The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has developed a new guide to help children and young people understand child sexual abuse and how to seek help.
National Children’s Commissioner at the AHRC, Anne Hollonds said A Guide for Children and Young People: The National Strategy To Prevent And Respond To Child Sexual Abuse 2021–2030 had been developed on behalf of the National Office for Child Safety.
“Child sexual abuse is an horrific crime and ensuring that children know their rights to safety, recognise the signs of child sexual abuse and where they can get help is an important step forward,” Commissioner Hollonds said.
“For too long, children have lacked a seat at the table in policy making and I am heartened by seeing their voices come to life in this Guide,” she said.
“Going forward, I want to see this happen more, because clearly we need to listen to children and young people when developing policies and support services that affect their lives.”
Commissioner Hollonds said the AHRC Guide was recommended for children aged nine years and over.
Senior Project Officer at the AHRC and leader of the Guide’s development, Amy Graham said during consultations with school children, she was impressed by their interest in being included in policy development and sharing their suggestions so freely.
“The activities in the Guide were something that kids really liked, and which helped them to go back and read the Guide if there were areas they hadn’t understood,” Dr Graham said.
“One child, aged 11, told me ‘I liked being part of something so important and I learnt lots of ways to reach out for help if I need it’,” she said.
The AHRC’s 19-page Guide can be downloaded at this PS News link.
