Why so much suffering?
While a lot of what we hear about the reasons and outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disadvantage are based on myths like the ones outlined above, the plight of too many Indigenous Australians is real and shocking.
Policies and practices from the time Europeans arrived in Australia, including killings, forced removal from land, removal of children, and total government control over Indigenous lives damage people over generations. And it’s not only the actions of governments – negative attitudes and behaviour on the part of many in the wider community, ranging from ignorance and apathy to outright racism, have a crippling impact.
For many Indigenous Australians this has resulted in intergenerational trauma and intergenerational poverty.
An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child born in Australia today is :
- 10 times more likely to develop kidney disease
- 3 times more likely to develop diabetes
- 4 times less likely to be attending school at age 15.
- Twice as likely to be profoundly disabled
- 3 times as likely to be unemployed when they’re an adult
- 3 times less likely to own their own home
- 2 ½ times more likely to commit suicide
- 4 times more likely to be abused during childhood
- 5 times more likely to be murdered (and 5 times more likely to murder)
- 17 times more likely to be hospitalised for assault (with women 44 times more likely)
- 23 times more likely to be detained in a juvenile detention centre
- 13 times more likely to be imprisoned
- 4 and a half times more likely to be assaulted
For more information on Indigenous disadvantages refer to http://www.pc.gov.au/gsp/reports/indigenous/keyindicators2007/
The statistic of disadvantage which has captured Australia’s attention in the last 12 months and which is now the focus of nationwide effort is this:
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The life expectancy of an Indigenous child born in Australia today is 17 years lower than that of a non-Indigenous child. Indigenous men can expect to live until they’re 59 and Indigenous women until they’re 65 – compared to 78 and 83 years for non-Indigenous men and women. |
This gap cannot be tolerated in an affluent country like Australia and across all sectors, people are now working to close this gap within a generation (25 years).
To achieve this objective, it’s vital to understand why it exists and all the things we can do to make a positive difference. Infant mortality, youth suicide, family violence and the often preventable diseases that ravage Indigenous communities are all reflected in the statistic.
We also need to think about how the gap affects Indigenous communities and what it costs Australia as a whole.
Imagine what it’s like to attend funerals on a regular basis when relatives and friends have died before their time. Elders’ wisdom is lost early and the next generation find themselves in leadership roles far too early.
While the rest of the population ages, 60 percent of Indigenous Australians are under the age of 25.
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