Self-harm and suicide rates double across Northern Territory detention centres

The rate of self harm among children has increased by 400% in one of the nation’s most notorious youth justice centres. SEE THE NUMBERS

CHILDREN self harming in Territory youth justice centres have reached crisis levels, with the number of young people threatening to take their own lives doubling in a year.

Data provided by Territory Families to the NT News since January shows the number of self-harm incidents and threats grew to 97 last financial year.

Data provided to the NT News this week doesn’t include the number of ‘verbal threats’ of self-harm.

Territory Families is currently compiling the complete data.

The Productivity Commission had reported 48 self harm incidents for the previous year, between July 2020 and June 2021.

Territory Families data collated by the NT News shows there were 93 episodes of self-harm or suicide in the past six months and 11 required children to be hospitalised.

That figure is up from 54 in the previous six months in which only one child was hospitalised.

All self-harm or attempted suicide injuries where a child required hospital care occurred at Don Dale Youth Detention Centre.

According to data provided Territory Families self-harm and suicide rates inside Don Dale have grown by 400 per cent in a year.

In March, Territory Families told the NT News 25 incidents were recorded between July 2020 and June 2021. The latest data recorded 125 incidents last financial year.

The most recent data showed that addition to the 11 children requiring hospitalisation, there were 18 incidents not requiring hospitalisation but intervention, and 42 verbal threats of self-harm.

In June, the NT News reported up to four children required hospital care in one weekend due to self-harm or suicide attempts.

Alice Springs Detention Centre recorded eight physical incidents and 14 verbal threats of harm.

Aboriginal Health Organisation Danila Dilba chief executive Rob McPhee said his staff work in collaboration with specialist NT Health staff, including psychiatrists, and Territory Families staff to manage and assess ‘at risk’ children according to legislative and policy guidance.

“The ongoing issues and incidents of self-harm amongst young people detained at Don Dale continue to be concerning, and adequate reform needs to be made to ensure (young people) feel safe and cared for in the facility,” Mr McPhee said.

“Danila Dilba’s role in the management of young people placed at risk is guided by Territory Families policy determinations.

“While we will continue to provide high quality primary health care services to these young people, to see real change – we need real reforms, as stepped out in the Royal Commission.”

NTCOSS chief executive Deborah Di Natale said any incident of self-harm in detention was incredibly alarming.

“We need to do what we can to keep children safe. What we have here is an introduction to bail laws in the Northern Territory which makes us the only jurisdiction in the country where it is harder to get bail as a child than if you are an adult,” she said.

“Having children in Don Dale and those conditions that I have seen first-hand needs to end; what we must create is a new therapeutic model of care effective immediately.”

A spokesman for Territory Families said a small number of young people with complex behaviours were represented across multiple incidents.

“The department’s Specialist Assessment and Treatment Services (SATS) provide on-site response and support to young people … the DDYDC SATS team includes four psychologists, social workers, a speech therapist and case co-ordinators,” he said.

But data released in monitoring reports last year by the NT Office of the Children’s Commission (OCC) shows many children spend up to 23 hours per day in a cell and several wait more than three days to receive medical attention.

The increased rates of self-harm also correlate with skyrocketing rates of incarceration in the NT.

In May the NT News reported rates of youth detention had grown by 200 per cent according to data from the OCC.

Recently Alice Springs Youth Detention Centre recorded some of the highest numbers of young people in detention including 27 children on Monday morning and 24 children on 29 June.

The centre was only designed to be an 11-bed facility.

Territory Families’ At Risk Procedure Policy, provided to the NT News in June, said there was a responsibility to provide an environment that recognised the trauma children experience in detention.

“It is imperative … (to) implement programs focused on preventing the precursors leading to suicidal ideation or self-harming behaviour,” it said.

“(And) minimise the number of young people reaching the threshold required to implement at-risk procedures.”

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said a new model of care was being rolled out progressively in youth justice centres across the Northern Territory.

“This new model of care has been co-designed with advocates, families, stakeholders and service providers to inform the way we support young people,’ she said.

“All cases of self-harm, or threats of self-harm in youth detention are taken very seriously.”

Fyles also said a new youth detention facility would replace Don Dale and be operation by late 2023.

“The Darwin Youth Justice Centre is being built with a modern design focused on rehabilitation, restorative practice and trauma informed care,” she said.

“The new youth justice centre design has been informed by an intensive stakeholder engagement program with industry specialists and service providers in youth justice facilities across Australia and internationally to ensure that the new centre delivers the most progressive youth justice infrastructure in Australia.”

Originally published as Self-harm and suicide rates double across Northern Territory detention centres