Steve Larkin
Abstract
A new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has provided vital information about the numbers, demographic characteristics, and health and welfare status of the Stolen Generations and their descendants, which will influence future policy and service development. It has also measured the ongoing impact of past policies which led to the forced removal of tens of thousands of children from their families, by documenting high levels of disproportionate disadvantage across most of 38 critical health and welfare factors analysed.
By showing that the Stolen Generations and their families experience greater levels of adversity than other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (who are already at a disadvantage in Australia), we can see a direct link between traumatic childhood experiences, inter-generational trauma, and many of the social and health issues in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities today.
The Healing Foundation is using this data to help build an Action Plan for Healing and promote the need for increased and specific healing-centred services across areas of Australia where the Stolen Generations and their descendants live.
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