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 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 National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (the National Principles)
- improve information sharing across states and territories and sectors to promote child safety and wellbeing
- engage, educate and empower children and young people, parents, kin, carers, families, communities and organisations to prevent, identify and respond to child sexual abuse
- educate and train organisations and professionals working in, and students studying for, roles that work with children and young people
- help prevent child sexual abuse by educating children and young people about:
- sexual development
- healthy relationships
- sexual behaviours
- sexual abuse
- personal safety
- body autonomy
- online safety
- 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. Implement and promote the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations
Overview
To keep implementing and promoting the National Principles, we will work with state and territory governments and organisations to:
- build organisational and community awareness about child safety and wellbeing
- improve the capacity of organisations to keep children and young people safe.
Royal Commission recommendation
Recommendations from the Final Report relating to the Child Safe Standards
Lead Australian Government Department
National Office for Child Safety
2. Set up an ongoing national annual reporting framework for non-government organisations to report on their progress to create and maintain child safe cultures
Overview
A national reporting framework will mean that a range of non-government organisations can report on their progress to create and maintain child safe cultures.
This goes beyond the 5 years of reporting the Royal Commission recommended. We will develop the framework by consulting with stakeholders to make sure it complements the National Principles. We will also make sure it does not duplicate state and territory reporting requirements.
Royal Commission recommendation
Recommendations 6.14, 17.3 from the Final Report
Lead Australian Government Department
National Office for Child Safety
3. Enhance national arrangements for sharing child safety and wellbeing information
Overview
Over the 10 years of the National Strategy, governments will enhance how they share child safety and wellbeing information across jurisdictions and sectors. This will improve results for children and young people and their families.
Royal Commission recommendation
Recommendations 7.3, 8.6 to 8.8, 8.17 and 8.19 to 8.23 from the Final Report and relevant recommendations from the Working with Children Checks Report
Lead Australian Government Department
National Office for Child Safety
4. Support the provision of resources for teachers, children and young people’s education in areas focused on wellbeing, relationships, and safety, including online safety
Overview
Support will include nationally consistent advice for all teachers and principals on how to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse. It will also include resources that encourage the use of best practice educative ways to support student wellbeing. Support for children and young people will include providing resources on respectful relationships and online safety. For example, resources on appropriate, inappropriate and unlawful sexual behaviours to help children and young people create positive, safe and healthy relationships.
Royal Commission recommendation
Recommendations 6.2, 6.19 and 13.7 from the Final Report
Lead Australian Government Department
Department of Education
5. Work with the National Centre to develop and deliver education and capacity-building measures
Overview
The National Centre will:
- raise community awareness and aim to stop the stigma of child sexual abuse
- improve the skills of the workforce to better help child and adult victims and survivors of child sexual abuse
- lead new or improved models to support adult and child victims and survivors of child sexual abuse through national research and program evaluation.
Australian, state and territory governments will work with the National Centre to develop and deliver education and capacity-building measures.
These programs will be aimed at children and young people, parents, carers and families, professionals and tertiary students.
Royal Commission recommendation
Recommendations 6.2, 6.11 and 6.21 from the Final Report
Recommendation 67 from the Criminal Justice Report
Lead Australian Government Department
National Office for Child Safety
6. Deliver a national awareness raising campaign on child sexual abuse
Overview
A national campaign on child sexual abuse will:
- improve understanding of child sexual abuse in Australia
- promote changes in behaviour and culture to prevent child sexual abuse
- help people to recognise and respond to warning signs that a child or young person is at risk of child sexual abuse
- encourage people to access trauma-informed help and support.
The campaign will work alongside other awareness campaigns that are shaping community attitudes to children’s safety.
Royal Commission recommendation
Recommendations 6.2 and 6.3 from the Final Report
Lead Australian Government Department
National Office for Child Safety