National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse 2021-2030
The National Strategy is the first of its kind in Australia, and provides a nationally coordinated, strategic framework for preventing and responding to child sexual abuse. It seeks to reduce the risk, extent and impact of child sexual abuse and related harms in Australia. The National Strategy was a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Royal Commission), and responds to approximately 100 other Royal Commission recommendations to address child sexual abuse in all settings.
The National Strategy is for everyone:
- children and young people
- victims and survivors of child sexual abuse of all ages
- families, kin and carers
- communities
- organisations and governments.
The National Strategy was developed by the Australian Government, in partnership with state and territory governments. It was also developed in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, including:
- victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and their advocates
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
- people with disability
- culturally and linguistically diverse communities
- people who identify as LGBTQIA+
- children and young people and their advocates
- regional and remote communities.
The National Strategy focuses on 5 themes. These are:
- Awareness raising, education and building child safe cultures
- Supporting and empowering victims and survivors
- Enhancing national approaches to children with harmful sexual behaviours
- Offender prevention and intervention
- Improving the evidence base