CHOOSE WITH CARE Building safer organisations for children and young people Bernadette McMenamin National Director Child Wise

introducing CHILD WISE ECPAT in Australia CHILD WISE is a non profit organization working to prevent the sexual abuse and exploitation of children in Australia and overseas. The organization was launched in 1993 as part of an international network that now exists in over 50 countries.

What is Choose With Care? Choose With Care is an information and training program designed to assist organisations establish a safe environment for the children and young people in their care. The focus of Choose With Care is the prevention of child sexual abuse however the strategies recommended are generic and will help prevent and reduce all harm to children.

The Choose With Care Process Proactive Preventative Participatory Reflect Act Plan

Why Choose With Care? Sex offenders target organisations working with children. The vast majority of child sex offenders do NOT have criminal convictions. The vast majority of child sex offenders are known to the victim. Organisations have a moral and legal responsibility to prevent abuse.

Four preconditions model of sexual abuse. A potential offender needs to have some motivation to abuse a child sexually. The potential offender has to overcome internal inhibitions against acting on that motivation. The potential offender has to overcome external impediments to committing sexual abuse. The potential offender or some other factor has to undermine or overcome a child’s possible resistance to the sexual abuse. David Finkelhor (1984) suggests that all factors relating to sexual abuse can be grouped as contributing to one of four preconditions that need to be met before sexual abuse can occur.

What are the features? A Child Safe Organisation

A Child Safe Organisation

Understanding abuse

A Child Safe Organisation Managing risk to minimise abuse

A Child Safe Organisation Developing a child protection policy

A Child Safe Organisation Creating clear boundaries

A Child Safe Organisation Recruitment, selection and screening

A Child Safe Organisation Staff support and supervision

A Child Safe Organisation Managing complaints

A Child Safe Organisation Training and information

A Child Safe Organisation Empower, involve and listen to children

A Child Safe Organisation Management, staff and volunteers

A Child Safe Organisation Children, young people and parents

Understanding abuse Developing a child protection policy Creating clear boundaries Recruitment, selection & screening Staff support & supervision Managing complaints Training & information Empower, involve and listen to children Management, staff and volunteers Children, young people and parents Managing risk to minimise abuse A Child Safe Organisation

Barriers to becoming Child Safe: What are the barriers and challenges? Complacency Lack of resources Fear Denial Competing priorities Entrenched culture

Child Protection Policy & Procedures Overcoming the Barriers Identify the barriers and bring them out into the open. Look for opportunities to discuss the barriers that arise.

Child Protection Policy & Procedures Overcoming the Barriers Try not to view barriers as a disadvantage – it is a natural part of the process of change.

Managing Risk To Minimise Abuse. Factors in determining the level of risk include: Participant Setting Activity Supervision

Maintaining a child safe organisation Ensure open and clear communication Establish transparent reporting procedures Empower children Support and supervise staff and volunteers Monitor and review policy, procedures & practice Encourage participation of all stakeholders Stay vigilant! Conduct annual child protection audit

CHOOSE WITH CARE Thank You Bernadette McMenamin National Director Child Wise