The Child Death Review Board’s In Plain Sight Review into System Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has ultimately found this offending could – and should – have been stopped much earlier.
Victim-survivors were failed by systemic shortcomings that allowed abuse to continue unchecked.
Act for Kids fully supports Child Death Review Board (CDRB) Chair Luke Twyford’s call for “coordinated, comprehensive and sustained action” to prevent anything like this from happening again.
The report’s recommendations are robust and reflect an integrated approach to child safeguarding, requiring interventions at every level – from individuals and families to organisations, communities and broader society.
This aligns strongly with what Act for Kids has long advocated for: a whole-of-community approach to child protection.
We have consistently championed the importance of the early years as a critical window for laying foundations of personal safety, self-awareness and resilience.
Research shows that protective behaviours education in early childhood strengthens children’s ability to recognise unsafe situations, assert boundaries and seek help.
Giving children the language and confidence to understand safety at this formative stage builds lifelong protective factors and helps interrupt cycles of abuse.
Act for Kids is grateful to the CDRB for recognising the importance of early prevention and reflecting this in its recommendations.
We can all play a role in keeping kids safe, and there are simple steps families can start with today:
- Use correct anatomical names for private body parts and teach children about consent to help build clear personal safety boundaries.
- Talk about safe and unsafe touch in everyday moments, such as bath time or nappy changes. For example: “I’m going to change your nappy now so that you are clean.”
- Keep communication open by regularly checking in with your child. Remind them they can always come to you with questions or concerns, and ensure they know trusted resources they can contact.
To learn more about protective behaviours education, visit emmyandfriends.com.au.
Read the full In Plain Sight Review into System Responses to Child Sexual Abuse here.