Tier 1 – Foundational knowledge

Knowledge

You need to know:

• that child sexual abuse is prevalent in our community, which means you can assume you have or will come into contact with victims and survivors from all age groups
• where child sexual abuse may occur
• the traumatic impacts of child sexual abuse
• the signs of and risk factors for child sexual abuse
• that there are support services available for victims and survivors.

Skills

You can: 

• recognise how common child sexual abuse is
• identify the wide range of contexts in which child sexual abuse can occur
• find information about child sexual abuse and the possible traumatic impacts
• provide a victim or survivor with the National Office for Child Safety list of support services.

Did you know?

Information about child sexual abuse

Bravehearts provides fact sheets on the following topics: 

• Resources For Parents & Carers
• What Is Child Sexual Abuse?
• What Are the Signs of Child Sexual Abuse?
• What Are the Effects of Child Sexual Abuse?
• What Is Grooming?
• What Is Consent?
• Sexual Behaviours in Children
• Myths About Child Sexual Abuse
• Online Child Exploitation
• Teaching Children Personal Safety
• Responding To a Disclosure of Sexual Abuse
• Historical Child Sexual Abuse

Child sexual abuse occurs in a wide range of contexts 

Child sexual abuse can occur in a range of contexts, including within families, online, and within institutions and recreational settings. Even when the abuse occurs in an institutional setting or online, it is likely the child or young person will know or believe they know the person sexually abusing them.

Practice tip

Understanding trauma and abuse

This Blue Knot Foundation fact sheet provides you with information about trauma and abuse as it affects adults and children.

When child sexual abuse occurs online 

You can report image-based abuse and other online harms to the eSafety Commissioner. 

You can report inappropriate online behaviour towards children to the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation.

You can find a more comprehensive list of reporting options under the 'Reporting child sexual abuse' heading on the practice guide landing page.

Knowledge

You need to know:

• child sexual abuse can affect victims and survivors at different ages in different ways
• child sexual abuse can cause emotional, psychological and physical impacts that can present in a variety of ways over a victim or survivor’s lifetime, including difficulties at school; alcohol and other drug use and mental and physical health concerns
• some victims and survivors might respond to you in challenging ways, which may be related to their experience of trauma

Skills

You can: 

• respond to victims and survivors of all ages with empathy and compassion and without criticism or blame
• maintain a focus on the safety of the victim or survivor and their family, kin and supporters
• make sense of the behaviour of victims and survivors through a trauma-informed lens.

Practice tip

Using a trauma-informed lens involves a change in thinking

Using a trauma-informed lens means focusing on ‘what has happened to this person’ rather than ‘what is wrong with this person’.

Responding to adult disclosure of child sexual abuse

Telling another person about what happened takes a lot of courage. Many victims and survivors may have carried shame or a belief that they are to blame throughout their life. 

The first person a victim or survivor discloses their abuse or trauma experience to is often someone they trust or believe can help them. 

When a victim or survivor discloses to you, it can be overwhelming for them and for you. If a victim or survivor does disclose, listen carefully and don’t interrupt. Most victims and survivors want to be heard, believed and have their feelings validated. For example, you could convey the messages “thank you for telling me”, “I believe you”, and “it’s not your fault”. 

Remember that your role is to listen, believe and provide referrals to services as appropriate, and that you are not expected to ‘fix’ or solve the issue.

Resource

Trauma and impacts 

The Blue Knot Foundation's fact sheet provides you with useful information about trauma and its impacts.

Knowledge

You need to know:

• that the physical environment of your organisation can determine whether victims and survivors (adults, young people and children) feel physically, emotionally and culturally safe
• that memories of child sexual abuse can be triggered by sensations, situations or emotional states that remind the victim or survivor in some way of the abuse
• where emotional reactions seem disproportionate to a problem, this may indicate the victim or survivor has been triggered by something that has been said or by something around them.

Skills

You can: 

• improve the organisational environment to make it inclusive, age-appropriate, welcoming and not intimidating, or discuss possible changes within your organisation
• recognise when a victim or survivor is experiencing intolerable levels of distress linked to a procedure or system and prioritise and respond to their needs
• respond to the victim or survivor’s needs at these times and respectfully calm them by lowering your voice, listening and responding with cultural humility, and being mindful of your body language.

Did you know?

Triggers

“Triggered abuse memories can activate emotions and physical feelings so strong that the survivor can feel that the abuse is happening again.”
– Mark Griffiths, psychologist

Creating a safe and non-triggering physical environment is important for child, youth and adult victims and survivors.

Practice tip

Creating safe and non-triggering physical environments 

Creating a physical environment where children and young people feel welcome and comfortable to speak up can contribute to a feeling of safety for children, young people and their families. 

You can find tips and tools for how to create spaces which are safe and inclusive of children and young people here:

• Creating child and family-friendly environments – an Australian Government (Department of Social Services) resource
• Empowerment and participation: A guide for organisations working with children and young people – a resource produced by the Victorian Commission for Children and Young People, NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian, and the Australian Centre for Child Protection.