Domestic and family violence experienced by children and young people in NSW
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Senior Research Officer, Parliamentary Research Service
Children and young people are more than witnesses to domestic and family violence (DFV); they experience DFV and its impacts directly. Recent strategic documents in NSW acknowledge children and young people as victim-survivors of DFV. Responses to children and young peoples' experiences of DFV may differ from those that are needed by their parents. This paper considers progress in embedding the understanding of children and young people as victim-survivors of DFV within NSW policy and practice, looking at social services, education, justice and child protection. |
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Key points
- Domestic and family violence (DFV) is the most common form of child maltreatment. Up to 40% of Australians aged 16-65 years have been exposed to domestic violence as a child at least once.
- Children and young people themselves should be considered victim-survivors of DFV, rather than simple dependents of parents who experience DFV.
- Recognising and responding to children and young people as victim-survivors of DFV has implications for NSW policy and service systems – including social services, education, justice and child protection.
- Child rights and Indigenous rights frameworks can inform policy and service system responses to children and young people's experience of DFV.
- NSW has embedded the understanding of children and young people as victim-survivors of DFV in some policy and service areas. Significant gaps remain, however, in how consistently children and young people are recognised, supported and protected across systems.
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