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Submission to National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention from
The School of Education and Early Childhood Studies,University of Western Sydney
Prepared by Criss
Morandini, Cathie Harrison, Leonie Arthur and Bronwyn Beecher
3rd May, 2002
The stories of three children in detention at Villawood
S - a girl aged fifteen months
H - a boy eight years old
A - a girl aged sevenThe impact of stress and trauma on children's development and learning
The impact of detention on children's psychosocial development
The University of Western Sydney, Bankstown Campus is located approximately twenty minutes from Villawood Detention Centre. Within the School of Education and Early Childhood Studies there is a strong commitment to social justice and to the celebration of diversity. The undergraduate early childhood program developed by academics at the university promotes awareness of the rights of children and encourages students as early childhood professionals to become informed advocates for the rights and well being of children within diverse communities both in Australia and within a global context. A number of early childhood students and staff are members of the Early Childhood Social Justice Group. The awareness of the importance of early care giving on the mental health and development of children, familiarity with current research on child development, play and learning has motivated intense concern and distress amongst both students and staff regarding the current government policy and practices in relation to children in detention.
As part of the strong commitment to the rights of all children the early childhood team at UWS Bankstown has undertaken visitation to Villawood Detention Centre. Chris Morandini, a casual lecturer at the university, has established connections with a number of families at Villawood Detention Centre. She has visited families and children and used play equipment from the early childhood resource centre at the university to support young refugee children and their families. Students are also currently involved in developing play resources to share with children in detention. The following documents the experience of three families within Villawood Detention Centre.
The stories of three children in detention at Villawood - Chris Morandini
S - a girl aged fifteen months
On one of my first visits to Villawood Detention Centre I met S. S was in Villawood Detention Centre with her mother and father. At this time it was clear that S's mother had severe mental health issues. Her mental health subsequently deteriorated to a stage where she had acute depression and other severe symptoms of physical illness. Although clearly in a very distressed state and although many other refugee families expressed concern for her it was only the intervention of concerned visitors from outside that enabled S's mother to get some psychological support. She was eventually assessed by an independent psychiatrist and moved to the Psychiatric Unit at Bankstown Hospital, Banks House.
What did this mean for Baby S aged fifteen months? With her mother in psychiatric care and her father also deeply distressed I observed that other detainee families, particularly the women took on the significant caring role for a child so young. The family separation and the additional trauma of this situation occurred at a critical time in S's development. It is during the first two years that the formation of secure attachment and bonding is most critical for subsequent development. This situation is therefore of great concern.
As a visitor from the Australian community and as an early childhood professional it is difficult to comprehend why such a situation was allowed to occur without prior intervention. It was the concern of detainees and others outside that eventually resulted in a response. Without such advocacy S's mother would most likely have stayed in the Detention Centre unattended. This situation has huge implications for the long- term well being of the child. Both the child and her mother are now in Banks House with an ACM guard at the door. One is forced to consider the first 15 months of this child's life and what we have offered her in Australia? Where is the evidence of the Australian commitment to the United Nation's Rights of the Child for Baby S?
Since coming to Australia H and his family have resided in three different states. He and his family have spent time in Port Headland Detention Centre in Western Australia, Woomera Detention Centre in South Australia and now Villawood Detention Centre in New South Wales. H. has an older sister M., just sixteen and an older brother M. around seventeen years of age. His family is from Iran.
On my first meeting with H. I asked him about his interests via his sister as interpreter. H did not make eye contact with me or M. His dark brown eyes looked glassy. "I don't know. Nothing, nothing," he said. Dr R., a doctor of medicine, from Afghanistan said, 'You see he is not interested in things. He is not happy and just wants to sit around. This is what detention does to children". My observations confirmed Doctor R's assessment of H. H. was lethargic, irritable sad and depressed.
On my second visit, accompanied by an early childhood student, I met with H's family and Dr. R. Dr R. and I initially sat on the edge of the soft fall surface of the play equipment in the visitor's yard. Dr R had searched for visitors' chairs for his guests and had been apologetic when unable to find any. It was as if he was searching for a way to be hospitable in an environment that offered little in the way of hospitality. The student and I set out the large game of snakes and ladders that we had brought. Then the children from different cultural groups came over and joined in the game and played together. H seemed more responsive and active on this visit and used his skills to take control of the turn taking of other player in the game. He was in charge and appeared to enjoy this temporary sense of control so lacking in other aspects of his life. Dr R responded with interest and acted as mediator, reminding children that landing on the snake's head meant sliding back. Adults and children played alongside each other during this experience becoming immersed in it and happily unaware of the surrounding situation at least temporarily. For a time we were no longer visitors to prisoners in a detention centre but friends playing together.
During my most recent visit to Villawood detention centre H was happily running around excitedly as a visitor had given him a Game Boy with a Pokemon Game.
H's family are returning to Iraq next week. They spoke about being unsure of what they would find when they returned but said that they would be glad to be out of detention and that some how they would live in a community again even with all the uncertainty that this held. They believed that it had to be a better life than they had experienced since coming to Australia and spending time in Port Headland, Woomera and Villawood Detention Centres.
A is a member of a refugee family consisting of mother, father and four children. Following a riot in one detention centre A's family were separated. The father, older brother and mother were sent to prison as result of damage that occurred during the riot. The youngest children were sent to separate detention centres. A., the youngest, was being cared for by other detainee families at Villawood Detention Centre.
The family was eventually reunited at Villawood. The family members experienced varying lengths of internment with the father being the last to be released after a period of some months. The family commented that since coming to Australia they had only experienced incarceration. The mother explained that they felt that there were 'no kind people in Australia' but said that it is better now 'at Villawood visitors started to come.' She described how they started to meet some kind people from the community… She explained that after visit of a 'kind Australian' she rang her husband and said that 'there was some kindness here, that there are some kind people here and that there are some kind people who will come and visit you.'
This family that had survived significant trauma before coming to Australia then experienced the trauma associated with detention and the rioting that has occurred within detention centres. The reaction to the riot, the family split up and the isolation of the family members within different detention centres exacerbated this situation. The effects of such traumas are evident in the behaviour of children like A, who show very little eye contact. While being very polite and following adult guidance the interactions and connection with others appears to be very non specific with little evidence of attachment, trust or security. The lack of bonding and linking with adults, and the absence of specific family ties or connections with parents is clearly evident. The children seem to have adopted a number of coping mechanisms and at times the randomness of interactions is disturbing.
Miles and Huberman (1994, p1) suggested that 'words especially organised in to incidents or stories have a concrete and meaningful flavour that often proves far more convincing to a reader, another researcher, policy maker or practitioner than pages of summarised numbers.' The documentation of the experiences of these three children and their families provides powerful evidence and insights into the lived experience of children and families in detention. The Australian response to their experiences is a tragedy that cannot continue.
Early childhood research and knowledge provides evidence of both the short and long term negative impact of incarceration on children, as outlined below.
The impact of stress and trauma on children's development and learning
Current research on brain development highlights the early years as being a critical period for children's development and learning. The human brain is most vulnerable to disruptive and traumatising experiences during the first three years of life (Perry et al 1996, Shore, 1997).
Parents and children who are seeking assylum have already suffered stress and trauma in their country of origin and on the journey to Australia. Placing them in detention further exacerbates this stress and trauma. Brain research indicates that "early experiences of trauma …can interfere with the development of the…brain, resulting in extreme anxiety, depression, and/or the inability to form healthy attachments to others …and can also impair cognitive abilities" (Shore, 1997:xi). This is clearly evident in the stories of depressed children at Villawood Detention Centre outlined by Chris Morandini.
This stress and trauma places children at risk of developing problems in later life. Children need to be safeguarded from harm. They need to be in a safe and secure environment that promotes healthy development and learning. They also need appropriate support to deal with stress and trauma.
Research cited in Sims, Hayden, Palmer & Hutchins (2000) indicates that children who experience trauma and who do not receive appropriate support are at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder and of having mental health problems and/or learning difficulties in later years. Parents who are traumatised themselves are unable to offer this support and there are not staff with appropriate training in detention centres to offer the necessary support to families or children.
The Australian Early Childhood Association's Draft Position Statement on Children who are refugees, assylum seekers and in detention states that
In order to grow
and develop normally, a child has certain age-specific requirements which
must be satisfied. Basic health care, nutrition and education are generally
recognised as necessary for the physical and intellectual development
of children. Beyond these, however, healthy psychosocial development depends
in large measure on the nurturing and stimulation that children receive
as they grow, and on the opportunities that they have to learn and master
new skills. For refugee children, healthy psychosocial development also
requires coping effectively with the multiple trauma of loss, uprooting
and often more damaging experiences. In short, tragic long term consequences
may result where children's developmental needs are not adequately met.
(AECA, 2002: 1)
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children should be protected from violence. Yet children in detention are constantly exposed to violence. Institutionalisation means that there is little privacy for families, or for children. Children experience adults who are depressed, angry and frustrated and they are exposed directly to adult violence, riots, hunger strikes, self-mutilation and attempted suicides as well as to the violent and aggressive behaviours and attitudes of detention staff.
Child Protection legislation and procedures in various states in Australia focus on preventing child abuse. Suspicions that children are at risk of harm are grounds for making mandatory reports - for example the NSW Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998. Risk of harm is defined as when concerns are raised about the well being, welfare and safety of children due to several factors. These include children's physical or psychological needs not being met and children being exposed to situations where ongoing or severe physical abuse or domestic violence occurs and as a result children are at risk of serious physical or psychological harm. Children in detention centres are exposed to such violence and neglect. If this happened to children in the community it would be investigated and children would be removed.
The impact of detention on children's psychosocial development
One of the major features of social and emotional development for young children is attachment and the associated development of trust (Arthur, Beecher, Dockett, Farmer and Death, 1996). Children who do not feel secure that their needs will be met do not develop a sense of trust. Secure attachment to caregivers is fundamental to children's development of self-identity, self-esteem, social skills, emotional stability and sensitivity to the needs of others. Neuroscientists have found that a child's capacity to control emotions hinges to a significant extent on early experiences of attachment (Shore, 1997).
Chris Morandini has highlighted some of the mental health problems experienced by parents and the impact this has on children. Depressed parents are not able to focus on their children's needs and find it difficult to nurture and protect their children. Consequently children can experience emotional and physical neglect. When parents are experiencing the stress, trauma and depression associated with detention they are unable to provide the types of relationships and interactions with children that result in secure attachments. This impacts negatively on children's ability to express emotions and form meaningful relationships in childhood and in later life.
Research has found that depression in mothers has been shown to produce severe disturbances in mother-infant interactions (Murray et al 1996). Maternal depression can have lasting impacts on brain development in children, particularly in the part of the brain associated with the regulation and expression of emotions, and particularly for children aged six to eighteen months (Shore, 1997).
Children in the early years of life are developing independence, initiative and a sense of self. They will push boundaries in their search for independence and need adults who are understanding and consistent in their feedback (Arthur et al, 1996). Adults who are in detention do not have the emotional resources to deal with curious and assertive toddlers and preschoolers. Erikson (1963) argues that children who do not receive appropriate support in these early stages of psychosocial development will develop feelings of shame, doubt and guilt.
Young children are also learning to express their emotions in socially acceptable ways and are developing empathy with others. They naturally experience feelings such as fear, anger and frustration and need adult support and guidance to cope with their emotions and to be able to consider others' perspectives. Adults who are in detention are unlikely to be able to provide children with this level of support.
Damon (1988) suggests that children's everyday experiences provide them with the basis of their moral understandings. Children learn about what is right and wrong, fair and unfair through observing the way that adults in their environment respond to different situations. If children's everyday experiences are trauma, violence, anger and aggression then this makes it difficult for them to develop empathy and respect for the rights of others and develop as responsible members of society.
Current early childhood theory stresses the importance of viewing children within their social and cultural contexts (see for example the NSW Department of Community Services Curriculum Framework for Children's Services, 2002). Children's learning and development cannot be addressed in isolation of their family and community. Families need to feel strong and empowered to provide the best care and education for their children. Adults in detention are frequently emotionally detached, disempowered and display feelings of helplessness and despair about their situation as indicated in the stories outlined by Chris Morandini. Families in detention are not able to provide the sorts of interactions that are necessary for children's language, cognitive or social development.
Detention also has a negative impact on children's identity formation as families do not have access to communities, religious organisations and cultural activities to support cultural identity. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children have a right to practise their culture, language and religion. This right is not being met when children are not able to access culturally appropriate avenues of expression and identity such as cultural groups and religious organisations within the community.
Children's rights to play and education
Play is a fundamental right of all children as stated in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Children require a secure and caring environment and opportunities for play in order to develop and learn. Children in detention have few opportunities to play and do not have access to early childhood services such as child care or playgroups.
All children have a right to relevant educational experiences within a context that provides physical and emotional security and safety. Such experiences are even more urgently required when children have experienced significant family disruption and trauma. The continuity and intellectual engagement which appropriate educational experiences provide for children can help to alleviate or off set the effects of significant family trauma and disruption. Educational experiences which are sensitive to the particular needs of children in detention and responsive to the diverse socio-cultural contexts of which the children are a part are essential to their emotional wellbeing and to their intellectual and social development. Such experiences are most likely to emerge when refugee children live within, not separate from, Australian communities with access to the appropriate resources and professional expertise.
- Detention of young children and their families is inappropriate and harmful to children's development in the short and long term. Provision should be made for child asylum seekers and their parents to be housed in the community.
- If detention centres continue to be the chosen strategy for managing asylum seekers while their claims for refugee status are assessed then these claims should be assessed quickly and detention centres located in major population centres. This will ensure access to the range of services that are needed by children and their families.
Child and family unity should be maintained at all times.
- In all actions concerning children who are asylum seekers the human rights of the child, in particular his or her best interests, should be given primary consideration. Refugee children are entitled to the same treatment and rights as other Australian children.
Families should be strengthened through access to family support services to enable them to care for their children.
- All children and families should have access to health programs and services.
- Specialist support services should be available to help children address trauma.
Children under school age should have opportunities to play in environments that are equipped with appropriate resources and trained early childhood staff. Children should have access to government-subsidised places in community childcare services. All school age children should have access to school in the community.
- The provision of childcare, healthcare and education for refugee children should reflect their linguistic and cultural needs. Families should be provided with suitable interpreters who speak their preferred language whenever they are interviewed or require access to services. Early childhood services should provide bilingual staff who can support the child's home language and culture and help them learn English.
- Those working with refugee children should receive appropriate training on the needs of refugee children and training in working with children and families who have experience trauma.
References
Arthur, L., Beecher,
B., Dockett, S., Farmer, S. & Death, E. (1996). Programming and planning
in early childhood settings. Sydney: Harcourt.
Australian Early Childhood Association (2002). Draft Position statement
on children of asylum seekers, children of refugees and children in detention.
Damon, W. (1988). The moral child. New York: The Free Press.
Erikson, E. (1963). Childhood and society. New York: Norton.
Miles, M.B., & Huberman A.M.(1994). Qualitative data analysis. (Second
edition)
Thousand Oaks, CS: Sage Publications.
Murray, L., Hipwell, A., Hooper, R., Stein, A, and Cooper, P., (1996).
The cognitive development of 5-year-old children of post-natally depressed
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Perry, B., Pollard, R., Blakley, T., Baker, W., Vigilante, D. (1995).
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Shore, R. (1997). Rethinking the brain: New Insights into early development.
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