The National Child Protection Clearinghouse collects, produces and distributes information and resources, conducts research and offers specialist advice on the latest developments in child abuse prevention, child protection and associated violence. Reports and discussion papers are published regularly, available on the Australian Institute for Family Studies' website at: http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare section, Child Protection Notifications, Investigations and Substantiations (administrative) -- collects information on notifications, investigations and findings concerning youth to the age of 17 regarding the abuse, neglect and maltreatment or harm to a child. It collects these statistics annually, and reports them in their child welfare series, the latest of which is Child protection Australia 2005-06, available on the AIHW's website (http://www.aihw.gov.au).

NAPCAN, a non-government, not-for-profit volunteer-based organisation, is represented in most Australian states and territories. Website: http://www.napcan.org.au/

Barnardos, Australia's leading children's charity, provides services that successfully help prevent and reverse the effects of abuse, neglect and homelessness on children and young people. Website: http://www.barnardos.org.au/

Child Safety Network of Australia

Devoted to improving children's safety and preventing child abuse and youth suicide, the Child Safety Network of Australia aims to give families, children, teachers and other professionals the information they need to prevent child abuse and neglect.(Link at www.childsafe.net.au not active, 20 January 2009.)

Child Wise

Child Wise is an Australian organisation working in Australia and overseas to end child sexual exploitation and abuse, and is also the Australian representative of ECPAT International (a global campaign in over 70 countries committed to ending the commercial sexual exploitation of children). The work of Child Wise includes advocacy, awareness training, research, law reform, training programs, education, and information provision. Child Wise has worked with governments, law enforcement authorities, the tourism and Internet industries, schools and tertiary education institutions, and a wide range of non-government organisations. Its 'Choose with Care' prevention program aims to minimise the risk of child abuse occurring within voluntary and professional organisations working with children.

International: See: International Child and Youth Care Network

USA: See Child Welfare Information Gateway

NOTE: The Australian Bureau of Statistics' information paper, Improving Statistics on Children and Youth: An Information Development Plan (ABS 4907.0, 2006) outlines the issues with collecting information on abuse and neglect relating to youth, and cites the following as sources of information:

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) annual collections:

• Child Protection Notifications, Investigations and Substantiations;
• Children under Care and Protection Orders; and
• Children in Out-of-Home Care.

The Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) National Data Collection -- this includes information on children and young people experiencing homelessness as a result of various reasons including family conflict and/or domestic violence. SAAP data are reported annually, and results are published in the SAAP National Data Collection Annual Report available
on the AIHW's website (http://www.aihw.gov.au).

The ABS' annual collections of crime and justice data include data on assault and sexual assault, as well as information concerning victims of recorded crime. See http://www.abs.gov.au