Children's Safety Australia Inc.

About Us

Children’s Safety Australia Inc. is a registered charity and incorporated association. Our mission is to maximise the safety and enhance the wellbeing of children and young people and encourage them to reach their full potential.

The organisation is based in Brisbane and was established in 2008 as a non-profit sister organisation to Personal Safety Australia, an organisation sharing our strong commitment to children’s safety and wellbeing.

Children’s Safety Australia Inc. acknowledges the vulnerability of children and young people to personal violence, as evidenced by the following:

• Child abuse is Australia’s most serious social problem1. In Australia a child is reported abused or neglected every two minutes, a rate that has more than doubled over the last few years1. Conservative estimates suggest that 10 – 20% of Australian children (upwards of 550,000) are being abused or neglected every year2.

• All children are at risk of sexual abuse regardless of their age, gender, social class, race, religion or ethnicity. It is estimated as many as one in three boys and girls will experience some form of sexual abuse before they leave school3. Most children are abused by people they know and trust3 and about one third of abuse is perpetrated by other children or young people4.

• At least one in six Australian children is bullied by another child or group of children on a weekly basis5. The most significant emerging problem is anonymous cyber bullying using the internet and mobile phones.

• The long term personal and community effects of abuse and bullying are immense, and include increased risks of substance addiction, personal violence, homelessness, poor health, educational failure, poor employability, mental illness, depression and suicide2. As a result, past victims of abuse and neglect are grossly over-represented in prison populations, as perpetrators of crime, and amongst the most economically and socially disadvantaged members of our society2.

As a result, children and young people need to be protected by adults and empowered with practical strategies and skills to effectively deal with threats to their safety when trusted adults are not around. We teach our children how to be safe in the water, in the sun and when riding their bikes, yet we often fail to teach them how to be safe with people, which is sadly their greatest safety threat. Subsequently, while Children’s Safety Australia Inc. safety concepts and strategies apply to a broad range of situations, there is a focus on maximising children and young people’s safety with people.

Our Aims

Children’s Safety Australia Inc. aims to achieve our mission to maximise the safety and enhance the wellbeing of children and young people and encourage them to reach their full potential by:

a) Equipping, empowering and inspiring children and young people with knowledge and skills to reduce the risk of harmful behaviours* by assisting them to:

• build a healthy self esteem and resilience;

• demonstrate respect and empathy for others;

• identify and effectively respond to potentially unsafe situations;

• identify, prevent and stop inappropriate behaviour including emotional, physical and sexual abuse, bullying and self-harming behaviour;

• access help from trusted adults and relevant organisations;

• report abuse and continue reporting until the abuse stops;

• avoid victimisation; and

• reduce the risk of engaging in offending behaviour.

b) Equipping, empowering and inspiring adults responsible for children and young people’s safety with knowledge and skills to reduce the risk of harmful behaviours* by assisting them to:

• identify risks faced by children and young people;

• recognise, and appropriately respond to, indicators and disclosures of inappropriate behaviour;

• gain an awareness of dangerous safety messages and practices to avoid;

• relay and reinforce key safety concepts and strategies to children and young people and encourage the development of skills to maximise their safety;

• create a supportive environment to promote children and young people’s safety and wellbeing and to build positive relationships with them; and

• role model key safety concepts and strategies.

* Harmful behaviours include emotional, sexual and physical abuse, bullying, suicide, self harm and substance abuse.

Activities undertaken by Children’s Safety Australia Inc. to achieve these aims may include:

• promoting awareness via the Children’s Safety Australia Inc. website; newsletters; media releases, interviews and articles; competitions; and an awards program;

• developing and distributing promotional materials;

• developing and distributing resource materials; and

• developing and delivering training.

Current Projects
Children’s Safety Australia Inc. is currently undertaking a number of exciting ventures which we look forward to pursuing in 2008 and beyond in conjunction with our sister organisation, Personal Safety Australia. These projects include:

Children's Safety Book:
This interactive book is designed for lower to middle primary school students to be read with their parent/carer or teacher. It includes fundamental children’s safety concepts, a range of activities enabling the practical application of these safety concepts, a quiz, and further information for parents and teachers. Look out for its release in 2008!

Children's Safety Program for Schools:
Key components of this initiative are based on the Queensland Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) recommendations and child protection experts input and include:

• Progressive, developmentally-appropriate content for Prep – Year 12 students;

• User-friendly lesson plans and support materials to assist teachers in implementing regular training sessions;

• A multi-systemic approach, targeting students, teachers and parents; and

• Meeting the needs of both boys and girls, appreciating gender differences and subsequent content and delivery requirements.

This initiative is a long term project requiring significant input from a broad range of parties. If you are interested in becoming involved, please contact us.

Contact Us

Tel: 07 3379 4475

Email: admin@childsafety.org.au

Postal address: PO Box 202, Corinda, QLD, 4075, AUSTRALIA