Supportive relationships

Last updated August 2020

Some data is available on whether WA children aged six to 11 years have safe and supportive relationships.

Overview

This indicator reports on a number of key measures that aim to track whether WA children aged six to 11 years have supportive relationships including relationships with parents, friends and other adults.

A high proportion (86.8%) of Year 4 to Year 6 students reported that it was very much true or pretty much true that where they live there is a parent or another adult they can talk to about their problems.

Areas of concern

While, 82.7 per cent of Year 4 to Year 6 students reported their mum (or someone who acts as their mum) cares about them a lot.

A significantly higher proportion of Aboriginal Year 4 to Year 6 students reported that it was not at all true that there is a parent or another adult they can talk to about their problems (Aboriginal: 9.5% compared to non-Aboriginal: 4.3%).

No recent data is available on whether WA parents of young children feel confident and supported and have what they need to help them parent effectively.

Last updated August 2020

All children have the right to live with a family who cares for them and keeps them safe. Loving and supportive parent-child relationships provide children with the building blocks to develop good mental health, the ability to sustain healthy relationships and effectively participate in learning.¹

Throughout the Commissioner’s many consultations, WA children identify having a loving and supportive family as being fundamental to their wellbeing.  

Research shows that family environments can have a strong impact on children’s social and emotional wellbeing. Communicative, warm and consistent parenting is associated with positive child and adolescent developmental outcomes. Conversely, poor parenting can be highly detrimental.^2,3 Children in families that are disengaged (exhibit below-average levels of parental warmth and parent-child shared activities, and above-average levels of hostile parenting) are more likely to experience socio-emotional difficulties and behavioural problems.⁴

Parents and other carers’ relationships with their children remain important through every stage of development, from early childhood into childhood and adolescence, although the nature and impact vary with age.^5,6

In 2019, the Commissioner conducted the Speaking Out Survey which sought the views of a broadly representative sample of 4,912 Year 4 to Year 12 students in WA on factors influencing their wellbeing, including a range of questions about supportive relationships.

In this survey, Year 4 to Year 6 students were asked how much their mum or dad (or someone who acts as their mum or dad) cares about them. A higher proportion (82.7%) of students reported their mum cares about them a lot compared to their dad (75.8%). The responses were similar for male and female students.

Year 4 to Year 6 students in the metropolitan area were significantly more likely to respond that their mum cares about them a lot compared to remote areas (metropolitan: 83.8% compared to remote: 73.4%) and that their dad cares about them a lot (metropolitan: 77.6% compared to remote: 66.3%).⁷

With regards to supportive relationships, 86.8 per cent of Year 4 to Year 6 students reported that it was very much true or pretty much true that where they live there is a parent or another adult they can talk to about their problems. Conversely, 4.7 per cent of students reported that it was not at all true that there is a parent or another adult they can talk to about their problems.

There was no difference between male and female students in this age group (86.4% of male students compared to 86.6% of female students reporting it was very much true or pretty much true).

There were no significant differences between regions.

The students were also asked whether where they live, there is a parent or another adult who listens to them when they have something to say. Overall, 54.6 per cent of Year 4 to Year 6 students reported that it is very much true that there is a parent or another adult who listens to them when they have something to say and 31.8 per cent reported it is pretty much true. Almost 15 per cent of Year 4 to Year 6 students reported it was only a little true (11.3%) or not at all true (2.4%).

There were no significant differences between genders or geographical regions.

The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC)⁸ includes a number of questions which are related to Australian children and young people’s relationships with their parents. These include whether participants aged 10 to 11 years enjoy spending time with their parents and who they talk to when they have a problem.⁹

This data shows that the majority (70.0%) of Australian participants aged 10 to 11 years enjoyed spending time with their parents. A higher proportion of female children (77.0%) than male children (68.0%) aged 10 to 11 years enjoyed spending time with their parents.¹⁰

Children’s ability and willingness to talk to their parents about problems is an important indicator of a supportive and positive relationship.¹¹ Between the ages of 10 and 11 years, around 90.0 per cent of participants (male and female) said they would go to their mother if they had a problem, while 77.0 per cent of male children and 66.0 per cent of female children said they would go to their father.¹²

With regard to family cohesion, participants in the Speaking Out Survey 2019 were asked how well their family gets along. Research shows that family functioning and conflict have a significant impact on children and young people’s wellbeing, with a stronger impact on female children and young people.^12,13 

Over 80.0 per cent (82.6%) of Year 4 to Year 6 students report that their family gets along very well or well, while 3.6% of students report their family gets along very badly or badly.

Proportion of Year 4 to Year 6 students reporting their family gets along very well, well, neither good nor bad, badly or very badly by gender, per cent, WA, 2019

Source: Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2020, Speaking Out Survey 2019 Data Tables [unpublished]

A higher proportion of female Year 4 to Year 6 students than male students reported that their family gets along very well (45.5% compared to 40.6%).

The survey also found that 10.9 per cent of Year 4 to Year 6 students worried a lot about someone in their home or family fighting and 7.6 per cent of students worried somewhat.

Although not statistically significant, a higher proportion of female than male Year 4 to Year 6 students reported they worried a lot about someone in their home or family fighting (12.7% compared to 8.9%).

Responses provided by Aboriginal Year 4 to Year 6 students regarding supportive relationships in the home were often different from non-Aboriginal students and may be influenced by Aboriginal families’ more collective approach to child-rearing, where for many Aboriginal people the definition of ‘family’ is based around a kinship system which is much broader than a traditional western concept of family. Extended family members (grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins etc.) and other community members are heavily involved in caregiving and providing support to Aboriginal parents and children.¹⁴ Thus, for many Aboriginal children there are multiple adults who share the responsibility to support and take care of them.

Aboriginal Year 4 to Year 6 students were significantly less likely than non-Aboriginal students to report that their mum or dad cares about them a lot.

Almost 10 per cent (9.9%) of Aboriginal students reported that their mum does not care about them (not at all) while 13.1 per cent reported that their dad does not care about them. A higher proportion of Aboriginal students reported that the question about their mum or dad (or someone who acts as their mum or dad) does not apply to them (mum: 8.4% and dad: 12.5%). 

In contrast, Aboriginal children in Year 4 to Year 6 were more likely than non-Aboriginal children to report that their siblings care about them a lot (60.6% compared to 50.5%) and other family care about them a lot (76.9% compared to 73.9%).¹⁵ These differences align with the cultural emphasis many Aboriginal families place on broader familial relationships.

A lower proportion of Aboriginal Year 4 to Year 6 students than non-Aboriginal students reported that it was very much true that where they live there is a parent or another adult they can talk to about their problems (Aboriginal students: 61.1% compared to non-Aboriginal students 70.9%). Furthermore, a higher proportion of Aboriginal students reported that it was not at all true that where they live there is a parent or another adult they can talk to about their problems (Aboriginal: 9.5% compared to non-Aboriginal: 4.3%). These differences are statistically significant.

Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Year 4 to Year 6 students had similar responses regarding whether it was very much true that there was a parent or another adult where they live who listens to them when they have something to say. However, there was a significant difference between the proportion of Aboriginal students and non-Aboriginal students reporting it was not at all true that there is a parent or another adult who listens to them when they have something to say (6.0% compared to 2.1%).

Proportion of Year 4 to Year 6 students reporting that it is very much true, pretty much true, a little true or not at all true that where they live there is a parent or another adult who listens to them when they have something to say by Aboriginal status, per cent, WA, 2019

Source: Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2020, Speaking Out Survey 2019 Data Tables [unpublished]

Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Year 4 to Year 6 students gave largely similar responses regarding whether their family gets along.

A greater proportion of Aboriginal Year 4 to Year 6 students than non-Aboriginal students reported they worried a lot about someone in their home or family fighting (15.0% compared to 10.6%), although these differences were not statistically significant.

Endnotes

1. National Scientific Council on the Developing Child 2009, Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships, Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University, p. 1.
2. Centre for Community Child Health 2007, Policy Brief 9 2007: Parenting young children, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, p.1. 
3. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2011, Report of the Inquiry into the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in Western Australia, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA, Perth, p.104. 
4. Mullan K and Higgins D 2014, A safe and supportive family environment for children: key components and links to child outcomes: Occasional Paper No 52, Department of Social Services, Australian Government, p. viii.
5. National Scientific Council on the Developing Child 2009, Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships, Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University, p. 3.
6. Utting D 2007, Parenting and the different ways it can affect children’s lives: research evidence, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, York, England, p. 2. 
7. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2020, Speaking Out Survey 2019 Data Tables, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA [unpublished].
8. The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) follows the development of 10,000 young people and their families from all parts of Australia. The study began in 2003 with a representative sample of children (who are now teens and young adults) from urban and rural areas of all states and territories in Australia.
9. Yu M and Baxter J 2018, Relationships between parents and young teens, in LSAC Annual Statistical Report 2017, Australian Institute of Family Studies.
10. Ibid, p. 36.
11. Ibid, p. 38.
12. Ibid, p. 38.
13. Atkinson E et al 2009, Threat is a Multidimensional Construct: Exploring the Role of Children’s Threat Appraisals in the Relationship Between Interparental Conflict and Child Adjustment, Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, Vol 37, No 2.
14. Lewis A et al 2015, Gender differences in adolescent depression: Differential female susceptibility to stressors affecting family functioning, Australian Journal of Psychology, Vol 67.
15. Lohoar S et al 2014, Strengths of Australian Aboriginal cultural practices in family life and child rearing, CFCA Paper No 25, Australian Institute of Family Studies.
16. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2020, Speaking Out Survey 2019 Data Tables, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA [unpublished].

Last updated December 2019

Parents who are confident and supported by family, friends and community are more likely to be able to parent effectively and consistently.

Parenting is often difficult and can be influenced by multiple factors including the health and wellbeing of the parent, the behaviour and temperament of the child, the parent’s support network and circumstances in the home environment.¹ There is general agreement that parenting is now more challenging, stressful and complex than ever before.^2,3

Furthermore, the economic and social structure of families has changed considerably in the last 20 years. In particular, a greater proportion of mothers with young children are now in employment which can reduce the amount of time available for a parent to spend with children.^4,5

Parental confidence is important. Parental confidence or ‘parenting self-efficacy’ has been shown to be related to better outcomes for children.⁶ Parenting self-efficacy can be defined as a caregiver’s or parent’s confidence in their ability to successfully raise their children.⁷ Research shows that an individual’s belief in their ability to successfully perform a task influences their behaviour; for example, if a parent believes they are able to influence their child’s behaviour and development they are more likely to undertake activities towards that end.^8,9

While parental confidence does influence competence, research has also highlighted that people’s assumptions about what effective parenting involves often do not align with the views of child health and development experts.¹⁰

Research also clearly shows that both mothers’ and fathers’ relationships with their children and their parenting styles are important for child development.^11,12

There is limited recent data on how WA parents feel about their parenting skills or whether they have the support they need to parent effectively.

The following data is sourced from surveys of parent’s self-reported feelings of confidence. There are limitations with simple surveys of this nature, as a question about parental ‘confidence’ does not measure competency or capability at specific parenting tasks.¹³ An assessment of the broader concept of parenting efficacy involves multiple questions on situations and tasks.¹⁴

In 2013, Anglicare WA conducted a survey of 810 WA parents of school-aged children and young people (Pre-primary to Year 12). One-half of respondents were from Perth, 200 from the Great Southern region and the South West, and 200 from the Kimberley and Pilbara.¹⁵

In response to the question ‘how confident would you say you are with your parenting skills and abilities?’. Sixty per cent of respondents answered that they were extremely confident with their parenting skills and 32.0 per cent were confident. The respondents also said that talking to their children about their needs and wants was the most influential factor in their parenting skills and abilities.¹⁶

There is no more recent data available on WA parent’s feelings of confidence or support.

Similarly, a 2017 survey of Victorian parents (the Parenting Today in Victoria research project) assessed parents’ perceptions of their parenting skills using the ‘Me as a parent’ scale,¹⁷ which comprised 16 questions on a five-point scale.¹⁸ This study found that a significant majority (91.0%) of parents had confidence in themselves as a parent.¹⁹ However, parents’ assessment of their self-efficacy progressively decreased as their children aged (i.e. parents of children aged 0 to two years reported higher scores than parents of young people aged to 13 to 18 years).²⁰

These results contrast with the findings of a 2005 research project commissioned by the Australian Childhood Foundation and Monash University that surveyed 501 Australian parents (83 parents in WA). The study included parents of children from ages 0 to 18 years.²¹

The 2005 study found that the majority of parents (63.0%) were concerned about their level of confidence as parents. Many of the parents (38.0%) admitted that parenting did not come naturally to them.²² Parents in this study felt that they needed to ‘get parenting right’ and that this added unnecessary stress. One in five stated that they would not request help for fear of being negatively judged and criticised.²³

The difference in results between these studies could be due to different methodologies, survey designs and possible changes in attitudes in the intervening years.

More recent research in WA is required to determine whether WA parents continue to feel confident in their parenting roles.

Most parents find parenting demanding and stressful at times and they periodically may require resources and support.²⁴ It is important that parents feel comfortable asking for help when they have parenting issues or concerns.

In the 2013 Anglicare parenting survey, the majority of WA parents (64.0%) said that family members and friends were a critical support mechanism. Resources such as books, classes and the internet were used by 55.0 per cent of respondents to develop their parenting skills and knowledge.²⁵

While not WA-based, the Parenting Today in Victoria survey reported that parents from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and especially those with lower educational attainment tended to be slightly more punitive in their parenting. However, for those parents experiencing disadvantage, feeling confident and effective was important, with those who were confident more likely to display positive parenting behaviours.²⁶ This study also found that parents experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage attended Maternal and Child Health first-time parents groups less.²⁷

In regards to Aboriginal families, Aboriginal parenting practices can differ quite significantly from those in non-Aboriginal families. One particular difference is that Aboriginal families have a collective approach to child‑rearing, where raising children is a shared responsibility within the community. The definition of ‘family’ in Aboriginal communities is based around a kinship system which is much broader than a traditional western concept of family. Extended family members (grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins etc.) and other community members are heavily involved and provide significant support to Aboriginal parents and children.²⁸

The Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC) measured parenting efficacy using the Parent Empowerment and Efficacy Measure (PEEM) which was developed during the NSW Pathways to Prevention project.²⁹ They concluded that for Aboriginal primary carers, resilience, satisfaction with relationships, feeling part of the community and community safety were important factors that led to them feeling more confident and effective.³⁰

There is no data available on how confident or supported WA Aboriginal parents and carers feel about their parenting. 

Endnotes

1. Department of Social Services 2015, Footprints in Time: The Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children—Report from Wave 5, Australian Government.
2. Centre for Community Child Health 2006, Policy Brief No 1 2006: Early childhood and the life course, Royal Children’s Hospital, p. 1. 
3. Tucci J et al 2005, The changing face of parenting, Australian Childhood Foundation, p. 21. 
4. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2015, Australia’s welfare 2015 – 5.2 Who is looking after our children?, AIHW.
5. Baxter J 2013, Parents working out work: Australian Family Trends No. 1, Australian Institute of Family Studies.
6. Wittkowski A et al 2017, Self-Report Measures of Parental Self-Efficacy: A Systematic Review of the Current Literature, Journal of Child and Family Studies, Vol 26, No 11.
7. Ibid.
8. Tazouti Y and Jarlégan A 2019, The mediating effects of parental self-efficacy and parental involvement on the link between family socioeconomic status and children’s academic achievement, Journal of Family Studies, Vol 25, No 3.
9. Coleman P and Karraker K 1997, Self-Efficacy and Parenting Quality: Findings and Future Applications, Developmental Review, Vol 18, p. 67.
10. Volmert A et al 2016, Perceptions of Parenting: Mapping the gaps between Expert and Public Understandings of Effective Parenting in Australia, Parenting Research Centre.
11. Baxter J and Smart D 2010, Fathering in Australia among couple families with young children, Occasional Paper No. 37, Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, p. 15.  
12. Utting D 2007, Parenting and the different ways it can affect children’s lives: research evidence, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, p. 7. 
13. Wittkowski A et al 2017, Self-Report Measures of Parental Self-Efficacy: A Systematic Review of the Current Literature, Journal of child and family studies, Vol 26, No 11.            
14. Ibid.   
15. Anglicare WA 2013, The Parenting Perceptions Report 2013, Anglicare WA, p. 1.
16. Ibid, p. 17.
17. The ‘Me as a parent’ scale is a 16-item self-report scale in an Australian context for clinical and research use. The scale measures global beliefs about self-efficacy, personal agency, self-management, and self-sufficiency, thought to constitute parent self-regulation perceptions. Source: Hamilton VE et al 2015, Development and Preliminary Validation of a Parenting Self-Regulation Scale: “Me as a Parent”, Journal of Child and Family Studies, Vol 24.  
18. This research was conducted by IPSOS using a random sampling methodology to ensure a representative sample was surveyed.
19. Parenting Research Centre (PRC) 2017, Parenting Today in Victoria: Report of Key Findings, produced for the Victorian Department of Education and Training, PRC, p. 103.
20. Ibid, p. 98.
21. Tucci J et al 2005, The changing face of parenting, Australian Childhood Foundation, p. 10. 
22. Ibid, p. 11. 
23. Ibid, p. 22.
24. Centre for Community Child Heath 2007, Policy Brief No 9 2007: Parenting young children, Royal Children’s Hospital, p. 1 
25. Anglicare WA 2013, The Parenting Perceptions Report 2013, Anglicare WA, p. 17.
26. Parenting Research Centre (PRC) 2018, Research Brief: Parenting with disadvantage, produced for the Victorian Department of Education and Training, PRC. 
27. Ibid. 
28. Lohoar S et al 2014, Strengths of Australian Aboriginal cultural practices in family life and child rearing, CFCA Paper No 25, Australian Institute of Family Studies.
29. Department of Social Services (DSS) 2015, Footprints in Time: The Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children—Report from Wave 5, Australian Government, p. 21.
30. Ibid, p. 26.

Last updated August 2020

Relationships with friends are critical for children aged six to 11 years. It is during this period that children begin to develop independence from their parents and carers and build strong and often influential relationships with friends.

Friendships help children learn how to communicate, cooperate and control their emotions.¹ Friendships can be a protective factor against bullying and mental health issues.^2,3 Supportive relationships with friends also help children develop patterns of persistence and motivation in their schooling.⁴

WA research with primary school children has demonstrated that good friendships are one of the key indicators of children’s happiness.⁵

The Commissioner’s consultations with children and young people across WA have consistently found that having friends is one of the most important things for children.

In 2019, the Commissioner conducted the Speaking Out Survey which sought the views of a broadly representative sample of 4,912 Year 4 to Year 12 students in WA on factors influencing their wellbeing, including a range of questions about supportive relationships, including relationships with friends.

In this survey, a majority (85.2%) of students in Year 4 to Year 6 felt they had enough friends, while 14.8 per cent of students felt they did not have enough friends.⁶

Participants were also asked how much their friends care about them, with 50.8 per cent of Year 4 to Year 6 students reporting their friends care about them a lot and 38.0 per cent reporting they care about them some. Almost five per cent (4.2%) reported that their friends cared about them a little.

The differences between genders, geographic regions and Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students were not statistically significant.

Relationships with peers at school are one of the main sources of friendships for many primary school-aged children. Further analysis of the results from the Speaking Out Survey shows that there is a positive association between Year 4 to Year 6 students having caring peer relationships and enjoying attending school or feeling good about themselves.⁷

According to results from the Speaking Out Survey 2019, female Year 4 to Year 6 students view their relationships with classmates less positively than their male peers. The survey found that a significantly higher proportion of male than female Year 4 to Year 6 students reported usually getting along with their classmates (68.8% compared to 60.7%). Female students were more likely to report getting along sometimes (32.0% compared to 25.9%) or hardly ever/not at all (5.1% compared to 2.9%).

A significantly lower proportion of Aboriginal than non-Aboriginal Year 4 to Year 6 students reported usually getting along with classmates (55.2% Aboriginal compared to 65.5% non-Aboriginal) and a higher proportion reported getting along hardly ever or not all (7.0% compared to 3.6%).

For more information refer to the A sense of belonging and supportive relationships at school indicator.

In the Commissioner’s consultations, Aboriginal children have expressed slightly different views on friendship from non-Aboriginal children. While Aboriginal children highly valued their friends, they considered their family to be the most important source of happiness, support and guidance.⁸

Family is very important to Aboriginal children, and close family includes grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins, who are all actively involved in caring for Aboriginal children. While Western influences have changed the way Aboriginal families function, traditional belief systems and values, especially around the importance of family, are still very strong.

Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) children can find it more challenging to develop supportive friendships in Australia. In the Commissioner’s consultations, CALD children have spoken about how difficult it is to make friends in a new country, particularly when you look or act differently or have trouble understanding English. Naturally however, they saw making friends they could connect with and trust as really important.⁹

Help and support are critical for CALD children and young people, particularly navigating a new environment that they are not used to. In the Commissioner’s consultation with WA CALD children and young people, they said they go to family, friends and school when they need help or support.¹⁰

Endnotes

1. Ferrer M and Fugate A 2002, The Importance of Friendship for School-Age Children, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, University of Florida.
2. Healy KL and Sanders MR 2018, Mechanisms Through Which Supportive Relationships with Parents and Peers Mitigate Victimization, Depression and Internalizing Problems in Children Bullied by Peers, Child Psychiatry and Human Development, Vol 49, No 5.
3. Bayer J et al 2018, Bullying, mental health and friendship in Australian primary school children, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Vol 23, No 4.
4. Martin A and Dowson M 2009, Interpersonal Relationships, Motivation, Engagement, and Achievement: Yields for Theory, Current Issues, and Educational Practice, Review of Educational Research, Vol 79 No 1, pp. 327-365.
5. O’Rourke J and Cooper M 2010, Lucky to be happy: A study of happiness in Australian primary students, Australian Journal of Educational & Developmental Psychology, Vol 10.
6. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2020, Speaking Out Survey 2019 Data Tables, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA [unpublished].
7. Ibid.
8. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2016, Speaking out about wellbeing: Children and young people speak out about friends, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA.
9. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2016, Children and Young People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds Speak Out, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA.
10. Ibid, p. 27.

Last updated August 2020

Positive relationships with other adults outside of the immediate family are important for children’s wellbeing.¹

Supportive and positive relationships with other adults should be warm, caring and responsive. They provide children with the opportunity to build connections and develop social competence.² Research into resilience also highlights the importance of having at least one stable, caring and supportive relationship between a child and the important adults in his or her life.³ These relationships are often family members, but for some children can be non-parental adults.

Research suggests that positive relationships with non-parental adults support children’s wellbeing by providing them with a sense of value, purpose, identity and attachment to their community.⁴ Conversely, negative relationships or experiences (such as discrimination, being treated unfairly or badly) with other adults can foster a sense of worthlessness, powerlessness and negative self-concept.⁵

In 2019, the Commissioner conducted the Speaking Out Survey which sought the views of a broadly representative sample of 4,912 Year 4 to Year 12 students in WA on factors influencing their wellbeing, including a range of questions about supportive relationships.

Students in Year 4 to Year 6 were asked: If you were having any serious problems, is there an adult you would feel okay talking to? It should be noted that this question did not exclude parents or carers and likely includes responses relating to talking to main caregivers.  

A majority (82.9%) of Year 4 to Year 6 students responded that they would have an adult they feel okay talking to, 3.7 per cent responded that they do not have such an adult and a significant minority (13.4%) were not sure.

A significantly lower proportion of Aboriginal Year 4 to Year 6 students than non-Aboriginal students reported that they have an adult they feel okay talking to (83.4% compared to 76.7%). Furthermore, 10.0 per cent of Aboriginal Year 4 to Year 6 students reported they do not have an adult they would feel okay talking to if they were having serious problems (compared to 3.3% of non-Aboriginal students).

Proportion of Year 4 to Year 6 students reporting they do have, do not have or don’t know whether they have an adult they feel okay talking to if they were having serious problems by Aboriginal status, per cent, WA, 2019

Source: Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2020, Speaking Out Survey 2019 Data Tables [unpublished]

In the school environment, positive relationships between students and teachers can have a long-lasting impact and contribute to students’ academic and social development. They also enable students to feel safe and secure in their learning environments and promote engagement with school and learning.^6,7

According to the Speaking Out Survey, three-quarters (73.8%) of Year 4 to Year 6 students in WA get along with their teachers. One-in-five students (20.6%) get along sometimes and a small proportion (2.9%) hardly ever or never get along with their teachers.

In addition, the majority of Year 4 to Year 6 students reported that it is either very much true (44.3%) or pretty much true (38.2%) that there is a teacher or another adult at their school who really cares about them.

For this question, a significantly higher proportion of Aboriginal than non-Aboriginal Year 4 to Year 6 students reported that it is very much true that there is a teacher or other adult at school who really cares about them (56.4% compared to 43.4%).

For more information refer to the A sense of belonging and supportive relationships at school indicator.

Endnotes

1. Goswami H 2012, Social Relationships and Children’s Subjective Well-Being, Social Indicators Research, Vol 107, no 3.
2. Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority 2019, Quality Area 5: Relationships with Children, Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority.
3. National Scientific Council on the Developing Child 2015, Supportive Relationships and Active Skill-Building Strengthen the Foundations of Resilience: Working Paper 13, Center for Child Development, Harvard University.
4. Goswami H 2012, Social Relationships and Children’s Subjective Well-Being, Social Indicators Research, Vol 107, No 3.
5. Ibid.
6. Berry D and O’Connor E 2010, Behavioural risk, teacher-child relationships, and social skill development across middle childhood: A child-by-environment analysis of change, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, Vol 31, No 1, p. 1-14.
7. Hamre B and Pianta R 2001, Early Teacher-Child Relationships and the Trajectory of Children’s School Outcomes through Eighth Grade, Child Development, Vol 72 No 2, p. 625-638.

Last updated August 2020

At 30 June 2019, there were 1,618 WA children in care aged between five and nine years, more than one-half of whom (55.1%) were Aboriginal.¹

There is limited information available on whether WA children in care are supported by healthy and positive relationships. There is also limited data on whether the carers of WA children and young people in care feel confident and supported.

Positive and supportive relationships are critical for children who are in care. Having experienced severe disadvantage and often dysfunction in their family environments, children in care particularly need safe, positive and stable relationships that will help them lead healthy and fulfilled lives into the future. 

National Standards for out-of-home care have been designed to improve the quality of care provided to children and young people in care around Australia. National Standard 11 states that children and young people in care should be supported to safely and appropriately identify and stay in touch, with at least one other person who cares about their future, who they can turn to for support and advice.²

AIHW publishes data on a set of indicators reporting against the National Standards as part of the National framework for protecting Australia's children indicators. Data for these indicators are collated by AIHW from the various Australian jurisdictions using different approaches.

To support this indicator, in 2018 AIHW presented data in The views of children and young people in out-of-home care: overview of indicator results from second national survey, 2018, collected by all Australian jurisdictions as part of their local case management processes. In total 2,428 Australian children and young people aged eight to 17 years completed the various surveys, including 643 children and young people in WA.³

WA data was collected through existing survey processes via Viewpoint, a self-assessment questionnaire. This process is not random and respondents are usually supported by a facilitator to respond to the questionnaire. Older children and young people can choose to respond independently using their own device.⁴

Nationally, 97.4 per cent of all survey respondents were able to nominate at least one significant adult who cared about them and who they believed they would be able to depend upon throughout their childhood.⁵ There was minimal difference between age groups with 97.8 per cent of children aged eight to nine years able to nominate a significant person and 97.6 per cent of children 10 to 14 years able to do the same.⁶

In 2017, CREATE Foundation (CREATE) asked 1,275 Australian children and young people aged 10 to 17 years about their lives in the care system. CREATE noted in their report that the recruitment of participants proved difficult and that it resulted in a non-random sample with the possibility of bias.⁷

Nevertheless, 81.0 per cent of respondents indicated that they felt quite happy in their current placement; while 93.0 per cent reported feeling safe and secure.⁸ Respondents also said that if something worried them about their life in care they would most likely talk to their carers followed by friends.⁹

This study also found that respondents found making friends relatively easy, however, those in residential care found this more difficult. Aboriginal respondents found it easier to make friends than non-Aboriginal respondents.¹⁰

Refer to the CREATE report for more detailed information on the children and young people’s relationships, including with case managers, siblings and carers.

McDowall JJ 2018, Out-of-home care in Australia: Children and young people’s views after five years of National Standards, CREATE Foundation

Wherever possible, children in care should also be supported to maintain a connection with their family. Standard nine of the National Standards is that ‘children and young people are supported to safely and appropriately maintain connection with family, be they birth parents, siblings or other family members’.¹¹

The AIHW report: The views of children and young people in out-of-home care: overview of indicator results from second national survey, 2018 found that, 9.0 per cent of 10 to 14 year-old respondents and 9.6 per cent of 15 to 17 year-old respondents reported they feel close only to their non-co-resident (biological) family. In contrast, 65.0 per cent of 10 to 14 year-olds and 57.3 per cent of 15 to 17 year-olds felt close to both their non-co-resident family and their co-resident family.¹²

It should be noted that ‘felt close to’ does not indicate whether the child or young person is supported to maintain contact with those family members.

The Department of Child Protection (now Department of Communities) included an indicator ‘proportion of children who have an ongoing relationship with their parents’ in the 2015–16 Outcomes Framework.¹³ No data was available at that time and no more recent data has been reported.

Comments from children and young people through the Department’s Viewpoint system show that many of the younger children in out-of-home care would like more information on their family, including more photos, while older children and young people would like to have greater contact with their family and be more informed about decisions affecting their lives.¹⁴

In 2016 the Commissioner asked 96 WA children and young people with experience of out-of-home care about their views on raising concerns and making complaints in the care system. The consultation highlighted that having strong, stable, trusting relationships with case workers and carers was essential as these were the most frequently cited people children could speak to about their concerns.¹⁵ The absence of these important relationships placed children and young people at greater risk of believing they have nobody to speak to and nobody who would listen to or act on their concerns, and this led to feelings of disempowerment.¹⁶

Support for carers

Kinship, foster and other carers need to be properly supported and confident in their ability to effectively look after the children in their care.

In 2016, the Australian Institute of Family Studies and the Department of Social Services conducted a survey of foster and kinship carers across Australia as part of the Working Together to Care for Kids Survey (WTCKS).¹⁷ In total, 175 family (kinship) and foster carers in WA participated.¹⁸

In this survey, over 90.0 per cent of carers strongly agreed or agreed that they could make a positive difference in the life of a child or young person in care. Almost two-thirds stated that they felt very well or well prepared for their caring role, indicating that over one-third did not feel well prepared.¹⁹

The majority of carers (61.0%) reported they were provided with adequate information about the child or young person’s history before they came into their care, with relative/kinship carers being more likely than foster carers to believe this was the case (69.0% compared to 52.0%). Almost one-half (46.0%) of foster carers reported they were not provided with adequate information prior to the child/young person’s arrival.²⁰

Overall, carers perceived the services they had received to be very helpful or fairly helpful, with only a minority indicating that the services received were unhelpful. However, nearly four in ten carers said that they had some difficulty in getting the professional support they needed, with the most commonly reported barrier being long waiting lists and low support staff availability.²⁰

Children in care are a highly vulnerable group who need strong, positive and stable relationships to support them to have a good life. There is a critical need for more detailed and robust data about these children’s and their carers’ experiences and opinions.

Endnotes

1. Department of Communities 2019, Annual Report: 2018-19, WA Government p. 26.
2. Department of Social Services 2011, An outline of National Standards for out-of-home care, Commonwealth of Australia. 
3. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2019, The views of children and young people in out-of-home care: overview of indicator results from the second national survey 2018. Cat no CWS 68, AIHW, p. 2-3.
4. Ibid, p. 31.
5. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2019, National framework for protecting Australia's children indicators: National Standards Indicator – 11.1 Significant Person, AIHW.
6. Ibid.
7. McDowall JJ 2018, Out-of-home care in Australia: Children and young people’s views after five years of National Standards, CREATE Foundation, p. 17-19.
8. Ibid, p. xix.
9. Ibid, p. 86-87.
10. Ibid, p. 73-74.
11. Department of Social Services 2011, An outline of National Standards for out-of-home care, Commonwealth of Australia. 
12. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2019, The views of children and young people in out-of-home care: overview of indicator results from the second national survey 2018: Table A9.2a: Children aged 8–17 years in care who report they have an existing connection with at least one family member which they expect to maintain, Cat no CWS 68, AIHW.
13. Department of Child Protection 2016, Outcomes Framework for Children in Out-of-home care in Western Australia: 2015-16 Baseline Indicator Report, WA Government.
14. Department of Communities 2020, Viewpoint Reports: Western Australian – Out of Home Care January to June 2020, Department of Communities [unpublished].
15. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2016, Speaking Out About Raising Concerns in Care, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA.
16. Ibid.
17. Study participants were foster and relative/kinship carers who were registered as formal carers across Australia and had at least one child under 18 years of age in out-of-home care who was living with them at 31 December 2015. Qu L et al 2018, Working Together to Care for Kids: A survey of foster and relative/kinship carers. (Research Report), Australian Institute of Family Studies, p. 4.
18. Qu L et al 2018, Working Together to Care for Kids: A survey of foster and relative/kinship carers. (Research Report), Australian Institute of Family Studies, p. 5.
19. Ibid, p. viii-ix.
20. Ibid, p. viii.
21. Ibid, p. viii-ix.

Last updated August 2020

The Australian Bureau of Statistics Disability, Ageing and Carers, 2018 data collection reports that approximately 30,200 WA children and young people (9.2%) aged five to 14 years have reported disability.^1,2

There is no data on whether WA children aged 6 to 11 years with disability are supported by healthy and positive relationships. There is limited data about whether WA parents of children with disability feel confident and supported in their parenting role.

Children with disability need positive and supportive relationships with parents and carers who feel confident in their caregiving.

In 2013, the Commissioner consulted with 233 WA children with disability aged six to 18 years to find out what matters to them and how they feel about their lives. Almost all participating children and young people said that family was one of the most important things to them and supportive parents were one of the good things in their lives.³

Establishing and sustaining friendships is important for all children. Friendships promote social development and provide children with emotional stability and enhance their resilience.⁴

Children with disability see making and maintaining friendships as critical for their wellbeing. Friendships at school are particularly important to develop a sense of belonging and acceptance.^5,6 Research has found that children with disabilities value friends who share similar interests and are caring, helpful, kind and accepting of individual differences.⁷ However, research also highlights that it can be difficult for children with disability to make and keep friends.⁸

In the Commissioner’s 2013 consultation with WA children and young people with disability, most children and young people felt they had ‘enough good friends’ and many talked about enjoying spending time with friends. However, some identified a lack of friends or supportive friendship networks.⁹ A number of participants also highlighted how technology can be an important tool for sharing views and ideas with others.¹⁰

For more information on supportive relationships for children with disability refer:

Robinson S and Truscott J 2014, Belonging and Connection of School Students with Disability – Issues Paper, Children with Disability Australia.

Being a parent or carer of a child with disability can be very challenging and stressful for a variety of reasons including, the intensity of day-to-day care routines, difficulties finding appropriate services for their child, financial stress and social isolation.¹¹

Parents of children with disability often have a strong belief in their child’s future with an optimistic outlook tempered with a realistic understanding of their disability, however, they find it difficult to maintain their own social life and routines.¹²

Parents of children with disability (particularly mothers) have a higher risk of experiencing poor mental health.¹³ They will often need support from family, friends and professionals to help with their everyday caring responsibilities and also to provide them with support and respite to attend to their own mental health and wellbeing.

Australian research considering the mental health needs of mothers of children with disability, found that 75.0 per cent of mothers felt a need for support for their own mental health, yet only 58.0 per cent tried to access support. The main barriers to accessing support were that their caring duties made it difficult to schedule appointments (45.0%) and they did not think their mental health issue was serious enough to need help (36.0%).¹⁴

In 2019, the Commissioner conducted the Speaking Out Survey which sought the views of a broadly representative sample of Year 4 to Year 12 students in WA on factors influencing their wellbeing.¹⁵ The survey included young people in Year 7 to Year 12 with disability. For responses from these students regarding their relationships refer to the Supportive relationships indicator for 12 to 17 years.

Endnotes

1. The ABS uses the following definition of disability: ‘In the context of health experience, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICFDH) defines disability as an umbrella term for impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions… In this survey, a person has a disability if they report they have a limitation, restriction or impairment, which has lasted, or is likely to last, for at least six months and restricts everyday activities.’ Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016, Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia, 2015, Glossary.
2. Australian Bureau of Statistics 2020, Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia, 2018, Western Australia, Table 1.1 Persons with disability, by age and sex, estimate, and Table 1.3 Persons with disability, by age and sex, proportion of persons.
3. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA (CCYP) 2013, Speaking Out About Disability: The views of Western Australian children and young people with disability, CCYP.
4. Morrison R and Burgman I 2016, Friendship experiences among children with disabilities who attend mainstream Australian schools, Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol 76, No 3.
5. Robinson S and Truscott J 2014, Belonging and Connection of School Students with Disability, Children and Young People with Disability Australia, p. 17.
6. Morrison R and Burgman I 2009, Friendship Experiences among Children with Disabilities Who Attend Mainstream Australian Schools, Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, Vol 76 No 3.
7. Ibid.
8. Robinson S and Truscott J 2014, Belonging and Connection of School Students with Disability, Children and Young People with Disability Australia, p. 18.
9. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA (CCYP) 2013, Speaking Out About Disability: The views of Western Australian children and young people with disability, CCYP.
10. Ibid.
11. Davis E and Gilson KM 2018, Paying attention to the mental health of parents of children with a disability, Australian Institute of Family Studies [website].
12. Heiman T 2002, Parents of Children With Disabilities: Resilience, Coping, and Future Expectations, Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, Vol 14, No 2.
13. Gilson KM et al 2018, Mental health care needs and preferences for mothers of children with a disability, Child: Care Health and Development, Vol 44, No 10.
14. Ibid.
15. Commissioner for Children and Young People WA 2020, Speaking Out Survey: The views of WA children and young people on their wellbeing - a summary report, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA.

Last updated August 2020

The relationships between children and their families are among the most important influences on a child’s development and wellbeing. Responsive, involved, warm and consistent parenting is associated with positive child developmental outcomes.

The Speaking Out Survey 2019 highlights that the majority of Year 4 to Year 6 students generally have positive and supportive relationships with their family, friends and other adults. However, a proportion of children do not feel they have supportive and caring relationships with their family, friends and other adults. 

Consultations with children and young people across Australia have consistently found that family is of critical importance to them and that they greatly value supportive and involved family members. They have also highlighted how family breakdown, conflict and a lack of family interest in their lives can have a negative impact.¹

The support available to parents, both informal and formal, is an important factor in their capacity to parent.² Supportive community attitudes, practical and social support from extended family, friends and community, timely information about child development and parenting issues, and access to quality programs, services and facilities are all crucial.^4,5

A range of evidence-based and effective parenting programs and services are offered by government, non-government and private agencies in WA however they are not sufficiently coordinated or integrated and many are under-resourced.

It is particularly critical that parents who are experiencing adversity and disadvantage are provided with access to specialised and intensive parenting support services.⁵ In 2015, as part of the Our Children Can’t Wait: Review of the implementation of recommendations of the 2011 Report of the Inquiry into the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in WA report, the Commissioner recommended better coordinated universal and targeted parenting programs and supports, including for parents of older children and young people.

In 2017, the Centre for Parenting Excellence commissioned the Assessment of Parenting Services in Western Australia report. The final report has not been published. The Commissioner will continue to monitor for changes in the area of parenting support services, particularly for disadvantaged and vulnerable families, and advocate for improvements.

Emerging research from the UK suggests that supportive relationships with other adults from the broader community and non-government organisations are also essential to parents’ and children’s wellbeing.⁶ This includes neighbours, school staff and other local community members who all have a significant role in supporting parents and vulnerable children and young people, both to mitigate the need for service intervention early on and later if children and young people fall through gaps in the service system.

Local, place-based initiatives designed to build supportive community environments for parents and children, should be promoted by both government and non-government agencies.⁷

Friendships are important for children aged six to 11 years. Friendships provide children with social and emotional support and can be protective against bullying and mental health issues.^8,9 Educational settings, such as kindergartens and schools, and social activities, including playgroups, sport and recreational pursuits, play a major role in fostering children’s friendships. Research demonstrates that children who have happy friendships at school are more likely to have success with the academic, social, emotional and physical demands of school life.^10,11

Some children can have difficulty creating and maintaining friendships. These include children in care, children with disability and culturally and linguistically diverse children. Recognising that positive and supportive friendships are critical for children, organisations interacting with children, including schools, should encourage programs which develop friendships.

Children in care are a particularly vulnerable group and a critical issue for these children is whether they feel cared for and supported by the key people in their lives.¹² It is well established that children and young people in care have a higher risk of involvement with drugs, alcohol, youth justice and long-term disadvantage over their lifetime.¹³ Ensuring children in care experience safe, reliable and responsive caregiving and support is essential.¹⁴

Wherever possible, children in care should also be supported to maintain a connection with their family. In conjunction with this biological parents should be helped to manage any unresolved trauma and grief and address parenting issues.¹⁵

Parenting a child with disability can be challenging. Research shows that parents of children with disability have a higher risk of mental health issues than those with children without disability.¹⁶ High-quality programs that support parents of children and young people with disability are therefore essential.

Recent research has found that parenting programs for parents of children with disability improve parents’ capabilities and confidence (efficacy).¹⁷ The Stepping Stones Triple P program teaches parents how to encourage healthy behaviour and emotions in children with developmental disabilities. A recent evaluation of the Stepping Stones Triple P program found that children’s behaviour and parent’s skills both improved when they participated.¹⁸

Programs of this nature should be supported. However, current funding models for the NDIS may make programs like Stepping Stones Triple P unavailable for most families as there is inadequate funding provision for organisations to deliver group-based programs.^19,20

Data gaps

Limited qualitative data exists on how WA children experience their relationships and what influences their views.

There is a lack of data on WA children in care and with disability and their experiences.

There is limited data on whether WA parents and carers feel confident and supported in their caregiving.

Endnotes

1. Australian Children’s Commissioners and Guardians (ACCG) 2018, ACCG Joint Participation Paper, ACCG.
2. Centre for Community Child Health 2006, Policy Brief No 1 2006: Early childhood and the life course, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, p. 1. 
3. Centre for Community Child Health 2004, Parenting Information Project Volume One: Main Report, Department of Family and Community Services, Canberra, p. ix. 
4. Anglicare WA 2013, The Parenting Perceptions Report 2013, Anglicare WA, Perth, p. 22. 
5. Volmert A et al 2016, Perceptions of Parenting: Mapping the gaps between expert and public understandings of effective parenting in Australia, FrameWorks Institute, p. 6.
6. Little M 2017, Conference paper: Relational Social Policy - Implications for Policy and Evidence, Evidence for impact: International and local perspectives on improving outcomes for children and young people, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne.
7. Bessell S and Mason J 2014, Putting the pieces in place: children, communities and social capital in Australia, Australian National University and University of South Australia, p. 14.
8. Healy KL and Sanders MR 2018, Mechanisms Through Which Supportive Relationships with Parents and Peers Mitigate Victimization, Depression and Internalizing Problems in Children Bullied by Peers, Child Psychiatry and Human Development, Vol 49, No 5.
9. Bayer J et al 2018, Bullying, mental health and friendship in Australian primary school children, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Vol 23, No 4.
10. Gutman LM and Vorhas J 2012, The Impact of Pupil Behaviour and Wellbeing on Educational Outcomes, Childhood Wellbeing Research Centre, University of London.
11. Wentzel KR et al 2004, Friendships in Middle School: Influences on Motivation and School Adjustment, Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol 96, No 2.
12. McDowall JJ 2018, Out-of-home care in Australia: Children and young people’s views after five years of National Standards, CREATE Foundation, p. 45.
13. Cameron N et al 2019, Research Briefing: Good Practice in Supporting Young People Leaving Care, Australian Childhood Foundation: Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care, Southern Cross University.
14. McLean S 2016, Children’s attachment needs in the context of out-of-home care, Child Family Community Australia, Australian Institute of Family Studies.
15. Ibid.
16. Gilson KM et al 2018, Mental health care needs and preferences for mothers of children with a disability, Child: Care Health and Development, Vol 44, No 10.

For further information on the importance of supportive relationships including confident and supported parents, refer to the following resources:

• Centre for Community Child Heath 2007, Policy Brief No 9 2007: Parenting young children, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne.
• Lohoar S et al 2014, Strengths of Australian Aboriginal cultural practices in family life and child rearing, CFCA Paper No 25, Australian Institute of Family Studies.
• National Scientific Council on the Developing Child 2009, Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships, Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University.
• Utting D 2007, Parenting and the different ways it can affect children’s lives: research evidence, Joseph Rowntree Foundation.