A new campaign targeting domestic violence against children will be launched later today at Westmead Children’s Hospital in Sydney by the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and Australian of the Year Rosie Batty, whose 11-year-old son, Luke Batty, was killed by his father in February 2014.
The campaign also seeks to encourage people experiencing violence to speak to their GP.
The AMA says more must be done to increase the visibility of children who are the victims of domestic violence, as most children can suffer lifetime consequences from their injuries.
“Unfortunately as a neurosurgeon I see every day the trauma that is caused by domestic violence when it’s inflicted on children in terms of head injuries and other injuries as well,” AMA president Professor Brian Owler said.
On average, the Children’s hospital sees 20 children with head injuries admitted to ER departments each year, with about 10 being serious injuries.
The hospital has its own team dedicated to treating children whose injuries stem from domestic violence.
According to Professor Owler, about 50,000 cases of child abuse are investigated each year and substantiated.
“My colleagues at the Children’s Hospital deal with this on a daily basis,” he told the ABC. “This is something that takes up an enormous amount of resources in terms of our paediatric hospitals, not just [the] children’s hospital at Westmead, but across the country,”
Professor Owler said children are often presented to the hospital with broken bones, bleeding of the brain and injuries to delicate organs, such as the eyes.
“These have lifetime consequences that many times injuries people don’t recover from, let alone the psychological injuries that are inflicted through domestic violence as well,” he said, adding that some children spend months in intensive care units and rehabilitation facilities.
Another aspect of the campaign is to educate doctors on referral pathways for patients experiencing domestic violence. One in five women experiencing domestic violence will report it to their GP first.
The AMA said domestic violence can happen in any family and is not limited by social or economic circumstances.
If you or someone you know needs support please call 1800-RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
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