Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Home Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday marked the start of National Child Protection Week. The overarching message for the week is that every child in every community needs a fair go. As a society, we need to keep looking at what children and families need to thrive, and we need to ensure we're working diligently to catch criminals who prey on children, especially through the growing threat of online exploitation.

Last year, I joined with the Centre to Counter Child Exploitation to launch their Stop the Stigma program, which was designed to spark an important discussion. ACCCE research has shown that child sexual abuse and online sexual exploitation is a stigmatised topic and is not well understood. Only by bringing this conversation into the light, by opening a discussion, can we reduce stigma and build awareness. Just like we encourage children to speak up if they're offered a ride with a stranger, stopping the stigma is all about starting a similar conversation about keeping children safe from sexual exploitation online. This shouldn't be embarrassing or shameful. We all have a part to play.

Child abuse thrives in the shadows. Speaking up is difficult but it educates the unaware, protects the innocent, gives a voice to victims and brings offenders to justice. I encourage all Australians to learn more about the work of ACCCE.