PeakCare’s SPEAK OUT: Improving Outcomes through Advocacy Forum last Wednesday, 21st November, began with Bob Atkinson AO APM sharing his experiences of the important roles he’s undertaken in advocacy. Bob Atkinson was the Queensland Police Commissioner from 2000 until his retirement in 2012. In 2013 he was appointed as one of six Royal Commissioners to the Australian Government’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
In his opening address Bob Atkinson AO APM spoke to the vital contribution of advocates before, during and after the Royal Commission into Institutional Reponses to Child Sexual Abuse. He also outlined advocacy in relation to young people who are engaged in or at risk of encountering the youth justice system. He noted that he was 1 of the 6 Commissioners for the Royal Commission into Institutional Reponses to Child Sexual Abuse. He paused in his line of thought and comment for a brief moment and reflected: “many years ago, when I was in the Queensland Police Service, a Senior Officer said: ‘you’re an ornament to the organisation.’ So, I looked up the meaning in the dictionary and I found it to mean – generally a fairly useless inanimate object that sits on the shelf and has to be dusted regularly.” He then reflected on advocacy and how he’d define it. He decided his preferred definition of advocacy was: “someone who publicly supports a cause, champions, agitates for or defends.” In spite of his humorous capacity for self-deprecation, Bob Atkinson has clearly made some major inroads in his own personal journey to become such a renowned advocate.
In returning his focus to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Bob Atkinson highlighted that this eclectic group of 6 Commissioners from different backgrounds were engaged in what was expected to be a 3-year process. “In the terms of reference, it said we were to listen to the stories of victims and give them an opportunity to make recommendations for change. We sat together and wondered if anyone would come forward. We were clear that we needed to ensure that their privacy was guaranteed. An avalanche of people came forward. Over 8000 people. We had to close the books, such was the demand. However, we found many other mechanisms to listen to people,” he said.
“The clear majority of people wanted one thing – to see that what happened to them didn’t happen to any other child. It was an enormous privilege to be able to listen to their stories.” Bob went on to outline the number of traumas he and his fellow Commissioners heard and the turmoil for many of those who survived to cope with alcohol and drug issues, homelessness, and being in and out of prison. He noted some had been able to cope and achieve a sense of wellbeing despite the enormous odds. “In terms of resilience, what was interesting was for those who fared better, they all had one person who stuck up for them. The vital importance of this can’t be underestimated.”
Bob Atkinson spoke to the many myths that become reality and form conversations and ways of dealing with issues in our society, just as they always have: “When I joined the Police Force women were responsible for domestic violence. They goaded men. Hopefully that has changed. With children, it was that children can’t be believed and they make things up. We know this isn’t true at all and children are very honest. The average time of reporting abuse with those who came forward to the Royal Commission was 22 years. Another myth was those in positions of authority can be trusted.”
Since moving on from the Royal Commission, Bob Atkinson has focused his advocacy on the Queensland Juvenile Justice system. “Firstly, we needed to change the policy position via 4 pillars. Number 1, our job is to intervene early. Many school teachers can tell when something is off kilter. Many others know this too. Number 2 is diversion from court. Number 3 is for Magistrates and Judges to keep a child out of custody. This is really important because once in the system, their chance of returning is very high. Number 4 is support for those who are in custody and it is on us that we work with those kids to change their behaviour so they can move forward.”
Bob Atkinson made 77 recommendations to overhaul the way Queensland deals with young offenders and engages with disadvantaged young people. Recommendations in the report included:
- Continued investment in early intervention to prevent youth offending;
- Intervention and support for parents as early as the pre-natal stage;
- Greater collaboration between the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women, the Queensland Police Service and the Children’s Court;
- More alternative and flexible schooling options for young people at risk of disengaging from education;
- Keeping minor offences out of the court system;
- Reducing the number of young people in youth detention; and
- Options to divert young people away from the Youth Justice system.
Bob Atkinson highlighted that a major concern for him is the disproportionate number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in youth detention. “Statistics are terrible all over Australia. For example, on any given day in Townsville there are 5 white kids in detention. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people make up 8% of young people in Queensland. Yet, on any given day, there are 95 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in detention in Townsville. This is a stark comparison. The Report advocates for starting to do more to turn this around. By 2038 we aim for rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people to be the same as the mainstream population.”
Bob joked about showing his age in his closing statements. Yet, in reality his wealth of experience as an advocate already ‘outed’ him as a man with tenure and a stalwart in his endeavours to make a difference: “When I was younger and looking to buy a home, the price of a home was 2 or 3 times the price of an annual general salary. Consumerism and many other messages are rough for children and young people today bombarded by body image and possession. We’ve overcooked it. Jobs are important and a reason for security. Our quality and worth as a society depends on how well we work and care for our disadvantaged members of society.”
In his final comment, Bob Atkinson noted that young people in detention can tick every box for disadvantage including poverty and missed schooling: “You name it, they can tick it. When we leave the world, it will be a better place for our presence or a worse place. It’s up to all of us to make that decision. Thank you all for your contribution.”
Stay tuned next week when we bring you our Executive Director, Lindsay Wegener’s address What does Advocacy mean for PeakCare?