Calls to broaden sex abuse hearings

JULIA Gillard's royal commission risks sending a "dangerous message" by  not investigating physical abuse and neglect as well.

JULIA Gillard's royal commission into child abuse risks sending a "dangerous message" by solely focusing on victims of sexual assault and not allowing sufferers of physical abuse and neglect to also share their stories.

The National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect says the inquiry's framework is inequitable and has urged the Prime Minister to expand the terms of reference to include all forms of abuse children suffered at the hands of institutions, churches and governments.

But the call has divided child welfare advocates, with Bravehearts' executive director Hetty Johnston saying it would mean the commission could go on for "50 years" and hamper efforts to get concrete recommendations to prevent child sex abuse.

Former ABC chairman David Hill, a child migrant who later wrote a book about institutional abuse, backed NAPCAN's submission. He said it made a "valid point" as children were severely damaged by abuse and it went beyond just sexual assault.

Ms Gillard announced the national inquiry into child sex abuse in November after mounting pressure from backbenchers, independent MPs and victim groups amid harrowing claims of abuse in NSW and Victoria involving the Catholic Church.

The government has had more than 800 proposals on the structure of the inquiry after only a week-long consultation. It has already delayed announcing the terms of reference from last month to early this year.

NAPCAN chief executive officer Richard Cooke wrote in his organisation's submission to the government that the focus on sexual abuse was inequitable and did not recognise the suffering of children who were subjected to other forms of abuse.

"To limit the terms of reference to sexual assault only does not consider the trauma of other children and young people who were (affected) either directly or vicariously by institutional abuse," he said. "Limiting the scope of the commission runs the risk of providing a message to other abuse victims that their abuse was not as serious. This is a dangerous message to provide to individuals who are already traumatised and have been historically silenced."

Mr Cooke said his group's experience showed that child sexual abuse "does not occur in isolation from other forms of abuse and neglect" such as emotional and physical maltreatment.

"There is also evidence that other forms of abuse, beyond sexual abuse, have occurred in institutional settings, and have been subject to similarly disappointing processes for investigation and resolution for victims," he said.

Mr Cooke acknowledged this request would broaden the terms of reference significantly but he said sexual abuse often occurred in conjunction with other forms of abuse so victims may already be testifying before the inquiry.

Ms Johnston said expanding the commission would hamper efforts to prevent such abuse from happening again in institutions.

"If they were to widen it, the commission would last for 50 years and we would not get a result," she said. "We will lose an opportunity to stop the sexual abuse of Australian children."

Ms Johnston said sexual abuse was different to other forms of child abuse and it needed to be dealt with separately. "We are not saying that one is any more horrific than the other, but it's just very different," she said.

Mr Hill, who was a former pupil of Fairbridge Farm School in regional NSW and later wrote a book about the institutional abuse suffered by his fellow students, said the commission should be expanded to include other forms of abuse.

He said he always thought the commission would become a "hornet's nest" because it would cover claims at all institutions that go back decades. "There was a lot of damage done to these children in institutions but it was not just sexual," he said. "But it (the inclusion of other abuse) creates significant logistical problems for the commission."