Aims

The ACMS had four primary aims. Specifically we aimed to examine:

1. The prevalence of each type of child maltreatment (physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and exposure to domestic violence) and of multi-type maltreatment;
2. The nature of maltreatment experiences (the child’s age and gender; the child’s relationship with the person who inflicted the maltreatment; frequency and severity of maltreatment; parental risk factors); and
3. The mental health problems and health risk behaviours associated with child maltreatment.
4. The burden of disease attributable to child maltreatment, and selected healthcare costs.

Participants

Details of the ACMS methodology and sample have been published in a protocol article (Mathews et al., 2020), and in an article in the MJA supplement (Haslam et al., 2023).

In short, we recruited a sample of 8503 participants aged 16 or older. This included 3500 participants aged 16-24, and 1000 participants in each of the following age groups: 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65 and over. Our sample was representative of the Australian population.

Our sample included representative participation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. For ethical and methodological reasons, data from these participants was not analysed separately. We have been mindful throughout the ACMS to treat participants respectfully. As part of this, we recognise that the ACMS was designed as a general population survey, and was not designed specifically with the purpose of enquiring into different aspects of experiences of First Nations Australians. We acknowledge that proper understanding of the experiences of First Nations Australians could only be ethically and properly conducted in accordance with principles of Aboriginal Participatory Action Research.

Design and Methods

The ACMS used a cross-sectional retrospective survey design. Data was collected via random telephone sampling and Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) technology. Potential participants received an advance text message including a link to the study website prior to receiving personal invitations via phone. Following screening, to establish eligibility participants provided verbal informed consent to participate. All interviews were conducted by our research partner The Social Research Centre during 2020 (for the pilot) and 2021 (for primary data collection).

To assess prevalence of maltreatment across the entire span of childhood until aged 18, all participants answered questions about their childhood experiences. Questions were asked about the experience of each of the five types of maltreatment (physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and exposure to domestic violence). In addition, participants aged 16-17 years reported past year exposure to maltreatment in order to allow past year prevalence and past year incidence to be calculated. All participants were surveyed about their current physical and mental health status.

Sampling Frame

Participants were contacted via telephone using random digit dial. An all-mobile sampling frame was used. Participants were first sent an advance text message with information about the survey and response options allowing the potential participant to opt out, or to opt in. Participants who opted in were then contacted and were screened for eligibility and if eligible, were invited to complete the survey over the phone. Participants who opted out were not contacted. Participants who neither opted in nor out were telephoned to invite participation, and if contacted were then able to accept or decline. When the required number of participants in each age group was met, no further participants in that age group were eligible to participate.

Instruments & variables assessed

The research team administered a range of survey instrumentation designed to meet the research aims. To capture self-report retrospective data about experiences of the five types of child maltreatment, and their characteristics, the research team administered a customised survey instrument, entitled The Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire – R2: Adapted Version (Australian Child Maltreatment Study). This instrument is an adapted and validated version of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire – R2, which has been used in numerous studies in other countries, including four studies in the USA. The two year process of adaptation and validation was exceptionally rigorous, and we published the details of this process in Mathews, Meinck, Erskine, et al. (2023).

We also assessed other important childhood experiences both as important phenomena, and to enable consideration of potential confounding on maltreatment outcomes. Most significantly, these were:

• For non-maltreatment adverse childhood experiences: items from the US National Child Health Survey
• For peer bullying and sibling violence: customised items
• For family financial strain in childhood: customised items

To assess outcomes associated with child maltreatment, we administered the following survey modules or items:

• For clinical mental disorders: modules from the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)
• For physical health problems and health risk behaviours: modules from the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (NSMHW)
• For cannabis dependence: the Severity of Dependence Scale
• For health service utilisation: the NSMHW service utilisation module
• For intimate partner violence victimisation after age 16: the Composite Abuse Scale-Revised (Short Form)

We also assessed other lifetime experiences to enable consideration of their associations with child maltreatment, including:

• Criminal justice system involvement (customised items)
• Out of home care system involvement (customised items)

Further details about these modules and items are explained in our publications, including our Protocol article (Mathews et al., 2020), our sample and methodology article (Haslam et al., 2023), and our articles presenting findings on specific topics.

Data Access Policy

The official term of the ACMS concluded at the end of 2023, but the research team is continuing to publish major articles. The ACMS data will be embargoed for two years after conclusion of the official ACMS project. We plan to make the data accessible to the general research community after this two year embargo period, in 2026. In order to access the data, researchers will be asked to submit a request outlining their proposed project. These requests will be reviewed by the ACMS team to ensure the proposal is sufficiently covered by the terms of participant consent.

Publications

All publications, including knowledge transfer materials, are available in our searchable resource library.