Australia Losing $9 Billion Annually To Widespread Effects Of Child Abuse

Child abuse cases in Australia are costing the country $9 billion every year. A new report said the widespread effects of child abuse also include the financial cost of trauma to the economy.

Pegasus Economics was commissioned by lobby group Adults Surviving Child Abuse to determine the cost associated with child abuse to Australia’s economy. Researcher Nick Hossack gathered data from the Australia Bureau of Statistics in the study, reports ABC.

The $9 billion figure is based on the fact that nearly 4 million adults in the country were abused as children. As adults living with child abuse, they are dealing with major psychological trauma including suicidal tendencies, mental disorders, depression and obesity.

Hossack believes society has “unresolved trauma” and if Australia can help address it, there will be significant benefits not only for the abuse victim but also to the community and government budget. ASCA is now urging the government to read the report.

ACSA director Dr Cathy Kezelman, who is also a victim of child abuse, said the Australian government should need to know how much money it is losing every year since it did not address the problem properly. “It’s really about the cost of inaction for adult survivors,” she said.

Kezelman explained further that the economic cost of mental health issues, alcohol abuse, obesity and attempted suicide are actually significant. If the widespread effects of child abuse are addressed before they escalate, the government can save more money.

The research is part of ACSA’s submission to the federal government before Australia releases the budget in May. The report recommends cost reduction by improving the training of healthcare providers to help them identify childhood abuse or trauma. It suggests making more investments in specialised services including online services and helplines, reports SMH.

The research come after the Royal Commission in Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has discovered that a scheme for victims of abuse in organisations like schools and churches would need $4.3 billion for 10 years. Researchers believe public funds are better spent on prevention and early intervention rather than treatments.

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