AUSTRALIA
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
15 August, 2014
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has today published two research reports into aspects related to child sexual abuse:
Mandatory reporting laws for child sexual abuse in Australia; a legislative history
Child exploitation material in the context of institutional child sexual abuse
Royal Commission CEO Philip Reed said the information in the reports published today will fill gaps in the current body of research on child sexual abuse to assist others in their work in this area.
“While the findings and opinions contained in Royal Commission research reports are those of the authors and not the Royal Commission, the Royal Commission will use the results to inform its work and the development of final recommendations,” he said.
“The Royal Commission is investing significant resources to deliver research that will provide evidence to support our work and help us to make recommendations for strengthening the protection of children and institutional responses to child sexual abuse. …
Key findings of reports
Mandatory reporting laws for child sexual abuse in Australia: a legislative history – Queensland University of Technology
* This report provides an overview of the development of laws relating to mandatory reporting in each State and Territory.
* Every Australian jurisdiction now has some form of mandatory reporting law for child sexual abuse.
* Australian States and Territories have introduced laws relating to mandatory reporting at different times over a 40 year period. They were first enacted in 1969 in South Australia and the last State to enact them was Western Australia in 2009.
* Currently the laws share many features and have a similar approach however several significant differences remain particularly in relation to reporter groups
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