Alcohol abuse having a devastating impact on families in Australia... with more than ONE MILLION children affected by their parents' heavy drinking

• One in five Australian children are affected by parents' drinking  
• Troubling statistics show 10,000 children are in protection as a result 
• Alcohol abuse a factor in up to 47% of child abuse cases each year
• Report launched by Australian of the Year Rosie Batty in NSW Parliament 
• Domestic Violence NSW's Moo Baulch says we face 'national emergency'  

By Liam Quinn For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 23:26 EST, 23 February 2015 | Updated: 18:54 EST, 25 February 2015

One in five children are affected by their parents' heavy drinking, with some being verbally abused, physically attacked or left unsupervised, a new report has found.

The troubling statistics show more than one million children across Australia are impacted in some way by other's drinking habits, with a further 142,000 'substantially affected' and 10,000 already under child protection.

Family violence campaigner and Australian of the Year Rosie Batty is launching the report, 'Hidden harm: Alcohol's impact on children and families,' at NSW Parliament House in Sydney on Tuesday. 

One million Australian children are affected by their parents' drinking with 10,000 already under child protection as a result, a new report has found (stock image pictured above)

Researchers behind the report say alcohol abuse is a factor with almost half of child abuse cases reported each year. Children are also being left unsupervised, verbally assaulted and physically attacked, according to the report.

However, the most common harm experienced by children is witnessing verbal or physical conflicts between parents.

The report was created after the combination of data provided from child protection services, and surveys and interviews conducted with families impacted by alcohol abuse.

Family violence campaigner and Australian of the Year Rosie Batty (pictured) launched the report at NSW Parliament House in Sydney

Experts have said the report highlights the devastating impacted alcohol abuse has across the community, and called for governments to invest in a number of new strategies and plans to tackle alcohol-related problems.

Domestic Violence NSW chief executive Moo Baulch said it is time for family violence to be considered a national emergency.

'If there is any comfort at all to be found at present, it is that the issue of domestic and family violence has found itself, not before time, front and centre of the national agenda and public awareness,' Ms Baulch said.

'Governments are now looking to act and I for one welcome robust research findings that provide us with a more complete picture of the problem, and help identify and explore the policies that may address it.'

Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education chief executive Michael Thorn said his organisation has created a blueprint for reducing alcohol-fueled family violence.

'We need targeted screening of young people at greater risk of harm; and measures that reduce the availability, target the price, and regulate the promotion of alcohol,' Mr Thorn said. 

'We need national public education campaigns that acknowledge and address the role of alcohol in family violence.'

There were almost 30,000 police reported incidents of alcohol-related domestic violence in 2011 in just the four states and territories where data is available - NSW, Victoria, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.