Theme 1: Awareness raising, education and building child safe cultures
This content was initially created in 2022. Some information may no longer be current including titles of Ministers and Commonwealth Government Departments. You can find a list of current appointments on the Directory website.
The language we use has also changed from the initial terminology in the National Strategy. For a full list of the terminology we use, see our Glossary of terms page.
Better and targeted child sexual abuse education and awareness raising will prevent abuse. It will give victims and survivors access to the information they need. It will also change the misconceptions and stigma that stop people from asking for help.
Children and young people are part of many communities and organisations. Making these places child safe plays a key role in preventing harm. We can do this by:
- strengthening organisations’ cultures and leadership
- supporting children and young people to speak up
- improving transparency and accountability
- raising awareness of child sexual abuse
- making child safe practices a key part of daily business
The focus of Australian Government measures
Measures under this theme will:
- add to a culture that respects the rights of children and young people to be protected, safe and listened to. This includes continuing to implement and promote the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework
- build the capacity of sporting organisations to keep children safe
- engage, educate and empower parents and families to recognise and prevent harmful behaviours online
- engage with the digital industry and raise awareness of their role in addressing criminal activity on their
platforms, including child sexual abuse - meet diverse needs including those of:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people
- children and young people with disability
- children and young people from CALD backgrounds
- LGBTQIA+ children and young people
- children and young people in regional and remote communities
Working closely with organisations
To promote child safety and prevent child sexual abuse, we need to work closely with organisations. Organisations deliver services, education and awareness raising programs in the community. They play a key role in building and promoting child safe cultures.
The measures
1. Support strategic communication of the National Strategy and its outcomes
Overview
The National Office for Child Safety will:
- promote and share the National Strategy, including in accessible formats
- connect with the community and create working groups to oversee and guide implementation
- be accessible and transparent through an expanded website
Royal Commission recommendation
N/A
Lead Australian Government Department
National Office for Child Safety
2. Implement and promote the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework
Overview
The National Office for Child Safety will continue to monitor Australian Government agencies’ compliance with the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework. It will develop and roll out standard training that can be adapted by Australian Government agencies.
Royal Commission recommendation
Recommendation 6.13 from the Final Report
Lead Australian Government Department
National Office for Child Safety
3. Improve child safeguarding in sport
Overview
The National Office for Child Safety and Sport Integrity Australia will work together to build the capacity of Australian sporting organisations to keep children safe. They will help sporting organisations implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and the Sport Integrity Australia Child Safeguarding Policy. This will make sure organisations have child safety practices and processes. It will also help to drive cultural change in national sporting organisations and grassroots community sports.
Royal Commission recommendation
Recommendations from the Final Report relating to the Child Safe Standards and 14.1
Lead Australian Government Department
National Office for Child Safety and Sport Integrity Australia
4. Prevent online harms and promote safe online practices for children and young people
Overview
The eSafety Commissioner will deliver targeted online safety education that helps parents and families to recognise and prevent harmful behaviours online. This will focus on issues related to online child sexual abuse and child safety.
Royal Commission recommendation
Recommendations 6.2 and 6.20 from the Final Report
Lead Australian Government Department
eSafety Commissioner
5. Deliver an annual digital industry summit to create new solutions for online harms
Overview
The Attorney-General's Department will host an annual digital industry summit. The summit will focus on tackling new and emerging challenges that obstruct law enforcement and criminal justice efforts to counter online child sexual abuse.
Royal Commission recommendation
Recommendation 6.24 from the Final Report
Overall intent of the Criminal Justice Report
Lead Australian Government Department
Attorney-General's Department
6. Raise public awareness of the important role of the digital industry in combatting online harms
Overview
The Attorney-General's Department will work to raise public awareness of the digital industry’s role in addressing criminal activity on their platforms.
This will be supported by other Australian Government efforts, such as:
- Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy 2020
- Online Harms Communications Framework
Royal Commission recommendation
Recommendation 6.24 from the Final Report
Overall intent of the Criminal Justice Report
Lead Australian Government Department
Attorney-General's Department