Confronting Cruelty: Historical Perspectives on Child Protection in Australia

There is widespread concern in society about the problems of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect of children, but little understanding of the way in which what we call “child abuse” has been defined and treated over time. This analysis investigates the history of the detection and treatment of child abuse in Australia through the lens of the Victorian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, now the Children’s Protection Society (CPS), from 1896 to the end of the 20th century.

Dorothy Scott is an associate professor in the school of social work at the University of Melbourne. She is a leading figure in the field of child protection in Australia and has undertaken extensive research on child abuse in the contemporary context. Shurlee Swain is a senior lecturer in history at the Australian Catholic University and a senior research fellow in the department of history at the University of Melbourne. She has published widely in the field of social welfare history and the history of Melbourne. They both live in Melbourne, Australia.