On November 12, 2012, the Prime Minister at the time, Julia Gillard, declared her intention to suggest to the Governor-General the establishment of a Royal Commission to investigate how institutions responded to child abuse.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was a significant step in acknowledging and addressing childhood trauma. The commission investigated how institutions like schools, churches, sports clubs, and government organisations responded to allegations of child sexual abuse.
On December 15, 2017, after a five-year investigation the final report was handed to the Governor-General.
Below are some of the findings to which I can speak directly to from my own experience.
Abuse occurred in 1,069 schools.
About 31.8% of survivors (2,186 individuals) reported being sexually abused in schools.
71.8% reported abuse in religious schools, while 4.1% in secular non-government schools.
30.4% mentioned abuse in boarding schools, predominantly non-government (96.8% non-government, 3.2% government).
Abuse involved various tactics, including grooming of children and those around them.
Most survivors (88%) were abused by adults, primarily male (96.2%). Over half (58.4%) were abused by teachers, and 39.9% by individuals in religious ministry.
Other forms of abuse and neglect in schools reduced the likelihood of disclosing sexual abuse and normalised it.
Emotional maltreatment, such as bullying and psychological abuse, was common alongside sexual abuse.
Non-government schools, especially boarding and religious schools, had higher risks and incidents of abuse, often influenced by factors like reputation, masculine cultures, and lack of accountability.
The findings are directly from the report located at https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/
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