The responsibility lies with adults in keeping children safe from harm. All members of society need to play a part in ensuring children are nurtured and safe.

Caring for children and keeping them safe is a shared responsibility. Listening to children and young people is number one in assisting their safety and well-being. Children and young people are honest. They are unlikely to lie about abuse. They are more likely to stay quiet about abuse or harm than to speak up (especially if they know their abuser).

Some things that can harm children and young people include:-

• Mean or cruel words
• Being ignored, going hungry and feeling and/or being treated as invisible
• Seeing or directly experiencing domestic and family violence
  
• Being physically, verbally, sexually or emotionally abused
  
• Not having health, educational and other developmental needs met
  
• Being groomed for sexual abuse
  
• Being forced into acts against their will, including illegal activity and/or to do something that feels ‘wrong’ and/or unsafe
  
• Being forced to be with people (even those who are ‘known’ and ‘loved’) who feel unsafe and/or children have stated have abused them
• Not being heard when they speak about abuse or trauma.
• Knowing they have no voice to speak of how they feel and what they’ve experienced in terms of their safety and well-being
  
• Being removed from their home and/or family
  

Playing Your Part

Protecting children is the responsibility of every adult. There are many things that all adults can do to play our part in valuing and caring for children to help them reach their full potential.

You can...

• Care for children in your community according to their needs and not discriminate due to culture,ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion or disability
• Respect that there are many different positive ways to raise children
• Seek to keep children connected to family, community, language and culture
• Never knowingly harm a child or allow them to be harmed
• Speak up and seek advice about the safety and wellbeing of children (including talking to caregivers, other professionals, an appropriate supervisor, or legal authority)
• Provide an environment for children where they feel safe, thrive and can develop positive relationships with adults and peers
• Be a good role model for children; be polite and respectful around children
• Listen to, and value, what children and young people have to say, and include their voices in decision making9
• Be a leader who stands up for the rights of children, advocates for their best interests, and constructively challenges practices
• Support families and encourage them to ask for help, rather than judging