Citizens Commission on Human Rights

The Mental Health Watchdog

Australian National Office

The Drugging of Australian Children

Cross boy in front of pills.There has been a dramatic increase in the psychiatric labelling and prescription of psychotropic drugs to Australian children. Parents have a right to know of all the alternatives and potential side-effects of psychotropic drugs proposed for their children so they can give fully informed consent. Yet there are many facts about these drugs, including dangerous side-effects, parents and others who are responsible for the welfare of these children are just not being told.

Restraint & Seclusion of Children and Electroshock of Children Over 14 Years are Legal in Western Australia

24 Jan 2022 Articles Uncategorized

The WA Mental Health Act is under review. Now is the time to change this. The WA Mental Health Act allows psychiatry to commit the above torturous practices on vulnerable children…

Over 16,000 Australian Children Prescribed Antipsychotics

04 Jul 2017 Articles

A total of 16,570 toddlers, children and teenagers under 17 were prescribed antipsychotics in 2015, Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme data seen by Fairfax…

Meet the Children Prescribed Antidepressants

27 Apr 2017 Latest News

A mother who watched as her 10-year-old son rocked in a corner of his room begging for someone to kill him to end…

Release of Australian Documentary about Psychiatric Drugs

22 Mar 2017 Articles

Due to skyrocketing numbers of children on antidepressants CCHR has released a documentary titled, Psychiatry Friend or Foe? The Untold Story of Australian Psychiatry. SELLING AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN DOWN THE DRUG DRAIN…

The ADHD Fraud

13 Jan 2017 Books

by Fred A Baughman MD. Pediatric Neurologist Dr. Fred Baughman’s long awaited book is acclaimed for providing much needed detailed and practical advice on how to prevent children from being labelled…

Psychiatry: An Industry of Death

13 Jan 2017 DVDs

Have you ever wondered why: Australian children have attempted suicide while on ADHD drugs; More than 600 Australians have died while on anti-psychotics; and more than 1,200 Australian children aged…

Dead Wrong: How Psychiatric Drugs Can Kill Your Child

13 Jan 2017 DVDs

Psychiatrists are DEAD WRONG. Presented by CCHR. Psychiatrists claim their drugs are safe for children. Once you hear what eight brave mothers, their families, doctors and experts have to say instead,…

GlaxoSmithKline to Face Class Action Over Antidepressant Used on Children

18 Mar 2016 Latest News

A Sydney law firm has launched a class action on behalf of people who as children and adolescents were…

Psychiatric Labelling and Drugging of Australian Children: The Facts

14 Jan 2016 Articles

There has been a dramatic increase in the psychiatric labelling and prescription of antidepressants, antipsychotics and ADHD drugs to Australian children. In 2020/21 there were 286,846 children on a psychiatric…

The New Queensland Mental Health Draft Bills Will Allow For Children Of Any Age To Consent To Electroshock & Psychosurgery Without Parental Consent

07 Oct 2015 Latest News

Forced drugging, restraints & seclusion of children without the need for parental consent is set to remain legal. Please Urgently Take Action The Queensland Mental Health Act has been under review since…

Restraint and Electroshock Legal for Children in NSW Mental Health Act

28 Sep 2015 Uncategorized

Parental Consent Not Needed. In June 2021, The World Health Organization (WHO) released guidelines that lashed out against coercive psychiatric practices such as restraint, seclusion, forced electroshock and forced detainment and…

Has Your Son or a Boy You Know Taken Risperdal®?

03 Aug 2015 Articles

CCHR asks for parents to come forward about sons who may be suffering a serious, antipsychotic drug side effect: growth of female breasts. Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) Australia has…

The Queensland Mental Health Act Is Under Review & New Proposals Will Allow For Children Of Any Age To Consent To Electroshock & Psychosurgery Without Parental Consent

03 Jun 2015 Latest News

Forced drugging, restraint & seclusion of children without the need for any parental consent is set to remain legal. Please urgently take action by 26 June 2015. Click here to download the…

The New Queensland Mental Health Act is Now Currently Before Parliament. It Allows for Children of Any Age to be Given Electroshock

05 Dec 2014 Latest News

Forced drugging, restraint & seclusion of children without the need for any parental consent remains legal. Please take action before 5pm Monday 19 January 2015 Below is a summary of points of…

Electroshock Set To Remain Legal For Children In New NSW Mental Health Act Which Could Be Passed Into Law As Early as the Third Week of November 2014

17 Nov 2014 Latest News

The NSW Mental Health Act has been under review and despite the Sydney Morning Herald earlier this year reporting that a draft bill would be made available to the public…

CCHR’s Submission on Child Suicide

02 Jun 2014 Articles

There have been over 1,100 adverse reactions reported to Australia's drug regulatory agency for suicide, suicidal thoughts and behaviour and self-harm. These include the suicides of a 9 year old…

Is Victorian Psychiatry Planning To Use Children Under 16 as Guinea Pigs by Allowing Them to Consent To Experimental Psychosurgery in the New Mental Health Act ?

18 Mar 2014 Articles

Illegal for mental illness in NSW and the NT, Victorian psychiatrists want to be able to cut into the brains of children of any age and perform deep brain stimulation…

New WA Mental Health Bill currently before parliament will erode children and parental rights

06 Mar 2014 Articles

14 year olds can agree to electroshock and 16 year olds to psychosurgery, both without parental consent! The WA Mental Health Act has been under review and the new Bill is…

New Vic Mental Health Act just lodged in Parliament will not Ban Electroshock or Psychosurgery on Children

05 Mar 2014 Articles

Children will be able to agree to electroshock and psychosurgery without parental consent ! The Victorian Mental Health Act has been under review. Public consultation occurred and a Draft Bill was…

Torturous Electroshock in Children Set to Remain Legal in the Victorian Mental Health Act to go Before Victorian Parliament this Week

17 Feb 2014 Articles

The controversial Victorian Mental Health Act is expected to go before Parliament this week with the torturous use of electroshock now set to remain legal for children of all ages.…

Back to the Dark Ages - Psychiatry’s Cutting and Inserting Electrodes into the Brain Legal in the New WA Mental Health Act for 16 Year Olds

03 Nov 2013 Articles

Illegal for mental illness in NSW and the NT, Western Australian psychiatrists want to be able to barbarically cut 16 year olds brains and perform deep brain stimulation (DBS). DBS…

Psychiatrys Use of Brutal Restraint in Children Set to Remain Legal in the WA Mental Health Act

03 Nov 2013 Articles

With the call for the ban of physical restraint in young children this week by National Mental Health Commissioner, Ms Jackie Crowe, after a 9 year-old Victorian boy suffered bruises…

New WA Mental Health Bill Just Lodged in Parliament Will Erode Children and Parental Rights

29 Oct 2013 Articles

14 year olds can agree to electroshock and 16 year olds to psychosurgery, both without parental consent! The WA Mental Health Act has been under review and the new Bill has…

United Nations Expresses Concern Regarding Australia's Over-Prescription of ADD and ADHD Drugs to Children

26 Aug 2013 Articles

In June 2012, Australia was before the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC) regarding the prescription of ADHD drugs to children. The Committee expressed serious concern…

Qld Children Able to Consent to Psychosurgery and Electroshock Emergency Electroshock can be Given Immediately to Involuntarily Detained Children Without Parental Consent

14 Aug 2013 Articles

The Queensland Mental Health Act is under review and public feedback is being called for on the current law. A child (under 18), if considered to have the capacity to…

Children able to consent to sterilisation and 12 year olds to consent to psychosurgery and electroshock without any parental consent in W.A.

22 Feb 2012 Articles

The W.A. Mental Health Act is under review and the above are included in proposals of the draft bill. Please take action so that children are protected and parental rights…

Alarming Federal Mental Health Commission Potential Conflicts of Interest Could lead to More Children on Mind Altering Drugs

16 Dec 2011 Articles

The statistics are alarming - nearly 89,000 Australian children under 16 are on ADHD drugs, antidepressants and antipsychotics (4,429 aged between 2-6). These are drugs with often serious side-effects –…

New Australian Clinical Practice Points (CPPs) on ADHD could see Children Removed from their Parents if they Refuse to “Treat their Child’s ADHD”

16 Nov 2011 Articles

An extremely concerning statement in the CPPs on ADHD indicates that Australia could now be following the US model where children can be removed from their parents if they refuse…

Rising Rate of ADHD Drugs for Kids Like Ritalin

21 Sep 2011 Articles

Children as young as two are increasingly being prescribed powerful stimulant drugs like Ritalin for "ADHD." 2,406 Australian children younger than six are on these drugs (1,007 of those in…

Alarm as More Kids on Antidepressants

19 Sep 2011 Articles

"Alarm as more kids on anti-depressants" Herald Sun, 30 May 2011, read the full article on the Herald Sun website. Download the statistics of the numbers of children on antidepressants obtained…

Psychiatrist Patrick McGorry Aborts Controversial Drug Trial on Kids Amid Protests

21 Aug 2011 Articles

The Age newspaper reported: "FORMER Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry has aborted a controversial trial of antipsychotic drugs on children as…

Does Successful Child Rearing Include A Cocktail Of Mind-Altering Stimulants, Antidepressants & Antipsychotics?

11 May 2011 Articles

Transparency and conflicts of interest in the May 2011 Mental Health in Infancy, Childhood and Adolescent Conference, Perth. The theme of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP)…