This Sunday marks the start of National Child Protection Week, which is coordinated by National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN), with the support of the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.  Since 1987, NAPCAN has made a significant contribution to the safety and wellbeing of Australia's children and young people by raising public awareness of the societal impacts of child abuse and neglect and by developing and promoting effective prevention strategies and programs.  The theme for National Child Protection Week 2017 is: Stronger Communities, Safer Children.  According to NAPCAN, this theme emphasises the importance and value of connected communities in keeping children and young people safe and well.

There can be no possible argument that schools cannot be considered to be ‘communities’. Anecdotal evidence indicates that many schools are adopting the moniker of ‘learning community’ within their mission statements or are using this term to define their role within their wider community. There can also be no argument that schools are doing everything within their powers to make their school communities safer places for children. Following the outcomes of the hearings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Royal Commission) and in line with broad sweeping legislative changes in nearly every state and territory of the country, schools are ensuring that they are making children safe through the early identification of child abuse and through the development of a culture of awareness.

The term 'child abuse' is addressed by different legislation in each state and territory. Sometimes, and this can cause confusion, behaviours associated with child abuse are not identified in just one Act. Some Acts such as the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW) and the Care and Protection of Children Act 2007 (NT) include abusive behaviour such as exposure to family violence. Sometimes, differing terms appear in differing Acts within the same state or territory.

However, according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies, and as a general summary, child abuse (or child maltreatment) includes:

• physical abuse;
• psychological abuse;
• sexual abuse;
• neglect; and
• exposure to family violence.

In line with recent legislative and regulatory requirements, schools should have well-developed child protection policies and procedures that include the definition of child abuse and detailed symptoms and responses to each of the five broad categories listed above.  Such policies and procedures will also address grooming behaviours. Schools are also aware that there are a series of interrelated and complex cultural issues they need to consider when dealing with instances of suspected or actual child abuse. These include, but are not limited to:

• cultural values and beliefs: For example, corporal punishment has been outlawed in all schools in most states and territories of Australia. However, it is still a legally acceptable form of discipline in some cultures and may be used in a home environment. According to the Australian Institute of Family Studies, corporal punishment by a parent or carer is lawful and is not considered to be child abuse provided that it is “reasonable”;
• parental behaviour: certain behaviours, such as the close supervision of toddlers, which is appropriate at one stage in a child's development, may be inappropriate at another stage of development. If applied to older children, these parents are sometimes described as ‘helicopter parents’;
• age of the perpetrator: the age of perpetrators of child abuse (including children and adolescents) need to be defined, so as not to inadvertently exclude particular behaviours and contexts; and
• intent: the intent to abuse a child such as grooming, is generally recognised. However, some parents and carers do not set out to abuse a child through neglect. It happens as a subsidiary or corollary to issues such as inappropriate parenting skills, mental illness, intellectual disability or other issues such as alcohol or drug addiction.

Such considerations may make it difficult for schools to make an assessment of whether to report abuse or not, although ultimately, if reporting criteria under legislation are met, a report must be made.

Keeping children safe is more important than ever

According to ‘Act for Kids’, 42,457 children were psychologically and/or physically harmed in 2014/15. This equates to one child every 12 minutes, and schools know that all too often, the damage to the child lasts a lifetime.

The Australian Institute of Family Studies, states that child abuse is known to increase the risks of:

• substance addiction;
• crime;
• homelessness;
• poor physical health;
• educational failure;
• poor employability prospects; and
• depression and suicide.

So, what are schools doing to reduce the instances of child abuse? Pro-active behaviours rather than reactive responses are the linchpin in any child protection program. Schools are actively engaging with their communities, through their child protection programs and cultural change, to ensure that children are kept safe.

One way in which schools can also engage in proactive child protection behaviours is to support the myriad of events that are being advertised by NAPCAN for National Child Protection Week. There are a number of registered events for 2017 in most states and territories. They can be found here.

Of particular interest, and given that next week is also National eSmart Week, the Office of the eSafety Commissioner (enquiries@esafety.gov.au) is offering online courses in the ACT, VIC and WA at various times on Thursday 7 September. Specifically targeting students in Years 4, 5 and 6, the presentation supports National Child Protection Week and the Victorian Games and Apps Challenge. According to the website, it will support students to:

• identify ways that strangers may try to seek personal information online;
• use safe strategies when gaming to avoid cyberbullying or unwanted contact;
• recognise the implications of in-app purchases; and
• seek support if they are experiencing cyberbullying or feel unsafe when gaming.

With the help of classroom teachers, the presentation will feature interactive questions and discussions.

CompliSpace will be hosting a Webinar on the topic: 'Child Protection - Are you ready for the Outcomes of the Royal Commission?' on 7 September 2017 at 1:00pm Eastern Daylight Savings Time. The Webinar will be presented by Craig D'cruz, National Education Consultant, CompliSpace.  The Webinar will cover common child protection issues and Royal Commission recommendations.  We welcome the submission of any child protection related questions you may have. For more information and to reserve a place, please click here.