Portrayals of Child Abuse Scandals in the Media in Australia and England: Impacts on Practice, Policy, and Systems

Abstract

Portrayals of child abuse scandals in the media in Australia and England: Impacts on practice, policy and systemsall these things influence the nature of media portrayals of child abuse scandals in Australia and England, and elsewhere. How has Australian media portrayed scandals?Australian media, particularly print media, has a longstanding interest and involvement in child abuse and neglect and has played key roles in bringing scandals and system failures to the public's and politician's attention.For example, the death in 1982 of Paul Montcalm aged 10 as the result of a fire, and the charging of his mentally ill mother with murder, led to both media criticisms and the Lawrence review of the response by officers of the New South Wales Department of Youth and Community Services.Ever since Melbourne's Herald Sun led a public campaign in 1990 following the brutal death at the hands of his step father of Daniel Valerio, aged two, the media have been active advocates for system reforms by highlighting the impacts on children resulting from maltreatment, and failures by those responsible for ensuring their safety and wellbeing.

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