Annette. Jackson

Understanding the impact of abuse and neglect on children and young people referred to a therapeutic program

Abstract Until recently there has been insufficient attention to the impact of child abuse and neglect on children’s development and wellbeing. This paper explores children’s experiences of maltreatment and the range of consequences on many areas of their lives. This study is located within the Take Two program, a Victorian statewide developmental therapeutic service for child protection clients aged between 0 to18 years of age who have suffered serious abuse and neglect. The Take Two program commenced in 2004 and by the end of 2007, 1194 referrals had been accepted. The Harm Consequences Assessment (HCA) was developed by Take Two to describe the experience and impact of abuse prior to referral. Analysis of the first two years of data derived from 560 HCAs is reported in this paper and includes a case vignette by way of example. This study found that the majority of Take Two clients had experienced multiple forms of abuse and neglect and had complex presentations including emotional, behavioural and developmental concerns. This complexity of experience and presentation has implications for both the importance of and the challenges involved in designing and providing an effective therapeutic service for these children. There are additional complexities to take into consideration for providing a therapeutic service for Aboriginal children. This study also has implications for how the broader system including protection and care services and schools can better understand and respond to meet their needs.