Economic Cost of Violence report released

Why a campaign about violence against children

Children and young people have asked for it. In the development of the three-year whole of government NSW Strategic Plan for Children and Young People, children and young people participating in face to face consultations with the Advocate frequently mentioned violence in response to the question, ‘what’s not working well for children and young people in your community?’

In consultations with over 15,000 children and young people across the state violence continued to be raised by children and young people in post-Plan consultations across bullying, juvenile justice, homelessness and with Aboriginal children and young people.

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What children and young people said

The Advocate worked with schools and community groups to conduct consultations with over 200 children and young people on violence, ensuring that participants had access to support if required. Polling of a further 1,000 12-24 year olds was commissioned by the Advocate.

Children and young people said that violence against children is, physical sexual, and emotional and can happen anywhere. One of their key recommendations was that there should be a campaign to raise awareness with adults and that it should use true to life examples of the types of violence they experience and where it happens.

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What adults said about violence against children

• more than one quarter of adults believe there are 200 or fewer victims of violence against children in NSW
• the vast majority (84%) believe it should be a priority of government
• more than 80% of adults said they would support a campaign raising awareness of violence against children and nearly half of all adults say they would pay a levy to invest in programs to reduce violence against children.

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How the campaign was developed

An advisory committee was set up in 2017 to plan the campaign which included ACWA, Absec, Life Without Barriers, People With Disability, Youth Action, YFoundations, Fams, Mission Australia, Multicultural NSW, Domestic Violence NSW, Department of Premier and Cabinet and Children’s Hospital Network, Prof. Les White and the office of the Hon. Pru Goward MP.

An international conference was held in Sydney with opinion leaders in NSW where they heard from over 100 children and young people what they thought needed to happen.

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How you can help

Show your commitment to end violence against children and young people, now and forever. Children and young people in NSW have asked you as an adult to do and say out loud that violence against children is wrong. Take the pledge today via the link below:

Take the pledge now

Take the pledge now