Each week in Australia, one child under the age of 18 dies from suicide, the Australian Human Rights Commission has found . Each week in Australia, one child under the age of 18 dies from suicide, a new investigation has revealed. The research, publicised by the Australian National Children's Commissioner Megan Mitchell on Thursday, also found that another 50 to 60 children are admitted to hospital each week due to self-harm. The shocking findings from the Australian Human Rights Commission, which were presented to parliament, have called for national research into the policies and support available for children. Intentional self-poisoning was found to make up 82 per cent of the 18,277 self-harm hospitalisations that were recorded by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare between 2007-08 and 2012-13. Indigenous children had a far higher rate of suicide than non-Aboriginal children throughout the different age groups, according to The Australian, with numbers doubling between the ages of four and nine. Suicides amongst indigenous teenagers were also five times higher than that of non-Indigenous teens. The report also identifies suicide as a significant issue for children who are 'sexuality diverse, transgender, gender diverse and intersex,' with a national survey of 1032 children finding 33 per cent of participants had harmed themselves and 16 per cent had attempted suicide. The Australian National Children's Commissioner, Megan Mitchell, is calling for a national move to make statistics of self-harm and suicide in children more readily available . The rate of suicide was found to peek in teenagers aged 14 and 15, who made up 106 deaths between 2007 and 2012 compared to the 14 deaths recorded for 12 and 13-year-olds. Commissioner Mitchell said these figures clearly indicated that national support and interventions need to be re-assessed. 'It is clear that we need to review the timing of interventions and support, and work with children much earlier to build resilience and encourage help seeking,' she said. She also called for a national move to make statistics of self-harm and suicide in children more easily available, to enable better research into the reasons leading to their actions and subsequently, more effective prevention and support mechanisms. Commissioner Mitchell hope the report will lead to more effective prevention and intervention strategies for children across the country . 'To find effective prevention and intervention strategies, we need regular and more detailed surveillance of death and hospitalisation due to intentional self-harm in children aged 4-17 years and a national research agenda', Commissioner Mitchell said. 'Without comprehensive surveillance of intentional self-harm in children, our prevention and early intervention strategies cannot be properly planned or evaluated'. Ms Mitchell told The Australian children need more support from parents, schools and health workers far earlier. She highlighted that youth in foster care and environments dominated by domestic violence, drug abuse or mental illness, presented a high risk.
The shocking findings were presented to parliament this week by the Australian National Children's Commissioner, Megan Mitchell .
Intentional self-poisoning was found to make up 82 per cent of the 18,277 self-harm hospitalisations that were recorded between 2007-08 and 2012-13 .
Commissioner Mitchell has called for a national move to make statistics of self-harm and suicide in children more readily available .
She says it will lead to more effective prevention and intervention strategies for children across the country .
Each week in Australia, one child under the age of 18 dies from suicide, the Australian Human Rights Commission has found . Each week in Australia, one child under the age of 18 dies from suicide, a new investigation has revealed. The research, publicised by the Australian National Children's Commissioner Megan Mitchell on Thursday, also found that another 50 to 60 children are admitted to hospital each week due to self-harm. The shocking findings from the Australian Human Rights Commission, which were presented to parliament, have called for national research into the policies and support available for children. Intentional self-poisoning was found to make up 82 per cent of the 18,277 self-harm hospitalisations that were recorded by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare between 2007-08 and 2012-13. Indigenous children had a far higher rate of suicide than non-Aboriginal children throughout the different age groups, according to The Australian, with numbers doubling between the ages of four and nine. Suicides amongst indigenous teenagers were also five times higher than that of non-Indigenous teens. The report also identifies suicide as a significant issue for children who are 'sexuality diverse, transgender, gender diverse and intersex,' with a national survey of 1032 children finding 33 per cent of participants had harmed themselves and 16 per cent had attempted suicide. The Australian National Children's Commissioner, Megan Mitchell, is calling for a national move to make statistics of self-harm and suicide in children more readily available . The rate of suicide was found to peek in teenagers aged 14 and 15, who made up 106 deaths between 2007 and 2012 compared to the 14 deaths recorded for 12 and 13-year-olds. Commissioner Mitchell said these figures clearly indicated that national support and interventions need to be re-assessed. 'It is clear that we need to review the timing of interventions and support, and work with children much earlier to build resilience and encourage help seeking,' she said. She also called for a national move to make statistics of self-harm and suicide in children more easily available, to enable better research into the reasons leading to their actions and subsequently, more effective prevention and support mechanisms. Commissioner Mitchell hope the report will lead to more effective prevention and intervention strategies for children across the country . 'To find effective prevention and intervention strategies, we need regular and more detailed surveillance of death and hospitalisation due to intentional self-harm in children aged 4-17 years and a national research agenda', Commissioner Mitchell said. 'Without comprehensive surveillance of intentional self-harm in children, our prevention and early intervention strategies cannot be properly planned or evaluated'. Ms Mitchell told The Australian children need more support from parents, schools and health workers far earlier. She highlighted that youth in foster care and environments dominated by domestic violence, drug abuse or mental illness, presented a high risk.
publicised by the Australian National Children's children. Intentional self-poisoning was found to make up 82 per cent of the 18,277 self-harm hospitalisations that were recorded by the between 2007-08 and 2012-13. Indigenous children Children's Commissioner, Megan Mitchell, is self-harm and suicide in children more readily said. She also called for a national move to make statistics of self-harm and suicide in children the report will lead to more effective prevention and intervention strategies for children across