The methodology of the Australian child maltreatment study: the first Australian study of the prevalence of child maltreatment (ACMS)

Abstract

Background: Child maltreatment is associated with numerous negative outcomes. Despite being an issue of national priority, no reliable prevalence estimates previously existed. The Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS) provides the first prevalence estimates of each of the five types of child maltreatment. It also examines a range of associated psychiatric conditions and health risk behaviours. Objectives: To provide an overview of the methodology of the ACMS. Methods: Trained interviewers used computer-assisted telephone interviewing technology to collect data from 8503 randomly selected Australians aged 16 years through to 65 and over. An oversample (n = 3500) of youth participants were included, as well as 1000 participants from five age-decade strata (25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65+ years of age). Child maltreatment (physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and exposure to family violence) was assessed using the Juvenile Victimisation Questionnaire-R2 Adapted Version (ACMS). Major depression (lifetime), post-traumatic stress disorder (current), generalised anxiety disorder (current) and alcohol use disorder (current) were assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Findings: Comparisons with other national data indicate the ACMS sample is representative of the Australian population including representation of all states and territories, of rural and remote status, and of gender. Some minor differences were found in some demographics and weighting was applied. Conclusion: The ACMS provides a unique opportunity to estimate the prevalence of child maltreatment in Australia and its associations with a range of outcomes across life. The study is nationally important, and the findings will have significant impact on policy and practice.