This article reports on a comparison of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) and non-ATSI children involved in the child protection system sampled from the Victorian Children’s Court. Groups were compared in terms of demographic profile, the types and grounds for protection applications and the types of abuse proven in court.

Our results highlight similarities between ATSI and non-ATSI children in the child protection system, a finding that indicates similar children, regardless of background, are being found to be at increased risk of abuse. The over-representation of ATSI children in the sample indicates a continued social and economic disadvantage associated with this group, requiring ongoing public health preventive measures. Our study also highlighted the longer term involvement of ATSI children with child protection services before reaching court. This may be explained by differences in case management policies affecting ATSI children in the child protection system as well as the ongoing legacy of the Stolen Generation.

In addition to addressing underlying inequalities, advancing the ATSI people towards self-determination in child protection may reduce the over-representation and longer term involvement with the child protection system. Importantly, alternative approaches must be considered as the potential trauma associated with longer term child protection involvement is greater in children of ATSI background.