Description

The Aboriginal Child Sexual Assault Taskforce was established to consult widely with Aboriginal communities, community based services and government departments about child sexual assault within Aboriginal communities, which will result in a report being produced for the Attorney General containing key recommendations aimed at reducing the incidence of child sexual assault and at improving the way it is managed by service providers. This review of literature on child sexual assault and family violence in Indigenous communities has been collated with the intention of informing and guiding the report. In order to understand the issues surrounding child sexual assault and to reflect this understanding in the context of the report, a comprehensive review of both Australian and International literature (where relevant) pertaining to Indigenous communities overseas has been developed. The terms of reference of the Taskforce drove the review of literature, those being: i) examine how State Government agencies respond to evidence of child sexual abuse that may be occurring in Aboriginal communities generally, particularly the barriers and capacity of agencies to address the issue of sexual violence; ii) identify key areas to be addressed by Government in it’s response to the incidents of child sexual abuse; iii) examine how family violence impacts on/or contributes to child sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities; iv)propose measures to assist Aboriginal communities to develop their governance and economic capacity; v) recommend practical solutions for addressing incidents of sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities, including any necessary legislative and administrative measures; vi) comment on the possible adaptation of alternate sentencing and restorative justice processes as an adjunct to the criminal justice system; vii) examine how non-government organisations respond to child sexual abuse; and viii) propose safety and support measures for children reporting abuse. It is intended that this review will be updated as new resources are identified.