Dimension 2: Safety
Aboriginal
Outcome
Young South Australians are safe and nurtured
Indicators
- Children and young people live in safe housing
- Children and young people are safe from preventable injury
- Children and young people are safe from abuse and neglect
- Children and young people are safe from crime
What we know from the most recent data…
Children and young people live in safe housing
Housing stress
The percentage of Aboriginal children and young people (under 15 years) in SA living in households experiencing housing stress was 28.1% in 2016 (26.8% in 2011).
Nationally, the percentage was 27.1% in 2016 (25.1 in 2011).
Data Source: AIHW, Children’s Headline Indicators
Homelessness
In SA, the percentage of Aboriginal children and young people (under 19 years) experiencing homelessness was 343.6 per 10,000 population in 2021.
Nationally, the rate was 278.4 per 10,000 population in 2021.
Data Source: ABS, Homelessness
Children and young people are safe from preventable injury
Hospitalisations
The percentage of presentations by Aboriginal children and young people under 18 years to public hospital emergency departments, whose presentations were classified as ‘potentially preventable hospitalisations’, was 14.6% in 2022 (15.8% in 2018).
Data Source: Health Information Portal (Admitted Activity), SA Health
Preventable/unintentional deaths due to injury
Between 2012-16, 20.9 per 100,000 deaths of Aboriginal children and young people under 15 years were classified as preventable/unintentional deaths (9.3 in 2008-2012).
Nationally, the rate for 2012-16 was 14.5 per 100,000 deaths (14.2 in 2009-13).
Data Source: AIHW, Children’s Headline Indicators
Children and young people are safe from abuse and neglect
Admission to out-of-home care (OOHC)
In SA, Aboriginal children and young people under 18 years were admitted to OOHC at a rate of 15.2 per 1,000 population in 2021-22 (17.2 in 2018-19).
Nationally, the admission rate of Aboriginal children and young people to OOHC was 12.0 in 2021-22 (13.0 in 2018-19).
Data Source: AIHW, Child Protection Collection
Children and young people in OOHC
A rate calculated on the last day of June each year indicates that, at 30 June 2022, in SA approximately 92.7 per 1,000 Aboriginal children and young people under 18 years were in OOHC (75.3 per 1,000 at 30 June 2019).
Nationally, the rate was 56.8 per 1,000 (54.2 per 1,000 at 30 June 2019).
Data Source: AIHW, Child Protection Collection
Home-based care
On the 30th June 2022, 61.2% of Aboriginal children and young people under 18 years were in home-based care (relative/kinship carer household) in SA.
Nationally, 63.1% of children and young people were in home-based care.
Data Source: AIHW, Child Protection Collection
Substantiated notifications
• For Aboriginal infants under 12 months, the substantiation rate was 141.1 per 1,000 population in 2021-22 (100.9 in 2016-17). Nationally, the rate was 77.3 in 2021-22 (83.2 in 2016-17).
• For Aboriginal children (1-4 years), the substantiation rate was 56.0 per 1,000 population in 2021-22 (35.1 in 2016-17). Nationally, the rate was 42.6 in 2021-22 (51.6 in 2016-17).
• For Aboriginal children (5-9 years), the substantiation rate was 44.4 per 1,000 population in 2021-22 (25.7 in 2016-17). Nationally, the rate was 37.6 was in 2021-22 (45.8 in 2016-17).
Data Source: AIHW, Child Protection Collection
Children and young people are safe from crime
Victims of offences
In 2022, the number of Aboriginal children and young people under 18 years who were victims of offences reported to SAPOL, was 128.8 per 10,000 population (91.8 in 2019).
Data Source: Attorney-General’s Department, Crime and justice data
Arrests
The number of arrests of Aboriginal children and young people in SA was 514 per 10,000 population in 2022 (489 in 2019).
Data Source: Attorney-General’s Department, Crime and justice data
Police diversions
In 2021-22, 22.5% of Aboriginal youth offenders (under 18 years old) were diverted from the youth justice system in SA.
Data Source: Report on Government Services, Police Services