services’ from the
Blue Knot Foundation
https://scnv.io/2Lme
‘What Is Trauma-Informed Care and How

Is It Implemented in Youth Healthcare
Settings?’ from Orygen
https://scnv.io/ALI5
Trauma-Informed Practice Guide by

the Centre of Excellence for Women’s
Health
https://scnv.io/f9tY

Activity 5A
Trauma-informed care
Watch the following videos:
Sowing Seeds: Trauma-Informed

‘Trauma-Informed Care for Children’ Practice for Anyone Working With
by Cassie Hanson on YouTube Children and Young People’ by NES
https://scnv.io/zeEZ on Vimeo
5:05 https://scnv.io/9efP 11:02
Now answer the following questions:

What did you learn about trauma-informed care from watching these videos?
What did the videos show about:

The importance of a child’s behaviour in expressing the pain of trauma?
What children learn from experiencing abuse and ill treatment?
What trauma and ill treatment feels like from the child’s point of view?
The things adults can do to help a child heal from trauma?
The principles of trauma-informed care?


Chapter 5
Review
Questions
Q1. In your own words describe trauma-informed care
Q2. What are the principles underpinning trauma-informed practice?
Q3. What are the possible short- and long-term impacts of trauma for children and young people?
Q4. Provide four examples of trauma-informed care that an educator might implement for a child in their
service.

6. Responding to Potential Abuse and Harm
Chapter 6
Responding to Potential
Abuse and Harm
This chapter looks at how to respond to potential abuse and harm, including
what to do when there is an immediate risk of harm. We will discuss the
procedures and guidelines for reporting potential abuse and harm, the
statutory requirements and the ethical issues in reporting and notifying.

3 Your general responsibilities for responding
to the immediate risk of harm
3 Statutory requirements for reporting

your concerns
3 Ethical issues in reporting
3 Responding to children who disclose abuse
3 The skills needed for reporting concerns

Before continuing with this chapter, revisit the Child

Protection Guide to Policy and Practice from Learning
Activity 3C and refer to it as you work through this chapter..
6.1. Roles and Responsibilities

How you respond to situations where a child or young person may be at risk will depend on your job role and
responsibilities, the requirements of child protection legislation for your state/territory, and your organisation’s
policies and procedures.
Unless you are specifically employed in a child protection capacity, your role will almost certainly be confined to
identifying signs and indicators of risk and harm and reporting these to your supervisor or to the relevant child
protection authority. Workers from the child protection authority will then take responsibility for carrying out any
further investigations and for dealing directly with the situation.
If the child or young person is in immediate danger or Immediate Responses

needs immediate support because their safety is at risk,
As an immediate response to a child or young person
you should contact the emergency services immediately
in need, check whether there are any physical injuries
before informing your supervisor.
that need attention. If there are, provide first aid or refer
the child or young person for medical treatment. Your
Example organisation will have policies and procedures for
doing this.
If a child or young person is in need
of medical treatment or first aid, If the child or young person is in distress, respond
providing this support or referring by providing emotional support (again, within the
them to an appropriate service boundaries of your organisation’s policies and
will be your responsibility, as it would if a child had procedures). Use active listening and empathy; remain
been harmed in your workplace. Always follow your calm; and avoid making judgemental comments.
organisation’s policies and procedures.
As soon as is practical, report your observations and
concerns to your supervisor and discuss what action
should be taken next.

Mandatory Reporting
As we discussed in section 2.5., some occupations are mandated to report concerns about child abuse and harm.
The occupational categories involved vary across different states/territories, so check which categories are included
and what is expected of them in your state/territory.
Ethical Issues in Reporting

While there is a clear duty to report actual and suspected harm to children and young people, there is a risk that
reporting may affect the relationship between the child and the worker. For example, if a child or young person asks
you to keep information confidential and you cannot, this will damage their trust in you and may mean that they are
reluctant to disclose further information or to continue working with you.
In such cases, you must weigh up the risks of losing your connection with the child by disclosing information they
want kept confidential and the risk to the child of a potentially harmful situation continuing. In all cases you must
comply with legal requirements such as mandatory reporting, and you should consult and follow the code of practice
or code of ethics relevant to your job role, as well as your organisation’s policies and procedures. In all cases, the
safety and wellbeing of the child takes precedence.
6.2. Responding to Disclosure of Abuse or Harm

No matter what your role or job description is, as an adult, you have a significant impact on a child or young person
who discloses that they are being abused or harmed. Your response can affect a child’s recovery from trauma and
how, or if, they seek further help.
The initial response to a disclosure of abuse or harm is very powerful in determining future directions for the child or
young person.
Child protection authorities for each state/territory have

their own guidelines for responding to disclosures of
When a child discloses that [they have] abuse. You will need to find out what these are for your
been abused, it is an opportunity for own state/territory and follow them.
an adult to provide immediate support

and comfort and to assist in protecting Resource
the child from the abuse… [and] to For clear and practical general best
practice tips and guidelines to follow,
help the child connect to professional
visit the following link:
services that can keep them safe,
‘Responding to Children and
provide support and facilitate their Young People’s Disclosures of
recovery from trauma. Abuse’ from the AIFS
https://scnv.io/MIRO
Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS)

Activity 6A
Disclosures of abuse or harm
1. Visit the following links to read about responding to the disclosure of abuse:
‘Responding to Children and The Good Practice Guide to Child

Young People’s Disclosures of Aware Approaches: Keeping Children
Abuse’ from the AIFS Safe and Well by the AIFS
https://scnv.io/hKeV https://scnv.io/5VtC
2. Watch the following videos about responding to the disclosure of abuse:
‘Sue Says…Responding to Child

Abuse Disclosure’ by Traverse Responding to a Child’s Disclosure
Bay Children’s Advocacy Center of Abuse’ by NSPCC on YouTube
on YouTube https://scnv.io/jxMV
6:15 2:13
https://scnv.io/42wj
4. Summarise the information that you collected in

How to Respond to Disclosures’ this activity.
by AVAproject on YouTube
https://scnv.io/NA6H 4:57
3. Answer the following questions:

What have you learned from reading and watching
these resources?
5. Compare and discuss your summary of key points
with fellow learners if possible.
What similarities and differences do you notice
between summaries?
How do the videos illustrate best practice tips and
guidelines? Give examples from each video.
How do your key points match the guidelines given by

Why do you think that it is important to follow these your state/territory child protection authority?
guidelines?

6.3. The Process for Reporting Concerns

Reporting your concerns about actual or potential abuse and harm to children and young people is a significant
step in protecting them. Your state/territory will provide guidelines and procedures for notifying and reporting
concerns about harm and risk of harm.
The following steps are the general process within an

Example early childhood service for reporting suspected abuse:
Visit the following link for an
1. Observe and document your suspicions and
example of guidelines for reporting
concerns in a formal manner.
concerns:
2. Report concerns to the management team.
‘Reporting Your Concern’ from the 3. Consider the indicators and behaviour signs and
Government of Western Australia decide if an official report to a regulatory authority is
Department of Communities, Child required. (If you are ever not sure, you can call and
Protection and Family Support check with the authority.)
https://scnv.io/DF1r 4. When a decision to make a report has been made,
contact your state/territory’s regulatory authority and
provide them with your observation evidence.
Some authorities will provide guidelines for what to 5. Continue to monitor and support the child. Do not
include in a report or a checklist of questions, a template inform the child’s family of the report, as this could
and prompts to help you to report your concerns in put the child in further danger.
writing. Your organisation will also have its own policies
and procedures for you to follow.
In an early childhood service, you should follow the centre’s
policies and procedures in relation to child abuse reporting.
These policies and procedures will be in line with your
state’s legal requirements and regulatory authority.

6.4. Techniques for Reporting

Concerns Example
If you say ‘Sam was angry’, you are
Whether you are reporting a concern in person, by expressing your interpretation of
telephone or in writing, you will need skills in reporting Sam’s behaviour – the statement
objectively and accurately. does not describe Sam’s behaviour.
Sam’s actual behaviour could have included anything
Objective reporting means presenting ‘the facts’ based
from frowning to throwing furniture at you or hitting
on evidence collected by direct observation and/or
you. You have assumed that Sam’s behaviour
questioning. Objective statements and descriptions
means he is angry, but different people will interpret
are not based on assumptions about what happened,
behaviour differently.
opinions or interpretations of a person’s behaviour,
or guesses about what someone meant or might be Words like ‘aggressive’ and ‘violent’ are useful
feeling. Objective statements can be checked and shorthand, but they are subjective and do not
verified. describe or express facts. Subjective words express
judgements, and different people will judge the same
Accurate reporting means describing events and
piece of behaviour in different ways. One person
observations clearly and with enough detail to allow
might judge a child stamping their foot to be violent
a person who was not present to understand what
or aggressive, while another might judge them to be
happened. Accurate reporting can be checked
simply impolite. If you say ‘Sam was aggressive’,
and verified.
you tell us only about your interpretation of Sam’s
Remember that, for a child protection authority to take behaviour and not the physical things Sam did nor the
action to protect a child or young person, they need things he said.
information to substantiate the concern and grounds to
carry out an investigation. It is not your job to prove that
harm has occurred, but it is your job to provide as much Objective statements report facts. They describe
accurate factual information as you can. behaviour and events.
Factual information includes what the child or young
person has told you as well as your observations of
Example
their behaviour and any visible signs of injury or harm.
‘Sam shouted and threw a chair at
It is imperative to always keep in mind that reporting me’ is a description of what Sam
concerns about a child’s welfare and safety can have did. It is reasonable to assume
a significant impact on the child and their family. that Sam is angry, but if we are
reporting something significant, we must back up
Subjective and Objective Language and
any subjective statements, opinions, assumptions
Statements
and judgements with evidence and facts.
Subjective statements express opinions, assumptions,
interpretations and judgements about something. They
might sound like descriptions, but they are not. When reporting concerns about a child’s safety, you
must include any evidence. You can include your
interpretations and assumptions, but you must also
include factual, objective descriptions of what you saw,
heard or were told.

Activity 6B
Subjective and objective Language
Read the following observations and highlight all of the subjective statements, phrases and words:
1. Jane was very upset today. She is depressed and 8. Susie’s mother is a bad influence on Susie. She is
fearful and does not want to attend her court case always encouraging Susie to forgive her partner
on Friday. She is afraid that her partner will find and go back home for the sake of the children.
her and become violent again. The mother visits constantly, and Susie is always
uncooperative and sulky afterwards. The mother
2. Mary is doing very well in her counselling program. is totally unhelpful, and I think we should ban her
She is gaining confidence and becoming much more from visiting.
outgoing and sociable. She is always cheerful and
willing to help around the refuge. 9. Because Shahira is Muslim, the other women at the
refuge feel uncomfortable around her. She makes
3. Little Sammy is far behind in his developmental no effort to improve her English and always has
milestones. He a sickly child, and his behaviour is trouble communicating. She is very withdrawn,
difficult to manage. He hates school and is often and the other women think that she is stuck up. She
aggressive towards other children in the refuge. spoils her children and has no control over them.
4. Samantha’s partner telephoned the refuge last 10. Frida is obese and her health suffers because of
night and became abusive and aggressive towards this. She has no idea about proper nutrition and
staff members. He threatened Samantha with is too lazy to learn to cook, so she always eats junk
violence if she refuses to return to him. He has food. She needs to pull her socks up for the sake of
a long history of violence towards women, and her children, or they will also become lazy, fat and
Samantha is terrified of him. unhealthy.
5. Joan’s injuries are the worst that I have ever seen. Now, answer the following questions in relation to
She is a timid person and has spent most of her the subjective statements, phrases and words you
life trying to appease aggressive, dominating identified:
men. She lacks self-esteem and has been severely
What evidence would you look for to support these
traumatised by her experiences. I think that she has
subjective statements?
serious mental health problems.
6. When I visited Alicia and her children, I was

shocked by the squalor and untidiness of Alicia’s
home. The place is filthy and the building should
be condemned. All of the children have lice, scabies
and school sores. They are all underweight, and I
think the eldest child has an intellectual disability. What would be a more objective way to express these
Alicia is a hopeless mother and she does not ideas and concerns?
understand anything about her children’s needs. I
think she should be reported immediately.
7. Jenny is the most difficult child we have ever had in

the refuge. She is attention seeking, demanding and
sly. She upsets the other children and constantly
whines to any adult who will listen. She is mature
for her age and also shows inappropriate sexual Share and discuss your answers in class or online if
behaviour. possible.

Emotions Accuracy and Clarity

Your report will carry more weight if it does Accuracy is essential in reporting concerns about a child. Check the
not focus on your own emotions or opinions. facts and be precise about dates, times, places, events and your
This can be difficult when you are reporting observations. It is good practice to describe your own observations
something as painful as abuse or neglect of in as much detail as you can and report a person’s actual words if
a child, but it is the child who is the focus of you are reporting what you have been told.
the report, not your reactions to the child’s
If you are reporting your concerns in writing, avoid using long, complex
experiences or your own distress at hearing or
sentences and ‘flowery’ language. Keep it simple and to the point. Use
seeing what has happened to them.
correct, plain English and short sentences, and avoid jargon.
Activity 6C
Reporting potential abuse and neglect
Read the following case study: Both children are behind in toilet training and still in
The Smiths nappies
4th April During mealtimes, Daniel and Steven follow
The Smiths are a young family of three. The family instructions well and are eager to get to the meal
consists of Cheryl, 25; Dave, 27; and their two table, where the two boys eye up the food and give
children, Daniel and Steven, three-year-old twins. themselves double servings, eating fast to get more.
The family have been using the service for the last two Today, Dave came and dropped both boys off in the
years and are known to be struggling financially, with three-year-olds’ room. As he left, he said, ‘Take the
Dave being unemployed and Cheryl currently having stupid, little brats. They are your problem now.’
her hours at the local grocery store halved. The educators noticed that Steven has bruises of
Both Cheryl and Dave still enjoy having a drink and different colours about the size of a 20-cent piece all
dabbling with drugs over the weekend. This means often over his back and around his left arm.
they are hungover or fatigued from Sunday to Tuesday 1. From the perspective of one of the educators, draft
and do not spend a lot of time with their children. a report for your state/territory’s child protection
Dave and Cheryl have both made comments to authority about this incident. Include the following
educators stating they let the children choose their information:
own food and clothing and encourage the children to • The date and time of the report and event/s
play with each other in order to ‘get a rest from the • Factual family background information
stress of being parents’.
• Comments made by parents that caused
Daniel and Steven tend to come into the service
concern
wearing old, ripped clothes. They frequently seem to
be unwashed, wearing old nappies and smelling of • Physical appearance of the children and any
injuries
urine. They also usually have very ratty hair.
Daniel and Steven are often quiet at the service. • Any physical and behavioural indicators of
They prefer to watch other children engage than abuse or neglect
participate themselves. When the twins do participate • The action and/or follow-up you recommended
in play, they can get a little rough sometimes, pushing
other children away or using inappropriate language
such as saying ‘Go away. I hate you!’


Chapter 6
Review
Questions
Q1. Briefly outline what a community worker should to in response to the immediate risk of harm to a child or
young person.
Q2. Where could you find guidelines for reporting child protection issues in your state/territory?
Q3. What skills do you think are needed for identifying indicators of risk or harm and reporting concerns
about children at risk?
Q4. What statutory requirements apply to reporting concerns about the safety and wellbeing of children in
your state/territory?

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CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk 1

Using this Learner Guide

Icons and Information Boxes

LEARN MORE RESOURCE

2 CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk

1. Child Protectionand Child Abuse 4 Chapter 3 Review Questions 55

1.5. Indicators of Abuse and Neglect 13 5. Trauma-Informed Care 64

CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk 3

In this chapter, we will discuss a range of topics relevant to child protection,

By the end of this chapter,

3 The different types of abuse

3 How abusers coerce and manipulate children

3 Some of the physical and behavioural

3 Some of the short- and long-term impacts

3 Children’s basic rights in relation to

3 Where to access information about child

4 CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk

1.1. Why Do We Need Child Protection Legislation and Services?

‘Australia Facing an “Epidemic of 3. Visit the AIFS website:

CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk 3

1.2. What Is Child Abuse?

This definition makes it clear that there are many

Abuse and Neglect

6 CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk

1.3. Types of Abuse

CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk 7

Grooming impacting the child’s ability to develop appropriate

8 CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk

Watch the following video:

How much did the information in the video surprise

CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk 9

1.4. The People Who Abuse and Neglect Children

In recent years, evidence of historical abuse and neglect

To learn more about people who abuse and

10 CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk

‘The Stolen Generations’ ‘Track the History Timeline: The

After reading through the resources, answer the following questions:

Continued on following page...

CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk 11

What was the intention of this policy?

How did these events contribute to intergenerational trauma?

Share and discuss your thoughts in class or online if possible.

12 CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk

1.5. Indicators of Abuse and Neglect

Questioning Skills • The infliction of the same form of abuse on younger

CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk 13

Indicators of Emotional and • Behavioural indicators include:

14 CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk

What type of abuse can you identify in the scenario?

What are the indicators of abuse?

Continued on following page...

CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk 15

What type of abuse can you identify in the scenario?

What are the indicators of abuse?

Continued on following page...

16 CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to children and young people at risk

What type of abuse do you suspect is occurring?

What are the indicators of abuse?