University of South Australia (UniSA) childhood adversity experts warn that unless major funding and resources are redirected to prevent child abuse and neglect, as well as provide effective social and therapeutic services to people with histories of abuse, the intergenerational cycle of abuse will not be broken.
Professor Leonie Segal said in a UniSA release on Thursday it is paramount that authorities recognise the connections between childhood abuse and family violence later in life, and stressed that family violence, including familial child abuse and neglect, is a major public health and social issue.
“It affects more than 20 per cent of the population and shapes every aspect of a person’s life, from their physical and mental health to their education, ability to interact with people, employment, and even criminal involvement,” she said….