The Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

<p dir="ltr"><b>Content Disclaimer: Sensitive Material</b></p><p dir="ltr">This content engages with subject matter that may include references to sensitive or distressing material. Such material is included solely for the purposes of research, analysis, and advancing understanding of the topic under discussion.</p><p dir="ltr">Readers are advised to exercise discretion when engaging with this content.</p><p dir="ltr"><b>Support services in Australia:</b></p><ul><li><b>Lifeline</b> – 13 11 14 (24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention)</li><li><b>Kids Helpline</b> – 1800 55 1800 (24/7 counselling and support for young people aged 5–25)</li><li><b>1800RESPECT</b> – 1800 737 732 (24/7 sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling)</li><li><b>Beyond Blue</b> – 1300 22 4636 (24/7 mental health support)</li></ul><p dir="ltr">If you are in immediate danger, call <b>000</b>.</p><p dir="ltr"><b>Abstract</b></p><p dir="ltr">The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is the largest royal commission in Australia's history and one of the largest public inquiries into institutional child abuse internationally. With an investment from the Australian government of half a billion dollars, it examined how institutions with a responsibility for children, both historically and in the present, have responded to allegations of child sexual abuse. Announced in the wake of previous Australian and international inquiries, public scandals and lobbying by survivor groups, its establishment reflected increasing recognition of the often lifelong and intergenerational damage caused by childhood sexual abuse and a strong political commitment to improving child safety and wellbeing in Australia. This article outlines the background, key features and innovations of this landmark public inquiry, focusing in particular on its extensive research program. It considers its international significance and also serves as an introduction to this special edition on the Australian Royal Commission, exploring its implications for better understanding institutional child sexual abuse and its impacts, and for making institutions safer places for children in the future.</p>