Annolies Truman, Perth
Twenty-four per cent of Aboriginal children in Western Australia are at high risk of clinically significant emotional or behavioural difficulties, a ground-breaking report has found. Adele Cox and Sven Silburn from the Western Australian Aboriginal Child Health Survey (WAACHS) explained the grim situation when they presented the main findings in The Social and Emotional Wellbeing of Aboriginal Children and Young People at a press conference on May 10.
The report surveyed 20% of an estimated 22,900 WA Aboriginal children aged 4 to 17. The survey team gathered data from families, schools and children in communities across the state. They found that 24% of Aboriginal children in WA were at high risk, meaning clinically significant, compared with 15% of non-Indigenous children.
Causal factors include major life stress events, quality of parenting and family care arrangements.
At least one in five Aboriginal children were found to be living in families where seven or more major life stress events had occurred in the preceding 12 months. The corresponding figure for the overall population is 1%.
The events include death, illness, family break-up, arrest and financial difficulties. These children were five times more likely to be at high risk than those in families experiencing two or fewer events.
A quarter of Aboriginal children were living in families with poor quality of parenting. They were nearly four times as likely to be at high risk. Thirty-four per cent were in the care of a sole parent. They were almost twice as likely to be at high risk.
Certain child and carer physical health factors were also found to be significant. Children with speech impairments, severe otitis media and abnormal vision in both eyes were 1.5-3 times more at high risk.
Children in the primary care of a person with a long-term illness were 3.5 times at high risk and those whose primary carer had used mental health services were 1.5 times at high risk.
However, protective factors were also noted. Children living in extremely isolated locations, away from towns and cities, were found to be five times less affected by these stressors. High household occupancy also reduced the level of risk to half the rate.
The survey also asked specific information from young people aged 12 to 17. It found that 32% of Aboriginal females and 21% of Aboriginal males had low self-esteem and that 16% had seriously considered suicide.
The WAACHS team pointed to the inadequacy of current services. They hope the data from the report can prompt radically new approaches to reduce underlying disadvantage, including racism, poor health, unequal distribution of resources and past policies of dispossession, removal of children and government control.
With the demise of ATSIC, the WAACHS team argues it is critical for all levels of government to work closely with Aboriginal communities and respect community-identified priorities.
From Green Left Weekly, May 25, 2005.
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