Five years after a royal commission into child sex abuse handed down its final report, a leading child protection academic has called for more supports to help families safeguard their children and spearhead conversations about sex and sexuality, consent, respect, online safety, and pornography.
The commission released its final, public report on December 15, 2017, and examined the history of abuse in educational and religious institutions – including the Catholic Church – sporting and youth organisations and state institutions.
Australian Catholic University Institute of Child Protection Studies director Professor Daryl Higgins said a similar focus on children’s safety in non-institutional settings was urgently needed.
“Governments need to prioritise the role of parents and caregivers in the safety and safeguarding of their children,” Professor Higgins said.
“The Royal Commission shone a spotlight on serious problems and risks to children in institutional settings and resulted in a raft of measures to safeguard children in youth-serving organisations.
“But research has shown time and time again that the same problems and risks exist in non-institutional settings. We now need a similar nation-wide focus on safeguarding within families.”
Professor Higgins said all families needed clear guidance about good parenting practices and access to evidence-based parenting supports, as well as dedicated services to help build their capability and skills to create safe environments.
He has called for strategies to address children’s behavioural issues without smacking or using other forms of violence, and education to be able to identify signs and reduce the risk of grooming.
In addition Professor Higgins said parents need background knowledge and facts to help them have informed discussions with their children about sex and sexuality, respect and relationships, consent and coercion, and boundaries.
He said families also need advice on how to have regular check-ins with children and notice warning signs they may be at risk or experiencing harm, as well as tips on online safety, how to respond to online threats including pornography, and interaction with strangers.
“As a society, we need to support families to be primary protective agents in the lives of their children, and not just rely on youth-serving organisations,” Professor Higgins said.
“We need to build the literacy of families to have these crucial conversations. It is highly unlikely that a child will speak up about feeling uncomfortable or seek help if they are at risk if we don’t build that foundation first.
“And as we go into Christmas holidays where children are spending more time in family settings, the importance of parents and caregivers having these skills, strategies and resources is magnified.”
