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Childrens Rights
21 July 2022Media ReleaseGovernment action needed to protect children in detention
Learn how the Human Rights Commission is deeply concerned about the safety and wellbeing of teenagers who were kept in adult detention centres. -
Childrens Rights
24 August 2022Media Release
Survey shows children need better mental health support
A national survey examining the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people during the COVID-19 pandemic shows children and their families need better support from schools and mental health services. An initiative of the National Children's Commissioner, the survey found that children most commonly seek mental health support from their families, friends and schools. However,… -
Childrens Rights
25 August 2023Media Release
National Children’s Commissioner slams ‘shocking’ new Qld youth justice laws
The National Children’s Commissioner has expressed alarm at the Queensland Government rushing through legislation to allow children to be detained indefinitely in adult detention facilities, in a further contravention of the Queensland Human Rights Act. -
Childrens Rights
21 November 2024News story
Proposed Social Media Ban for Under-16s in Australia
The Australian Government is proposing laws that will require technology companies to restrict individuals under the age of 16 years from accessing their social media platforms. -
Childrens Rights
11 October 2024News story
NT Government urged not to lower age of criminal responsibility
The National Children’s Commissioner and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Commissioner have urged the Northern Territory Government to reverse its plan next week to introduce a new law to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 12 to ten years. -
Childrens Rights
5 April 2022News story
New report shares voices of children and families
A new report released today by the Australian Human Rights Commission highlights how important it is for governments to listen to children and families when making decisions about services and government policies that affect them. The Keeping kids safe and well – your voices report, led by National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds, follows a request from the Australian Government… -
Childrens Rights
4 October 2019Media Release
UN calls for national action to protect the rights of children and young people in Australia
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is calling on Australia to prioritise raising the age of criminal responsibility as part of its Concluding Observations on Australia's performance in protecting the country's children and young people. This comes at a time when there is a strong push around the country to improve our responses to juvenile offending and do more to divert children… -
Childrens Rights
16 November 2021Media Release
Proposal to raise the age does not go far enough
All 16 of Australia’s children’s commissioners, guardians and advocates say a commitment by state attorneys-general to develop a proposal to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12 does not go far enough. In a joint statement, Australian children’s commissioners, guardians and advocates said: “We are pleased that some jurisdictions have for the first time indicated they will look at… -
Childrens Rights
25 October 2023Media Release
National Children’s Commissioner urges governments to monitor child rights
Australia’s National Children's Commissioner Anne Hollonds is urging governments and service providers to implement a new national toolkit to help improve laws and policy decisions and monitor their impacts on children. -
Childrens Rights
5 September 2022Media Release
Ongoing juvenile detention crisis a failure of basic support for kids and families
Commissioner Hollonds said vulnerable children and their families have been let down by federal, state and territory governments for decades with key recommendations from various inquiries and Royal Commissions going unimplemented. -
Childrens Rights
6 April 2022Publication
Child-friendly version of Keeping kids safe and well (2022)
Most of the kids I spoke to said it was very important that the government listens to what they have to say. -
Childrens Rights
13 February 2024Media Release
AHRC welcomes announcement of National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Commissioner
The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomes the Federal Government’s announcement today that a new position will be created for a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Commissioner. Advocates and peak bodies representing Australia’s First Nations children have long sought a National Commissioner to promote the rights, interests and wellbeing of First Nations children… -
Childrens Rights
15 November 2022News story
Governments must urgently address youth justice crisis
The Australian Human Rights Commission calls on all Australian governments to urgently address the national crisis in youth justice to prevent further harm to children in detention, and to reduce youth offending through effective systems of support. -
Childrens Rights
30 October 2020Media Release
Anne Hollonds commences as National Children’s Commissioner
Anne Hollonds has commenced in her role as Australia’s new National Children’s Commissioner. Commissioner Hollonds emphasised the need for greater recognition of the importance of childhood in Australia. “Childhood is quite rightly described as critically important for people's social, health and economic outcomes, but the value of childhood is not only about the future adult that a child… -
Childrens Rights
19 April 2021Media Release
Governments must prioritise raising the age
National Children’s Commissioner, Anne Hollonds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, June Oscar AO have urged all Australian governments to raise the age of criminal responsibility as a matter of priority. A report commissioned by a meeting of Attorneys-General in July last year recommended that all jurisdictions raise the age and ensure younger teenagers… -
Childrens Rights
4 August 2022Media Release
National day spotlights culture and rights of First Nations children
Celebrating and showcasing the lives of First Nations children is the focus of today’s National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day. With the theme this year of ‘My Dreaming, My Future’, the day also provides a valuable opportunity to reflect on how Australians can work together to improve a range of health, social and human rights outcomes for young First Nations people -
Childrens Rights
21 November 2024News story
New animation – ‘Do things with the information we tell you’
In the Supporting Quality Engagement with Children 2023 Final Report, children and young people said they want to see action based on what they told us about their lived experience. -
Childrens Rights
4 April 2023Media Release
National Children’s Commissioner calls for action after ‘shocking’ research on child maltreatment in Australia
Australia’s National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds says ”confronting new findings from the Australian Child Maltreatment Study provide evidence, for the first time, of the scale of child maltreatment in Australia. "Child maltreatment is a much bigger problem than we thought, leading to serious negative lifelong harms for children, and massive costs to the community. “The ground… -
Childrens Rights
24 December 2019Video
Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts, winner of the 2019 Young People's Human Rights Medal
Receiving her award, Young People’s Human Rights Medal Winner Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts said, “The system does not work for our kids who are incarcerated - my mind and my spirit can't help but think of those young people that aren't here right now. “I ask that every single person assess your privilege and show up on the front line. We need to amplify those voices and we need to raise those… -
Childrens Rights
20 November 2023Publication
Scoping project for National Child and Family Investment Strategy
In this report, the National Children’s Commissioner makes 18 recommendations about how the National Child and Family Investment Strategy should work.