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The lifetime economic and social costs of child maltreatment in Australia

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  • McCarthy, Molly M.
  • Taylor, Penny
  • Norman, Rosana E.
  • Pezzullo, Lynne
  • Tucci, Joe
  • Goddard, Chris

Abstract

A cost of illness (COI) study was undertaken to estimate the magnitude and range of lifetime effects associated with child maltreatment in Australia, using an incidence-based approach. Costs were primarily estimated through calculation of population attributable fractions (PAFs) to determine the marginal effects of child maltreatment on a range of outcomes. PAFs were then applied to estimates of expenditure, inflated to 2014–15 Australian dollars, projected over the life course, according to a baseline age of incident cases for child maltreatment in 2012–13, and discounted at 7% per annum. Sensitivity analysis was conducted using a best and lower bound estimate of incidence of child abuse. The best estimate of the total estimated lifetime financial costs for incident cases of child maltreatment in 2012–13 was $9.3 billion (a cost per child maltreated of $176,437), with a lower bound of $5.8 billion. The best estimate of lifetime costs associated with reduced quality of life and premature mortality (non-financial costs) for all incident cases of child maltreatment in 2012–13 was $17.4 billion, or $328,757 per child maltreated. The considerable lifetime costs associated with child maltreatment warrants an expansion of existing investment in primary and secondary prevention and targeted support services for children and families at risk.

Suggested Citation

  • McCarthy, Molly M. & Taylor, Penny & Norman, Rosana E. & Pezzullo, Lynne & Tucci, Joe & Goddard, Chris, 2016. "The lifetime economic and social costs of child maltreatment in Australia," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 217-226.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:71:y:2016:i:c:p:217-226
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.11.014
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Schurer, Stefanie & Trajkovski, Kristian & Hariharan, Tara, 2019. "Understanding the mechanisms through which adverse childhood experiences affect lifetime economic outcomes," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    3. Chris Clarke & Julien Bonnet & Manuel Flores & Olivier Thévenon, 2024. "What are the economic costs of childhood socio-economic disadvantage? Evidence from a pathway analysis for 27 European countries," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 22(2), pages 473-494, June.

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