9 November 2007
New research at Monash University has uncovered even stronger connections between poverty and child abuse.
Work at the National Research Centre for the Prevention of Child Abuse at Monash has found the existence of a vicious cycle where abuse and adversity in childhood can lead to poverty in adult life.
Centre director Professor Chris Goddard said the research revealed the true long-term impact of child abuse and highlighted the importance of treatment of child abuse victims.
"While the link between poverty and child abuse and neglect is widely accepted, this research suggests that the reverse may also be true. The association between child abuse and poverty may operate in both directions," Professor Goddard said.
"This study reveals adverse childhood experiences related to family functioning, such as child abuse, family violence, family breakdown and leaving home at an early age, as significant contributors to poverty outcomes in later life."
The study, recently published in the international journal Child Abuse Review and sponsored by the Australian Childhood Foundation, was based on in-depth interviews conducted with a group of people experiencing poverty in their adult lives.
Many subjects experienced what Professor Goddard described as accumulated adversity, where compounding physical and mental health problems affected the ability of abuse victims to successfully participate in the education system and the labour market, leading to pathways into poverty.
Senior Research Fellow at the Centre and primary researcher on the project, Dr John Frederick said experiences of adversity in early childhood had a major impact on a person's physical, psychological and economic capabilities in later life.
"Interventions which provide support for children dealing with experiences of abuse and adversity may lead to prevention of poverty in their adult lives," Dr Frederick said.
"Effective early intervention services, including well-resourced child protection services, are clearly one of the best investments Australia can make."
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