All communities deeply value their children. Migrant parents will often prioritise their children’s well-being and future success over their own lifestyle choices.
For them, there is nothing more valuable in their life than their children.
It will not be wrong to say, many leave their home countries only to ensure their children can have a better future, access to quality education and to a better, safer and more secure environment that can help their children achieve bigger things in life.
Despite their best intentions, parents can sometimes find it challenging to connect with their children on important issues. It can be a struggle to talk about difficult issues in a manner that is both culturally sensitive and impactful.
One of the most challenging topics to discuss is child sexual abuse. However, as difficult as it may be, it is critical that parents and carers talk about child sexual abuse as being silent can leave children more vulnerable.
The Australian Child Maltreatment Study
The Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS) (2023)[i] uncovered shocking statistics in relation to child maltreatment which includes sexual, physical and emotional abuse, neglect and exposure to domestic violence.
The study found more than quarter of Australians aged 16-24 years (25.7%), had experienced child sexual abuse. Girls experienced almost double the rate of child sexual abuse compared to boys (37.3% vs 18.8%). Alarmingly too, the ACMS found that when a child experiences child sexual abuse, it rarely happens only once.
The ACMS study further identified the profound impacts child maltreatment had on people’s mental and physical health. The study found Australians who experienced child maltreatment compared to those who did not experience maltreatment were:
- more than twice as likely to have any mental disorder (2.8 times more likely, 48.0% v 21.6%)
- more than three times as likely to have had major depressive disorder (3.2 times more likely, 24.6% vs 8.1%)
- more than four times as likely to have current Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (4.6 times more likely, 7.8% vs 1.3%)
- more than twice as likely to have severe alcohol use disorder (2.6 times more likely, 6.1% vs 1.9%)
- more than three times as likely to have current generalised anxiety disorder (3.1 times more likely, 16.1% vs 4.3%)
- almost four times more likely to have self-harmed in the past year (3.9 times more likely, 4.7% vs 0.7%)
- almost five times more likely to have attempted suicide in the past year (4.6 times more likely, 1.5% vs 0.3%).
Australian Government campaign for the prevention of child sexual abuse
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Royal Commission) which ran from 2013 to 2017, uncovered widespread child sexual abuse specifically in institutions in Australia and made 409 recommendations to improve laws and practices to prevent and better respond to child sexual abuse in institutions.
Following the recommendations, in 2021, the Australian Government together with all the state and territory governments, launched a 10-year strategy – National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse 2021-2030 (National Strategy) –focused on preventing child sexual abuse in all settings and supporting and empowering victims and survivors.
One Talk at a Time
As part of implementation of the National Strategy, in late 2023, the Australian Government launched the ‘One Talk at a Time’ campaign.
The campaign targets adults who play an active role in the lives of children and young people and encourages them to have ongoing, proactive and preventive conversations about child sexual abuse.
The campaign focuses on breaking the culture of silence and shame by encouraging parents, carers and other influential adults in a child’s life to talk about child sexual abuse as a means of prevention. The government also has a dedicated website – ChildSafety.gov.au, which has a range of resources to support adults to learn more about child sexual abuse and have these conversations.
The campaign resources have been translated into 23 languages including one regional Indian language – Punjabi and India’s national language – Hindi, to cater for the needs of migrant communities.
An investment in the nation’s future health and prosperity
Child sexual abuse is preventable and in turn the negative outcomes resulting from that abuse are avoidable. By investing in community-based outreach and awareness efforts, the government is taking important strides in investing in the safety, health and wellbeing of the Australian youth.
At the community level, adults can access the resources on ChildSafety.gov.au and talk to those around them in order to better:
- Understand what child sexual abuse is
- Identify the signs and indicators of child sexual abuse
- Know what to do to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse.
Among these resources includes detailed conversation toolkits and the recently launched My superhero voice, a children’s storybook that teaches children about body safety in a way that is both age-appropriate and culturally safe and supports adults to have conversations about child sexual abuse.
By using these tools, individuals can also support their communities to fight stigmatisation and hesitancy to discuss this issue.
The Urgency
With today’s Australian population being comprised of 28% of people born overseas and 23% of people speaking a language other than English at home, it is crucial for there to be targeted delivery of customised awareness campaigns and programs to support Australia’s diverse communities. Such programs will be a step in the right direction to preventing child sexual abuse, forming part of the right investment for a healthier, happier and more prosperous Australia.
[i] The Australian Child Maltreatment Study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council and hosted by the Queensland University of Technology.