By 96five NetworkMonday 4 Sep 201796five AfternoonsLifeReading Time: 2 minutes
Article written by 96five Intern – Alec Camplin
In the past year an alarming 22,581 notifications were made to Child Protection Services from concerned children, family members, friends and neighbours.
And it’s this startling statistic that makes this year’s Queensland Child Protection Week (CPW) so important. Under the leadership of CPW Chairperson, Elizabeth Kobierski, over 100 community events will be held this week across the state to educate and increase awareness of child protection.
Ms Kobierski joined 96Five’s Arthur Muhl to speak about the importance of the week in identifying the signs of abuse or neglect for Queensland children.
She explained, each one of the 22,581 notifications sent to Child Protection Services, not only by at-risk children but also community members concerned about something they’ve seen, are assessed.
Ms Kobiersk also emphasised the importance of recognising child protection issues occur across all demographics and shouldn’t be pigeon holed to a particular part of society.
Trends in the state have sadly seen a rise in neglect of children. Unfortunately, this means Queensland Child Protection Week could not be timelier.
“By recognising the signs and confronting uncomfortable situations head on…ordinary Queenslanders… (can demonstrate) the life changing impact that individuals can have when they decide to step up and make child protection their business.”
Over the course of the week it’s hoped that thousands of individuals will be prompted to develop a greater understanding of the issue, ultimately aiding the protection of at risk children now and into the future.
The motto for the 2017 campaign is “Protecting children is everybody’s business” with the core message being not to be a bystander and that everyone has a part to play.
If you would like more information about the week and its event please click here.
Queensland Child Protection Week is encouraging you to raise the issue using, #UPTOUS and #EVERYBODYSBUSINESS on social media