The Albanese Government is investing $12.8 million to better equip existing specialist and community support services to respond to child sexual abuse and children displaying harmful sexual behaviours.
All children and young people deserve to grow up in safety. We all have a responsibility to do everything we can to prevent child sexual abuse.
These new competitive grants will be available to services working with victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and services working with children who have displayed harmful sexual behaviours. Services will be funded to provide evidence-based therapeutic responses to help prevent these behaviours from re-occurring or escalating.
The Commonwealth funding announced today is part of the $80 million commitment agreed at National Cabinet in September to enhance and expand child-centric, trauma-informed supports for children and young people who have experienced or witnessed family, domestic and sexual violence.
This important package responded to recommendations in the Rapid Review of Prevention provided to Government, and supports work under the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2023. This funding is not only critical to preventing child sexual abuse, but also to prevent domestic, family and sexual violence across the community.
Today also marks three years since the launch of the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse 2021-2030 (National Strategy).
Over the last year, the Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has launched the first national campaign aimed at preventing child sexual abuse, a children’s storybook promoting conversations about safety and consent and a documentary about the threat of online child sexual abuse and exploitation.
We honour and thank the thousands of victims and survivors of child sexual abuse for sharing their stories with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which led to the National Strategy.
These grants will build on existing reforms under the National Strategy to support and empower victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and to enhance national approaches to preventing and responding to children who have displayed harmful sexual behaviours.
Despite this progress, there is more work to do to protect children and young people from sexual abuse in Australia, and better support victims and survivors. Child sexual abuse is preventable, and it requires all of us to work together to ensure children and young people in Australia are safe from harm.
Reading about child sexual abuse can be confronting. Support is available. For 24/7 support you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14; call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online via www.1800RESPECT.org.au, or text 0458 737 732; or call 13YARN (13 92 76) for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander crisis support. Bravehearts supports anyone seeking advice or help related to child sexual abuse, and is available Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm. Blue Knot Foundation provides support and information to adult survivors of childhood trauma including child sexual abuse, their families and friends, and is available Monday-Sunday 9am-5pm. Visit ChildSafety.gov.au/get-support for a dedicated list of support services.