Helping prevent child sexual abuse ‘One Talk at a Time’

The second phase of ‘One Talk at a Time’, Australia’s first national awareness raising campaign to help prevent child sexual abuse and keep children and young people safe, is now underway.

Running over seven weeks, the campaign will continue building awareness among Australian adults about their role in preventing child sexual abuse and encourage them to have ongoing, proactive and preventative conversations with children, young people and other adults in their lives.

Over 73 million views were reached through earlier advertising on television, radio, in cinema and online. Findings showed that adults who saw the campaign were more likely to have preventative conversations with children and young people and felt more confident and committed to doing so.

The campaign is supported by practical resources designed to build adults’ understanding of child sexual abuse prevention and increase their confidence in starting conversations. These include the flagship conversation toolkit, the My Say, My Way resources that were co-created with First Nations communities, and resources designed for children including the My superhero voice storybook which is available in 18 languages, the One Talk at a Time song by the Teeny Tiny Stevies, body safety cards and posters to support children to understand and talk about body safety.

‘One Talk at a Time’ is a key prevention measure under the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse 2021-2030, and directly responds to a recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Reading and learning about child sexual abuse can be confronting. For more information, resources, and support visit the ChildSafety website and Get Support page.

Quotes attributable to the Attorney-General, Hon Michelle Rowland MP:

“Child sexual abuse is an abhorrent crime that has profound and lasting impacts on children, families and communities.

“Every child and young person has the right to be safe from sexual abuse, and it is our collective responsibility to play a role in prevention.

“The Albanese Government continues to take proactive steps to stamp out child sexual abuse, including running campaigns like One Talk at a Time that help raise awareness, educate the community, and prompt action.

“The more we start and continue proactive conversations, the more chance we have of preventing child sexual abuse in our communities.”

Resources for media reporting on child sexual abuse

With the University of Canberra News and Media Research Centre, the National Office for Child Safety has developed resources to support the media to report on child sexual abuse. These resources, along with information about support services, can be included in media reporting. They are available at Reporting on Child Sexual Abuse on the ChildSafety website.