About Safehands

A Queensland Police Service statistical review detected an increase in offending in relation to physical abuse of children aged 0-4yrs.  This proactive initiative will be implemented to target existing crime problems (the physical abuse of children 0-4 years) through the formation of strategic community partnerships with relevant stakeholders including the Department of Child Safety (DChS), Queensland Health (QH), the Department of Communities (Communities), the Brisbane Broncos and the Ipswich City Council.

One of the Queensland Government priorities is 'Protecting our children and enhancing community safety'.  'Safehands' is a state wide social marketing and education campaign designed to:

• Increase public awareness;
• Generate support from government agencies to reduce offending;
• Provide support for potential witnesses who may know of offences and offenders;
• Educate parents and the wider community that rough handing can harm children and is unacceptable; and
• Enhance the community perception of government
  and non-government agencies as pro-actively protecting
  and supporting children.

In Queensland during 2004-2006:

• Parents committed 94% of all the Fatal assaults of young children between 1 Jan 2004-31 December 2006.
• Statistics show children under are our 4 greatest victims of murder.
• More than 1 in 3 children who were abused or neglect in 2005-2006 were under 4 years old.
• 36.7% of Child Safety notifications related to children under 4 in 2004-2005.
• 30% of children in out of home care are under 4 years old.
• There is a Long term extensive financial cost to Queensland community for non intervention.

Child protection in Australia 2004-2005*

• 40,829 child protection notifications in Queensland.  This statistic has doubled in the past 5 years.
• Queensland has the highest rate nationally of children admitted to and discharged from care and protection orders.
• 45% of children admitted to and discharged from care and protection orders were 0-4yrs.
• 43.9% of substantiated notifications were on children 0-4yrs.
• Rate of children physically abused in Queensland is 4 times the rate of children sexual abuse.

Last Updated: 1 August 2007