National Child Protection Week

This week is National Child Protection Week, launched on Father’s Day in Brisbane by Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan and Brisbane Broncos Coach Wayne Bennett, highlighting that there were over 58,000 cases of child neglect and abuse nationwide reported last year.

The slogan this year is “Children See. Children Do” which clearly sets out how children copy their parents’ behaviour.

I was particularly drawn to this phrase. Recently I attempted (poorly) to explain to a friend about how violence can be transmitted from one generation to the next, when she looked at me and summed it up in 4 words: “Monkey see. Monkey do.”