Trends in Child and Adolescent Assault and Maltreatment Following the Re-introduction of the Banned Drinker Register in the Northern Territory, Australia
Dublin Core
Title
Trends in Child and Adolescent Assault and Maltreatment Following the Re-introduction of the Banned Drinker Register in the Northern Territory, Australia
Subject
Maltreatment of children
Creator
Kristen Walker
Electronic Resource Item Type Metadata
Journal Name
Child Abuse & Neglect
Volume
Vol. 154
Publication Date
2024
Publisher
Elsevier ScienceDirect
Document Type
Journal article
Language
English
Region
Northern Australia
Access
Restricted Access
View Source
Abstract
Objective
In 2017 the Northern Territory (NT) government re-introduced the Banned Drinker Register (BDR) to address the high rates of alcohol related harm. This paper aims to evaluate whether trends in assault, maltreatment and sentinel injuries in children and adolescents were associated with the re-introduction of the BDR, in the context of other local interventions such as police officers stationed in bottle shops being partially removed, Police Auxiliary Liquor Inspectors, and the introduction of a minimum unit price of alcohol.
Method
Interrupted time series analysis was used to assess monthly trends in emergency department presentations and inpatient hospital admissions for assault, maltreatment and sentinel injuries between January 2014 and December 2019 in the regions of Greater Darwin, Alice Springs, and Katherine.
Results
A significant step increase after the introduction of the BDR in emergency department presentations for assault and maltreatment was present when examining the three regions combined (β = 7.65, 95 % CI = 2.15, 13.16). However, this was not present at the individual community level. Results across a range of other models pointed towards null effects of the BDR introduction.
Conclusions
The current study found that the re-introduction of the BDR had minimal impact on rates of assault, maltreatment, or sentinel injuries in children and adolescents. To ensure long-term harm mitigation from alcohol use, a combination of evidence informed alcohol policies that address the price and availability of alcohol in a comprehensive framework, along with measures which address the underlying social determinants of unregulated drinking and health more broadly will assist in reducing alcohol related harm in both children and adults.
In 2017 the Northern Territory (NT) government re-introduced the Banned Drinker Register (BDR) to address the high rates of alcohol related harm. This paper aims to evaluate whether trends in assault, maltreatment and sentinel injuries in children and adolescents were associated with the re-introduction of the BDR, in the context of other local interventions such as police officers stationed in bottle shops being partially removed, Police Auxiliary Liquor Inspectors, and the introduction of a minimum unit price of alcohol.
Method
Interrupted time series analysis was used to assess monthly trends in emergency department presentations and inpatient hospital admissions for assault, maltreatment and sentinel injuries between January 2014 and December 2019 in the regions of Greater Darwin, Alice Springs, and Katherine.
Results
A significant step increase after the introduction of the BDR in emergency department presentations for assault and maltreatment was present when examining the three regions combined (β = 7.65, 95 % CI = 2.15, 13.16). However, this was not present at the individual community level. Results across a range of other models pointed towards null effects of the BDR introduction.
Conclusions
The current study found that the re-introduction of the BDR had minimal impact on rates of assault, maltreatment, or sentinel injuries in children and adolescents. To ensure long-term harm mitigation from alcohol use, a combination of evidence informed alcohol policies that address the price and availability of alcohol in a comprehensive framework, along with measures which address the underlying social determinants of unregulated drinking and health more broadly will assist in reducing alcohol related harm in both children and adults.
Citation
Kristen Walker, “Trends in Child and Adolescent Assault and Maltreatment Following the Re-introduction of the Banned Drinker Register in the Northern Territory, Australia,” ICMGLT Digital Library, accessed June 11, 2026, https://icmglt.org/library/items/show/500.