Evaluation of Operation RESET: An initiative for addressing child sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities
| DOI | 10.1177/0004865814524217 |
| Author | Glenn Mace,Mairi Benson,Martine B Powell |
| Date | 01 March 2015 |
| Published date | 01 March 2015 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
Australian & New Zealand
Journal of Criminology
2015, Vol. 48(1) 82–103
Evaluation of Operation
! The Author(s) 2014
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DOI: 10.1177/0004865814524217
addressing child sexual abuse
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in Aboriginal communities
Glenn Mace
Western Australia Department for Child Protection & Family Support,
Australia
Martine B Powell
Deakin University, Australia
Mairi Benson
Deakin University, Australia
Abstract
This paper presents a qualitative evaluation of Operation RESET: a multi-agency child pro-
tection strategy for remote Western Australian Aboriginal communities. RESET is a proactive
engagement strategy involving a mobile multi-disciplinary specialist child abuse team compris-
ing detectives and social workers. It is underpinned by the principles that preventing and
responding to child sexual abuse must be a shared responsibility, address the underlying
causes and contextual issues and enhance children’s safety and well-being by empowering
families and communities. The evaluation procedure consisted of in-depth interviews with
64 stakeholders of various backgrounds and affiliations who lived or worked in regions where
RESET had been deployed for the past 18 months. Collectively, the interviews revealed strong
support for Operation RESET’s implementation and outcomes. Stakeholders highlighted four
elements as being valuable components of the reform: the programme’s proactive outreach
approach, dedication to capacity building, holistic focus and the establishment of relationships
that facilitated trust. These findings are discussed within the broader literature and sugges-
tions for further research are offered.
Keywords
Aboriginal communities, child sexual abuse, community engagement, proactive response,
qualitative
Corresponding author:
Martine B Powell, School of Psychology, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia.
Email: martine.powell@deakin.edu.au
Mace et al.
83
Introduction
This paper presents an evaluation of Operation RESET: a newly established multi-
agency community engagement initiative to address the under-reporting and high preva-
lence of child sexual abuse in some remote Aboriginal communities. Child protection
reports indicate that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are six times more
likely than mainstream children to be the subject of substantiated incidents of harm, yet
reporting and conviction rates are much lower for these children (Australian Institute of
Health and Welfare, 2011; Bromfield & Holzer, 2008; Stanley, Tomison, & Pocock,
2003). These reports underestimate the problem given that reporting of child abuse is
much lower in Indigenous than non-Indigenous communities (Australian Institute of
Health and Welfare, 2011; Bromfield & Holzer, 2008; Stanley et al., 2003). Indeed,
Robertson (2000) estimated that 88% of all rapes in Indigenous communities go unre-
ported, which is consistent with the fact that in several communities with direct indica-
tors of sexual abuse (e.g. teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections in
children) the crime has been almost non-existent in official statistics.
Numerous government inquiries and reforms have been implemented over the past
few decades to address child sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities (e.g. Anderson &
Wild, 2007; Crime and Misconduct Commission Queensland, 2004; Gordon, Hallahan,
& Henry, 2002; Mullighan, 2008; New South Wales Aboriginal Child Sexual Assault
Taskforce [NSWACSAT], 2006). Despite the prior initiatives, concerns outlined above
have remained, which highlights the complex and multi-faceted nature of this problem
(Calma, 2006). Factors contributing to the maintenance of child sexual abuse include
(albeit in part) inadequate understanding of the nature of this crime (and associated
laws), and the existence of systemic structural barriers to individuals’ engagement with
welfare and law enforcement agencies due to shame, fear of payback and a lack of trust
in criminal justice professionals (Lievore, 2003; NSWACSAT, 2006; Stanley et al., 2003).
Research also suggests that inter-generational cycles of poverty, poor health, violence,
and drug and alcohol misuse are associated with heightened risk of family and other
violence, including child abuse and neglect (Berlyn & Bromfield, 2009).
The development of effective child protection engagement strategies has been impeded
by the scarcity of literature outlining the intent, practical implementation and impact of
prior and current reforms, along with quality evaluation data (Thompson, Greville, &
Param, 2008). Most of the prior research has merely highlighted failures of prior inter-
ventions, and the need for better community engagement and a holistic approach to
tackling the causes and symptoms of abuse. The current paucity of data regarding the
nature and effects of interventions negatively impacts communities and service pro-
viders, and gives little indication of the outcomes of government investments in reforms.
To improve our child protection systems, it is necessary to understand how they are
currently operating and monitor their impact on an ongoing basis.
The current study represents one of the first evaluations of a community engagement
initiative to improve the ability of remote Indigenous communities and supporting
agencies to detect, respond to and prevent child sexual abuse. The strategy is a joint
initiative of the Western Australia (WA) Police Sex Crime Division and the Department
for Child Protection and Family Support ChildFIRST service that has been operating in
numerous communities in the Mid-West Gascoyne region of WA since April 2009.1
84
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology 48(1)
The model is best described as a proactive community engagement approach. Three core
principles underpin the new strategy: the responsibility for preventing and responding to
child sexual abuse must be a shared responsibility between government agencies and
communities, any model for responding to child sexual abuse must address the under-
lying causes and wider contextual issues, and children’s overall safety and well-being is
enhanced through services that strengthen and empower families and communities
(Bromfield & Holzer, 2008; Fawcett & Hanlon, 2009; NSWACSAT, 2006; Scougall,
2008). Reactive investigative support is a feature of Operation RESET,2 however, the
focus is to enhance, problem solve, coordinate and add value to existing supports in the
regions through more efficient use and targeting of existing resources. The intention is
that Aboriginal communities (with support of service providers) will effectively prevent
the sexual abuse of their children and that complaints made to the police and child
protection service providers will be investigated thoroughly and expeditiously.
Implementation of the model of investigation involved several phases. First, target
communities were identified using the Survey of Risk Factors for Child Abuse in
Regional/Remote Communities.3 Specifically, the survey elicits information from agencies
about the extent to which several factors that contribute to an increased risk of child abuse
and neglect (e.g. pornography and violence) are present in Aboriginal communities. Scores
for each risk factor are combined to provide an overall risk rating (out of 100) for child
abuse in each community. The risk scores are subsequently recorded on the vertical axis of
an assessment matrix with sexual assault reports (on a per capita basis) recorded on the
horizontal axis. High-risk communities with extremely low rate of reporting and detection
of child abuse were subsequently chosen as the targets of Operation RESET.
Second, the core project team was compiled. Seven professionals (detectives and child
protection workers) were selected based on their specialist knowledge in child sexual
abuse investigation and personal attributes (e.g. open-mindedness, desire to work in
these communities, ability to travel one week per month, cultural awareness and prior
experience in Indigenous communities). With the previous model, local/nearby detective
and general duties (uniformed) police would respond to and investigate reports, whereas
the RESET team (based in Perth) were an outreach version of a child sexual assault
squad who would regularly visit the same communities for the sole purpose of imple-
menting the operation. The next phase involved consultation with community members
and a wide array of local service providers in order to share information about child
sexual abuse, and then subsequently devise collective solutions to this problem.
The action phase involved implementing the community engagement strategy. The
RESET team were deployed in proactive, pre-planned visits, during which they con-
ducted investigations. Further key functions of these visits included general networking
(to facilitate positive working relationships between local services providers and com-
munity members) and capacity-building tasks (e.g. training or any activity that builds
knowledge of the signs and indicators of child sexual abuse). The team also undertook
reactive visits, with team members being assigned according to the priority and
resources. Throughout this phase, documentation of activities and outcomes provided
a framework for planning and informing the strategic and equitable distribution of
services. Overall, during 2009–2010, the RESET team carried out 24 proactive visits
and 10 reactive visits, in which they...
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