Child Abuse and Neglect: a socio-legal Study of Mandatory Reporting in Australia

2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	Total
% change
3,463	5,759	6,699	7,711	8,297	7,444	8,193	9,047	9,335	9,434	75,382	172%

1.2 Number of reports by year, by abuse type, with percentage change (all reporter groups combined)

	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	Totals	% change
Emotional abuse	1,472	2,259	2,739	3,766	4,383	3,479	3,969	4,110	4,445	4,585	35,207	211%
Neglect	971	1,649	2,003	2,119	2,109	2,083	2,287	2,603	2,612	2,440	20,876	151%
Physical abuse	624	1,061	1,167	1,077	1,109	1,190	1,235	1,475	1,329	1,438	11,705	130%
Sexual abuse	396	790	790	749	696	692	702	859	949	971	7594	145%
Totals:	3,463	5,759	6,699	7,711	8,297	7,444	8,193	9,047	9,335	9,434	75,382	172%

Line graph for table 1.2: Number of reports by year, by abuse type (all reporter groups combined)

1.3 Number of reports, by abuse type, and outcome of reports (all reporter groups combined)

	Not investigated	Investigated	Substantiated	Not substantiated	Total reports
Emotional abuse	26,546	8,661	4,056	4,605	35,207
Neglect	15,051	5,825	2,525	3,300	20,876
Physical abuse	7,727	3,978	1,269	2,709	11,705
Sexual abuse	5,809	1,785	488	1,297	7,594
Totals:	55,133	20,249	8,338	11,911	75,382

Line graph for table 1.3: Number of reports, by abuse type, and outcome of reports (all reporter groups combined)

1.4 Number of reports by abuse type, and outcome of reports, as a percentage of all reports (all reporter groups combined)

	Not investigated	Investigated	Substantiated	Not substantiated
Emotional abuse	35%	11%	5%	6%
Neglect	20%	8%	3%	4%
Physical abuse	10%	5%	2%	4%
Sexual abuse	8%	2%	1%	2%
Totals:	73%	27%	11%	16%

1.5 Number of reports by abuse type, as a percentage of all reports by year (all reporter groups combined)

	Emotional abuse	%	Neglect	%	Physical abuse	%	Sexual abuse	%	Totals:
2003	1,472	43%	971	28%	624	18%	396	11%	3,463
2004	2,259	39%	1,649	29%	1,061	18%	790	14%	5,759
2005	2,739	41%	2,003	30%	1,167	17%	790	12%	6,699
2006	3,766	49%	2,119	27%	1,077	14%	749	10%	7,711
2007	4,383	53%	2,109	25%	1,109	13%	696	8%	8,297
2008	3,479	47%	2,083	28%	1,190	16%	692	9%	7,444
2009	3,969	48%	2,287	28%	1,235	15%	702	9%	8,193
2010	4,110	45%	2,603	29%	1,475	16%	859	9%	9,047
2011	4,445	48%	2,612	28%	1,329	14%	949	10%	9,335
2012	4,585	49%	2,440	26%	1,438	15%	971	10%	9,434
Totals:	35,207	47%	20,876	28%	11,705	16%	7,594	10%	75,382

1.6 Number of reports by year, all abuse types combined, by outcome of reports, with percentage change (all reporter groups combined)

	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	Totals	% change
Not investigated	1,778	3,176	3,844	4,642	6,268	5,978	6,729	7,548	7,640	7,530	55,133	324%
Investigated	1,685	2,583	2,855	3,069	2,029	1,466	1,464	1,499	1,695	1,904	20,249	13%
Substantiated	630	867	1,557	1,202	765	784	735	614	722	721	8,338	14%
Not substantiated	1,055	1,716	1,298	1,867	1,264	682	729	885	973	1,183	11,911	12%
Totals:	3,463	5,759	6,699	7,711	8,297	7,444	8,193	9,047	9,335	9,434	75,382	172%

Line graph for table 1.6: Number of reports by year, all abuse types combined, by outcome of reports (all reporter groups combined)

1.7 Number of reports by year, by outcome of reports, all abuse types combined, as a percentage of all reports by year (all reporter groups combined)

	Not investigated	%	Investigated	%	Substantiated	%	Not substantiated	%	Totals
2003	1,778	51%	1,685	49%	630	18%	1,055	30%	3,463
2004	3,176	55%	2,583	45%	867	15%	1,716	30%	5,759
2005	3,844	57%	2,855	43%	1,557	23%	1,298	19%	6,699
2006	4,642	60%	3,069	40%	1,202	16%	1,867	24%