Indigenous mums taken from their families more likely to be victims of violence later in life
Indigenous mothers who were removed from their natural families during childhood are more likely than other Indigenous mothers to be victims of violence, according to the results of research published in the Medical Journal of Australia.
A quarter of Indigenous women living with dependent children aged under 15 years have been victims of violence, according to analysis of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey.
As part of the survey, which was conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2002 and 2003, Indigenous mothers with dependent children aged under 15 were asked if they had been victims of violence in the previous 12 months.
Lead author of the report, Dr Kylie Cripps, of the Melbourne School of Population Health at the University of Melbourne, said Indigenous mothers with dependent children experienced high rates of violence across Australia, but those who lived in cities and regional centres were more likely to be victims of violence than those living in remote areas.
“In remote areas, mothers who had been removed from their natural families during childhood had nearly threefold greater odds of being victims of violence. In non-remote areas, the odds were 72 per cent greater,” Dr Cripps said.
“This finding is particularly troubling and adds to the accumulating body of evidence of the lasting impact on adult life of removing children from their families.”
Prof David Studdert, a co-author of the report, also from the Melbourne School of Population Health, said older mothers and those who lived with their male partners were significantly less likely to have been victims of violence.
“Other studies have also suggested that older maternal age is a protective factor against violence. It may be partly due to the ability of older women to better negotiate risky interpersonal situations,” Prof Studdert said.
“Our analysis showed that mothers who had a male partner living in the house had half the odds of experiencing violence.”
The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.
The statements or opinions that are expressed in the MJA reflect the views of the authors and do not represent the official policy of the AMA unless that is so stated.
CONTACT:
Dr Kylie Cripps 0400 142 730
Professor David Studdert 0407 083 444
Ms Emma O’Neill 0432 758 734
University of Melbourne Media Officer