Safeguarding children from sexual abuse

What is safeguarding children?

Child safeguarding is protecting children and teenagers from abuse in their families and communities. This includes child sexual abuse.

Most child sexual abuse is carried out by people children know, like family members, family acquaintances, or professionals working with the child. This means that your child or the child in your care needs you and other safe adults in their lives to safeguard them.

All children have the right to grow up safe from abuse. Safeguarding children and working to prevent sexual abuse in local communities is part of creating safe environments that help children grow and thrive.

To stay safe from child sexual abuse, your child needs to know what it is and have language to describe it. Talking with children about child sexual abuse and talking with teenagers about child sexual abuse can help. It’s also important for your child to know about sex and sexual development at 0-8 years and sex and sexual development at 9-11 years.

Safeguarding children in families and homes

Here are everyday things you can do in your family and home to safeguard your child from sexual abuse:

Let your child know they can talk to you about anything, without being worried about getting into trouble.
Think about public and private spaces and family rules about privacy. For example, a rule might be that bathrooms are private spaces and that other people shouldn’t go to the bathroom with your child. Or play is a public activity that should happen in public spaces like the family room or backyard.
Take safety precautions. For example, encourage group activities where possible and try to avoid your child being alone with other adults or older children. If they’re alone, keep an eye on them.
Be cautious with caregivers and care services. Research and monitor your child’s carers, including babysitters, and sports, school and extracurricular activities.
Know the signs of sexual abuse and grooming. If something doesn’t feel right, it’s OK to say no. For example, you can say no if people ask to take your child on outings alone, offer to coach your child individually, and so on.

It’s also important to make sure your child will be safe in other families and homes:

Ask for details of supervision and sleeping arrangements when your child is invited to sleepovers, parties, camps, outings and so on.
Check in with your child at sleepovers, sport and so on. For example, message your child at sleepovers to ask how things are going. Or ask questions like ‘How was football coaching today?’
If something doesn’t feel right about a person or situation, don’t ignore it. And don’t leave your child alone with a person you’re concerned about until you find out more.
Give your child exit strategies. For example, agree on a secret word they can say in a call or text if they need you to pick them up right away.
Ask other parents how they check in on their children’s safety.

Children can be at risk of sexual abuse online. You can protect your child from online sexual abuse by talking with them about online safety for preschoolers, online safety for school-age children, online safety for pre-teens and online safety for teenagers.

Safeguarding children in the community

One way to keep your child safe from sexual abuse in your community is by checking that community facilities and activities are safe.

Here are things to look for:

Grounds and facilities should be well lit and easily supervised.
Organisations should avoid scheduling activities in isolated areas of grounds and facilities.
All activities with children, particularly those involving a single child and an adult or an older child, should be easily observed and interrupted.
Older children or young people who have responsibility for younger children should be supervised.
Everyone who spends time with children should be screened as suitable for working with children and have a working with children (WWC) check.

Local services and organisations like child care settings, schools, sports clubs and places of worship should have policies and practices to keep children safe and prevent child sexual abuse. It’s reasonable for you to expect this and OK for you to ask about it.

Here are ways to find out about these policies and practices:

Ask your child’s school, sports club, before-school and after-school care or youth group for copies of their child safety policies and how they’re applying the National principles for child safe organisations.
Ask questions about child safety at sports or activity clubs or other groups.
Ask your local council about its strategies to protect children in the community, particularly in public spaces like parks and at community events.

If you think a service could do more to keep children safe, it’s OK to speak up. In fact, letting them know is a responsible thing to do as a member of the community. For example, if you’re concerned that the toilets at your local sporting club are too isolated or not well lit, you could let club officials know.

If you suspect a child has experienced sexual abuse in your community, report your concerns to the police. For non-urgent situations call 131 444 and for emergencies call 000. You can also call the National Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Counselling Service for advice. Call 1800RESPECT or 1800 737 732.