Help-seeking needs and gaps for preventing child sexual abuse
Date
2017
Authors
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Publisher
Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University. Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
Abstract
Current responses to child sexual abuse generally focus on the needs of victim/survivors of child sexual
abuse. Service providers reported the concept of ‘prevention’ in this work as providing responses such
as helplines, counselling, support services, face-to-face counselling and/or referrals, which may
prevent any further trauma or negative impacts for the child or adult victim/survivor. Statutory
services that work with offenders, such as prisons, reported that they understand prevention in a
similar way, and that a key part of their work is about deterring and preventing further offending. This
conception of prevention by service providers may reflect confusion as to what constitutes primary
prevention which aims to prevent child sexual abuse before it occurs.
Since the commencement of the Royal Commission, the community is more aware of the need to
protect children from child sexual abuse in institutional contexts and from child sexual abuse more
broadly. Yet there remains a lack of awareness among parents and community members about the
concept and dynamics of child sexual abuse, and an under-confidence about how to recognise and
respond to concerns about this abuse. For many professionals, parents and community members,
there is a belief that child sexual abuse is not readily preventable.
There are various primary prevention education, training and information resources available within
Australia. However, access to and use of these resources is problematic for professionals, parents and
community members. Currently there is no coordination of primary prevention education and training
programs, nor is there any quality control for those programs currently being delivered. Research
participants reported that program development and provision is unregulated and that the outcomes
of these programs are under-evaluated.
Description
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Article
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Keywords
child maltreatment, Australia, International Resources, prevention
Citation
Saunders, V., & McArthur, M. (2017). Help-seeking needs and gaps for preventing child sexual abuse. Sydney, Australia. Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University. Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.