Long wait times to report child abuse

Living in Australia, you would think we would be taking pretty good care of our kids hey? We're "the lucky country".

Guess how long you generally have to wait to just report child abuse in SA?

10 mins?

20 mins?

Surely not more than that right? Heck I can get a hold of Optus customer service in that amount of time...

Give up?

Try 2.5 hours. Day in day out. Standard wait time.

But I guess as long as they help the kids in need eventually hey?

Nope.

You can have a little girl being picked up off the ground... by her hair... shaken around and screamed at. Abuse resulting in the little kids being covered in bruises... and that's not even a blip on families SA radar. Won't get investigated, doesn't meet the threshold. Case closed, no investigation required.

It really really ****** me off.

In the other states you might only have to wait 30 mins to an hour to report abuse. So they are a bit better.

But kids are literally dying because reports of abuse aren't being followed up:

http://theconversation.com/abuse-and-neglect-australias-child-protection-crisis-32664

Makes my blood boil.

 

Yep, me too.

About 8 years ago I couldn't resuscitate a toddler who had just been abused (in all ways).

Ill never forget every second of that experience.

 

This is disturbing.

 

Sorry... maybe should have kept it to myself - but child abuse shouldn't be hidden. I'm also very anti-paedophilia (who isn't) for obvious reasons.

(I also have a theory that padeophilia is a congenital sexual orientation, and as such needs a very different approach than the current one. Very few places in the world offer help for paedophiles before they commit the act. There is a frightening number of sexually oriented hits on false girl profiles online every time a sting is performed (like tens of thousands), thus is far more common than we would want to believe).

 

Never be sorry for exposing the truth. It is just so disturbing that horrible events like this occur.
The ongoing saga relating to William Tyrell springs to mind. Simply baffling!

 

Yep. Tragic. William is exactly the same age as my boy, spiderman suit and all. I was in the UK when it happened and was obsessed with the news story. The loss would be incomprehensible. I decided not to watch the parents interview.

My kids had two life-threatening accidents a day apart (whilst right under my nose) about 6 months ago and it still keeps me awake at night :/ Life was blissful when I was young and selfish.

Anyway. That's enough from me on this thread.

 

Agreed, there is no greater challenge than parenting; but also no greater reward.
Ahhh to be young again!

 

Lack of funding and resources. WA is probably in a similar boat. The "thresh hold"is different in each state before child health will act as they are just limited to resources and policies. Their hands are tied but I'd imagine staff are over worked and under paid too!

There are a lot of disgusting stories out there! So sad for the poor innocent kids, many don't stand a chance in life

 

is this your field at all @Tim86 ? tough gig if it is!

 

Yeah I work in this field. But its not a tough gig. Its an awesome gig. I get to support young vulnerable kids for years in an ongoing way. It might only be once a month I have to ring through to child safety. I have to call the cops and ambulances more often.

Because a lot of kids dont come forward while the abuse is happening I get to deal with the support afterward. You get these kids blaming themselves for the abuse, it pretty amazing when you can help them to turn that stuff around.

Its not all abuse stuff I deal with though. I help kids with bullying, mental health, family issues, etc... lots of suicide calls to.

Kids are pretty amazing. Luckily I get them when they are wanting to be honest and real and work on things. Not everyone gets to see that side of kids.

 

Exactly. Lack of funding. But heck id pay an extra 100 dollars a week in tax if it meant less kids were abused.

 

that's awesome! good on you!! very rewarding work.

its great you can get them when they want out or want help. they have a chance if you can get them out of that cycle

my mrs is a midwife and has to hand over the brand new ones over to these scum bags! qld and nsw have better reporting and can act as soon as the baby comes out. plenty of poor kids born after a dozen rums and high on all sorts of **** go home behind the 8 ball before they come out

 

There have been a few high profile cases of child abuse in the last couple of years in SA.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/...7-to-authorities/story-e6frea83-1226654327658
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-27/chloe-valentine-timeline/6262464
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-11/baby-ebony-suffered-horrific-injuries/6687962

Than there was the Families SA staff pedophile who molested seven young children under his care including babies and kids with disabilities and run his own child porn website.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-07/families-sa-carer-shannon-mccoole-jailed/6678564

The whole system needs an overhaul and a lot more funding to prevent anymore of this terrible stuff happening

 

@Tim86 Families SA has online reporting for mandated reporters like yourself, that way you don't have to wait on the phone at all.

https://my.families.sa.gov.au/IDMProv/landing.html

Also, I'll PM you soon

 

Too right

 

Yep that's the number we use. The mandated reporters line. Min hour and a half wait.

 

I mean they have online reporting, where you enter the details and type it up yourself so it goes on instantly and you don't have to wait or even speak to someone. It's kind of like sending an email with your report. NSW has the same facilities, I'm not sure about the other states.

 

Our workplace requires us to call them through. Plus some of the time we have the kids stay on the line. It's pretty messed up making the kids wait 2 hours to report something.

F....ed up system.

 

And let me say again its not the organisations fault or the good people that work there. They are simply massively underfunded.

 

How did resist the urge to kill the perpetrator?