CHASE - Centre for Health through Action on Social Exclusion

Social Exclusion

What is social exclusion?
Social exclusion refers to the marginalisation that can be experienced when people are unable to participate fully in the society in which they live. It also refers to the processes involved in feeling disconnected oneself or disconnecting others from fully appreciating opportunities available in society. The causes of this disconnectedness are myriad, but include poor physical and mental health, disability, family breakdown, lack of education and skills, and low income.

Trends in social exclusion in Australia
Increasing levels of violence, criminality, suicide, drug-related death, and homelessness provide stark indications of the need to address issues of social exclusion. Moreover, many of the drivers of social exclusion are projected to increase over the next twenty years - particularly in the health field.
The following examples illustrate the trends.

The prison population increased by 52% between 1990 and 2000, with 56% of prisoners being males between 20 and 35 years of age.
Suicides increased by 9% between 1988 and 1997, with increases of 16% for 15-24 year olds and 28% for 25-34 year olds.
Drug-related deaths of males have increased by approximately 250% since 1980, with female drug-related death rates rising slightly.
38% of the adult female population had experienced one or more incidents of physical or sexual violence in 1996.
Mental health disorders (in DALYs) are predicted to increase from 1996 to 2016 by 25% in males and by 7% in females.
Musculoskeletal disability (in DALYs) are predicted to increase from 1996 to 2016 by 36% in males and by 39% in females.
Neurological and sense disorders (in DALYs) are predicted to increase from 1996 to 2016 by 49% in males and by 87% in females.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics and The Victorian Burden of Disease Study

There is ample evidence that many of the problems of social exclusion are amenable to change through intervention. For example, the United Kingdom has developed comprehensive approaches to tackling social exclusion. Since the Blair government came into office in the late 1990s, on a platform addressing social exclusion, it is estimated that the number of people sleeping 'rough' on the streets in the United Kingdom has decreased by two-thirds.

Why focus on social exclusion?

Governments and other organisations, both in Australia and overseas, are increasingly focusing on social exclusion as an issue of concern. This is because social exclusion itself is now recognised as contributing significantly to poor health, education,employment and social outcomes-all of which can have considerable adverse economic impacts. the impacts of social exclusion. The impacts of social exclusion include:

health costs needed to manage poor health and chronic illness;
welfare costs required to address social and family disasters;
police costs to combat the impact and fear of crime and violence;
justice and corrections system costs in response to higher crime rates;
a less skilled workforce and poor productivity;
lack of confidence due to divided communities and declining suburbs;
lost customers, markets and international partners;
decreased competitiveness of the economy on a global level.

The fact that many of the causes of social exclusion are also its consequences, means that the problems are often compounded and therefore become more difficult totackle. For example, homelessness is often linked to alcohol and/or drug problems, domestic violence, juvenile crime, teenage pregnancy or mental and physical illness. This is typical of the complex array of issues that come under the umbrella of social exclusion.

The Deakin University research and development Centre for Health through Action on Social Exclusion (CHASE) is vital to the Australian community because a strong evidence-based approach is urgently needed to address issues of social exclusion, so that Australia can achieve its full potential in the new century.