More chances to find and protect abused children

Jul 28 2009 Ask Alan

Q. ARE our children safe anywhere these days?

A. CHILD safety is a huge concern and many agencies can become involved. I think by ‘safe’ you probably mean ‘safe from abuse’, and not physically safer (physical safety has certainly improved over time). Abuse, in its many forms, has always happened and there are abusive people. What is less convincing is the argument that it is happening more often, or there are more abusers around. Far more likely is that there are more opportunities for children to disclose the fact they are being abused now and they are more likely to be heeded. Every new technology creates opportunities for abuse but also creates opportunities to detect and protect. These can give the impression that abuse is more widespread. None of which lessens the damage caused to any child by abuse, or removes the responsibility to keep trying to detect and prevent it.