The referendum result told young Indigenous people their futures and voices do not matter but they are key to creating better outcomes, a Victorian commissioner says.
Aboriginal children are over-represented when it comes to being victims of alleged child abuse and misconduct, the latest report from the Commission for Children and Young People showed
They are victims in 10 per cent of reported abuse in schools, out-of-home care, early childhood education and religious bodies, despite only making up two per cent of Victoria's non-adult population.
"The reporting is often lower than what is actually happening," Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People Meena Singh told AAP.
"We need to create spaces and relationships where they feel safe and they feel trusted to be able to talk to people about what's happening."
But the 'no' result in the Indigenous voice to parliament referendum made Aboriginal young people feel like their voices do not matter, Ms Singh said.
"They're labouring under a double exclusion - they feel like they, as children, are not meant to be seen or heard," she said.
"But also as members of the Aboriginal community, they've consistently been excluded from participating in society the way that most others in the community have had the opportunity to."
Ms Singh said for real change to occur, it was vital to listen to their experiences.
"We really need to reinforce that Aboriginal children and young people in Victoria, and all across the country, have the right to live the lives and achieve the goals they want to," she said.
"They're valued and they're part of that future and they are deserving of our time and resources."
She said it was also vital for the age of criminal responsibility to be raised to 14 years.
The Victorian government in April committed to lifting the age from 10 to 12 years by the end of next year, before raising it again to 14 by 2027 with some exceptions.
Ms Singh said she was worried about the lack of urgency in the government's approach.
"It was incredibly disappointing to see that staggered rollout happen," she said.
"At the very heart, we shouldn't be jailing children.
"We're only responding to the behaviour - we're not responding to what is causing the behaviour."
Lifeline 13 11 14
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
13YARN 13 92 76
Aboriginal Counselling Services 0410 539 905
