Theme 5: Improving the evidence base
This content was initially created in 2022. Some information may no longer be current including titles of Ministers and Commonwealth Government Departments. You can find a list of current appointments on the Directory website.
The language we use has also changed from the initial terminology in the National Strategy. For a full list of the terminology we use, see our Glossary of terms page.
A strong data, research and evaluation agenda will build our evidence on the nature, causes and impacts of child sexual abuse in Australia. A strong evidence base is the best way to understand how to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse. It also helps make sure our work is:
- culturally safe
- age and development appropriate
- trauma-informed
- designed to meet people’s different needs and circumstances.
The focus of government measures
Australian, state and territory governments will identify where there are gaps in the evidence base and work together to develop and implement solutions. This includes running future waves of the Australian Child Maltreatment Study to work out how many Australians have experienced child maltreatment and whether this is changing over time.
Fieldwork for the first Australian Child Maltreatment Study started in 2021. It will provide baseline data for the National Strategy’s Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. The second wave of the Australian Child Maltreatment Study should run from 2024 to 2025. It will include specific methods to capture representative data for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people with disability.
We will set up a strong monitoring and evaluation framework to assess how well the National Strategy’s measures have been implemented. We will assess whether the National Strategy meets or achieves its vision, objective and values.
Australian, state and territory governments will work together to develop and implement a nationally coordinated strategic research agenda.
All measures under this theme will guide the design and ongoing improvement of our response to child sexual abuse.
The measures
23. Develop and deliver a strategic child safety research agenda
Overview
The National Strategy’s research agenda will coordinate and drive national research to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse.
The research agenda will:
- build our evidence on the risk, extent and impact of child sexual abuse victimisation in Australia
- assess how effective child sexual abuse offender programs are
- guide how we develop and improve new policy interventions.
Australian, state and territory governments will work together with the National Centre to develop and implement the strategic research agenda.
Royal Commission recommendation
Recommendation 6.3 from the Final Report
Lead Australian Government Department
National Office for Child Safety and Australian Institute of Criminology
24. Complete a baseline analysis of specialist and community support services for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse
Overview
The baseline analysis will:
- agree on a threshold for service standards – this will work out which services meet government expectations
- identify Australian services that meet the agreed standards
- find gaps in the service system
- make recommendations for expanding or developing new support services – including for the National Strategy’s priority groups
- make recommendations on the feasibility of developing a nationally consistent minimum data collection for relevant support services
- make recommendations for developing new or expanding services under the National Strategy’s second action plan.
Royal Commission recommendation
Recommendations 9.2, 9.3 and 9.6 from the Final Report
Lead Australian Government Department
National Office for Child Safety and Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
25. Set up a monitoring and evaluation framework under the National Strategy
Overview
The monitoring and evaluation framework will assess the progress of the National Strategy’s measures and objectives. The framework will, where appropriate, build on and align with any indicators and reporting processes developed for the Child Abuse Royal Commission Evaluation Framework (recommendation 17.4). We will update it at the beginning of each new National Strategy action plan to include new or improved data sources and performance indicators.
Royal Commission recommendation
Recommendation 6.3 from the Final Report
Lead Australian Government Department
National Office for Child Safety
26. Complete a monitoring and evaluation data feasibility assessment study
Overview
This study will review existing data sources against the National Strategy’s monitoring and evaluation framework to find gaps and opportunities to improve national data on child sexual abuse victimisation and offending.
Royal Commission recommendation
Recommendation 6.3 from the Final Report
Lead Australian Government Department
National Office for Child Safety and Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
27. Develop an evaluation framework on the implementation and effectiveness of the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations
Overview
The evaluation framework will develop a nationally consistent set of indicators and data sources to assess how organisations are implementing the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. It will also look at the effectiveness of the National Principles.
Royal Commission recommendation
Recommendation 6.14 from the Final Report
Lead Australian Government Department
National Office for Child Safety
28. Conduct a second wave of the Australian Child Maltreatment Study
Overview
A second wave of the Australian Child Maltreatment Study will produce reliable prevalence estimates for child maltreatment in Australia. This will include estimates for key groups, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability and people from CALD backgrounds. The study will have a focus on 16–24 year olds to produce prevalence estimates for recent child maltreatment that happened in the past 12 months.
Royal Commission recommendation
Recommendation 2.1 from the Final Report
Lead Australian Government Department
National Office for Child Safety
29. Develop a scoping study for and establish an Australian Child Wellbeing Data Asset
Overview
This measure will deliver a scoping study for a national, child-focused, linked data set to support the holistic analysis of children and young people’s pathways through government services. This may include services like:
- education
- health services
- child protection
- youth justice
- mental health services
- hospitals
- police services.
The measure will also support setting up this data set.
Royal Commission recommendation
Recommendations 2.1 and 6.3 from the Final Report
Lead Australian Government Department
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare