Australia: Mandatory Detention is Child Abuse, says Study by Melissa Marino The Age 12:18pm 11th Jan, 2004   January 11, 2004    Children in detention in Australia are so traumatised by the experience they may need a lifetime of counselling, according to new research.    Louise Newman, the chairwoman of the faculty of child and adolescent psychiatry in the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, said the Federal Government's practice of detaining children with their asylum-seeking parents was a "form of child abuse" because of the severe psychological impact on the children.    "For many of us (psychiatrists) this is very much another form of child abuse that needs to be spoken out about," she said.    Dr Newman will present her research, carried out over three years at several remote detention centres, in Melbourne this week at the 9th World Congress on Infant Mental Health.    She said it was disturbing that the Government "in a so-called liberal democracy" had continued to detain children in deprived environments, where it was often too hot to play outside, where there were no pets and few toys or equipment to stimulate learning.    "These are children who play with bits of rock," she said. "There are minimal organised activities so children essentially get bored witless and roam around."    Dr Newman said very young children and those born in detention who were now toddlers were affected in critical periods of development.    "The thing to compare it to that is really very distressing is that we seem to have produced a little group of children, those born in detention, who look a lot like Romanian orphans," she said.    Dr Newman said these children had severe problems with attachment. They found it difficult to relate to others, were very withdrawn or overly familiar with strangers and language and cognitive development was impaired, she said.    In a study made at one remote centre, Dr Newman said every child displayed at least one psychological disorder and the majority suffered from more than one. Symptoms included bed wetting, nightmares, depression and separation anxiety. Adolescents were often depressed and angry, she said, and many had resorted to self harm.    Dr Newman said children in detention not only had harsh environments but also had parents who were usually depressed and emotionally unavailable. She said children in detention had been exposed to violence, self harm and attempted suicide, which manifested in post-traumatic stress disorders, but day-to-day life was also affecting their mental health.    In response to Dr Newman's concerns, the Government said that since 2001 it had implemented a range of "innovative" approaches for women and children in detention.    Residential housing projects at Woomera, Port August and Port Hedland now housed 35 women and children, foster care was an option and the Department of Immigration was talking to community groups on alternative detention options, a spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone said.    But the Federal Opposition said the Government had not done enough. It wants all children released from detention and living with their parents in community or hostel accommodation unless there is a security risk.
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