Interviews with children aged from 5 to 8 highlighted their vulnerability to molestation. This vulnerability is based in part on children's developmental levels. These include a limited capacity for abstract thought which renders some well intentioned attempts at child protection ineffective. Designers need to consider these developmental limitations when they develop child protection programs. Common parenting practices are also implicated in the perpetuation of children's vulnerability. These practices make it unlikely that a child would have the confidence to report adult-initiated sexual misbehaviour to a parent. Education is necessary to inform parents about ways in which they can reduce children's vulnerability by changing their own practices.

The important link between family life and youth health and wellbeing is widely acknowledged in research and literature. Equally, it is noted that the nature of relationships youngsters have with their parents, necessarily impact on the psychological wellbeing of parents.

In the majority, current parent education programs focus on younger children, and largely advise parents on child development and child management. Depending on the theoretical orientation of the program, either the child's troublesome behaviour is focus for change or parents are required to change their behaviour or parenting techniques. The limitations of these approaches have been noted. While prescriptive parent education programs are clearly inappropriate where teenagers are the focus, few suitable group programs have been developed with a practical alternative orientation.

This paper reports on one form of parent education being developed at Springvale Community Health Centre which serves to explore the practical relevance and benefits of a family systems approach in support-group programs for parents of adolescent children. Essentially, the family systems approach locates the parent-teenager relationship in the context of the family. Using key notions such as context, connectedness, continuity and change an attempt is made in the group to facilitate personal growth and the emergence of an alternative vision of family dynamics and parenting relationships.

In an earlier article in this journal (Bates, 1992), I suggested that, ‘Legislation and traditional legal principle seems to have been used to obfuscate, rather than enhance, the fact finding process.’ The cases discussed in that article (Minister of Community Welfare v B.Y. and L.F. (1988) F.L.C. 91-973; In the Marriage of Y and F (1990) F.L.C. 92-141; In the Marriage of D and B (1991) F.L.C. 92-226) documented that administrative processes were far from satisfactory in the way in which they dealt with allegations of child sexual abuse and so, perhaps, was the way in which the courts viewed expert evidence. Unfortunately, the process does seem to be continuing and must, therefore, be appropriately documented.

The recent trial and conviction in relation to the death in Victoria of Daniel Valerio has prompted renewed debate on mandatory reporting. But would such a measure have prevented Daniel's death?

A version of this article was presented at the Fourth Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, ‘Rights and Responsibilities: Wrongs and Remedies’, Brisbane, 11th - 15th July, 1993.

This article is based on a small part of a review of relevant literature for a Master of Social Work thesis entitled, ‘Do You Mean We're Not The Only Ones?… Experiences of Permanent Placement Disruption’. Statistics and trends from the State of Victoria have been included where relevant.

The article ‘A Word Salad - Enterprise Based Competencies in Child Protection’, Children Australia 18 (2) 1993 by Dr. Lesley Cooper, examines the Victorian Department of Health and Community Services (H&CS) Skills Enhancement Project (SEP). H&CS plainly rejects the negative criticisms of the skill analysis work which the article espouses.

This is a reproduction of the first edition of the Koorie Heritage Trust Newsletter, No. 1, July 1993, which is to be published each quarter. The newsletter will help Friends, Sponsors and Interested People keep in touch with the latest news of the Koorie Heritage Trust.

Five years ago, in one of my first contributions to this space at the back of what was then called Australian Child and Family Welfare, I wrote a piece on the abuse of children by those in positions of trust and responsibility. The article, ‘What you see depends on where you stand, what you want to see and what you want to tell others you have seen’, (Goddard 1988) was prompted by two events in my life.