Child safe training increases almost six-fold since royal commission announced

By Angela Lavoipierre
ABC News
August 19, 2015

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-20/child-safe-training-increases-almost-six-fold/6709564

The number of people enrolled in child safe training with the advocacy group Bravehearts has increased almost six-fold since the royal commission into child sexual abuse was announced in late 2012.

The programs teach adults how to spot and respond to child sexual abuse.

"We're getting organisations across the board — sporting, church, commercial organisations — ringing us up," said Bravehearts chief executive Hetty Johnston.

"[They're] saying, 'We need some help, we need to know all about this issue, we need to make sure that as we're up the frontline with these children, that we're going to be responding appropriately if ever this issues come home to roost in our organisation'."

In 2011, Bravehearts trained 375 people in how to better identify and respond to child sexual abuse as well as other types of harm experienced by children, such as bullying.

Last year, they trained 2,180 people — almost six times as many.

Ms Johnston said there was no question the royal commission was driving the increase.

"I think what's happened is that there are people working with children all around the country in all different ways ... they're hearing the stories coming out of the royal commission, that are saying, 'We didn't do this, we should have done that, why didn't you understand that was a problem, why did that behaviour not ring any bells with you, why didn't you respond appropriately to that child when the spoke out or the parent?'."

Little Athletics Australia deals with almost 100,000 children, staff and volunteers. The organisation has just completed nationwide child safe training with Bravehearts.

Chief executive Martin Stillman says they were initially worried that people might get the wrong idea.

"When we spoke about this training at board level, you wouldn't be human if you didn't say, 'If we do engage Bravehearts, if we do start talking about issues with children and inappropriate behaviour, will parents start to think that does occur on a regular basis in Little Athletics?'

"So there is, I suppose, that thought process, a little bit of apprehension, but ultimately as an organisation, the Little Athletics Australia board and the state associations, we're really strong in the view that it's paramount for us — child protection and children's safety."

Ms Johnson argues training is desperately needed.

"At the beginning of these sessions, the answer is, 'I just don't know, I'd be horrified, I'd be scared'.

"Overwhelmingly too there is that sense of fear. Adults don't know how to respond to children so they just hope that no child comes and tells them anything."

The program deals with the problem of hyper-vigilance too, and many people feel relieved by the message they hear.

"You could almost see the whole room just, their shoulders relax and it's like, 'Oh thank goodness. Now we understand what it is we're looking for.

'Now we're not going to be fearful of every person, particularly male, that comes into our child's life. Now we get it'."

The National Children's Commissioner Megan Mitchell says the Bravehearts program is only one of many in Australia.

"Well, there are many organisations across the country that do offer this kind of training, including Bravehearts, but also the Australian Childhood Foundation and also a number of the children's commissioners and guardians in the states and territories."

She believes the royal commission is teaching Australia some important lessons.

"I think one of the things that we've learned is that institutions are inherently risky and where children are silenced and their rights not respected in those places, they're very vulnerable to abuse.

"I think we've also learned that child abuse is more common than we realise."

Ms Mitchell said those lessons were starting to sink in, especially in institutions that have been the focus of royal commission hearings.

"Many organisations and agencies — clubs, churches — have reputational damage that they also need to rectify, so it's in their interest and in the interest of children to get their act together and really become genuinely child safe and child friendly and that's a cultural thing as much as an operational outcome."