White Balloon Day 2009 for child sexual assault
August 11, 2009 by Megan · 2 Comments
White Balloon Day is on Tuesday 8th September. White Balloon Day is a national event: it is a day we all get to be involved in protecting children against sexual assault. Currently one in five children are sexually assaulted before their 18th birthday BUT – we can change this. Get involved in White Balloon Day and send all children and survivors everywhere a message of support, belief and respect.
- Tie a white balloon to your letterbox, pot plant at work, counter or street sign
- Hold a Wear White Day at your office or workplace or perhaps hold a White Tea
- Visit your local Terry White Pharmacy and buy one our really lovely ‘enviro shopping bags for just $2. In fact, if you can always use Terry White Pharmacies as a preference that would be great – they are great supporters of child protection
- Visit your local Bendigo Bank and make a donation – every cent helps….
- $10 buys a child a personal safety education program
- $25 buys a crisis counselling/support session
- $50 buys a specialist therapy session
This is your chance to do something to help children AND publicly SAY NO to sexual assault. Channel 9 and the 4BC radio network are supporting this campaign as are Terry White Chemists, Bendigo Bank, Nutrimetics, Rotary and others. Visit the White Balloon Day website and find our more about how you can help. Remember, when it comes to CHILD SEXUAL ASSAULT, IT’S ALL WHITE TO SAY NO!
What are you going to do?
What to do if your child tells you they have been sexually abused
July 26, 2009 by Megan · Leave a Comment
Working with children who have been sexually assaulted is the most satisfying job I have ever done. Working with parents and foster carers of those children is an honour: a privilege. I have recently sat with some amazing foster carers and we discussed sexualiased behaviours and how to react if disclosures ever came the foster carers way. In respect and thanks to those amazing foster carers, I have re trenched a post written more than a year ago:
What Can I Do if My Child Tells Me Someone Has Done Bad “Sex” Things to Them?
Child sexual assault is against the law. Don’t keep it to yourself. First, believe your child and then TELL someone in a position to help you. Telling about child sexual abuse helps to end the prevalence figure of one in three. Child sexual abuse WILL CONTINUE if we don’t all take responsibility and tell someone when it has occurred. Tell the school principal, your local doctor, the police, a friend, the local Welfare agency. TELL SOMEONE who will help you.
It is not your responsibility to investigate and prove any disclosures of sexual abuse. Leave this to the Police or to the welfare agency in your state tasked with the responsibility of investigation. It is your responsibility to protect, believe and support your child.
Never approach the alleged perpetrator of the child sexual abuse. Focus on your child. Protect them. Minimize contact between them and the alleged abuser.
Talk, talk, talk to your child. Bust the secret right open. Apologise to your child for not having known that it happened and regain your child’s trust and confidence. Reassure your child that you will do something to stop it from ever happening again.
Allow your child to sleep in your bedroom if they feel scared or insecure. Your child needs to know that you are indeed a safe person and that you can, and will protect them.
After the police or the local welfare agency has interviewed your child, take your child to a child sexual abuse therapist. Talking about the sexual abuse helps to clear the child’s mind and allows them another avenue of being heard and believed.
Surround your family with supportive people. People who doubt or blame you are not helpful to your child’s recovery. This is a great time to increase your family’s support network and to train all of your children in protective behaviours.
Imaginif…we wiped out sexual abuse by telling someone when it happens. Sexual predators demand secrecy. Take away the secrecy and we make the predators think twice about sexually abusing another child.
Recommended subscription to a FREE newsletter on child safety: Kidproof.
Related blog from families.com: The Grooming Process of a Child Sexual Predator.
For further help on protecting your child against sexual assault, please use the games and activities in Parent Sense: a FREE tutorial, written by Megan Bayliss, on keeping kids safe from sexual predators.
Why be a foster carer?
July 6, 2009 by Megan · 3 Comments
Would you become a foster carer? Why/why not?
There is a desperate need for quality foster carers across Australia. I am interested to know what stops you from opening up your life and home to a child who needs protection and stability.
Leave your comments so that I can learn from them and amend foster care recruitment campaigns.
More importantly: if you live in the Cairns and immediate surrounds area and are interested in becoming a foster carer, please contact me.
Vote for ACT for kids in the Cannon Creative for a Cause photographic competition
July 1, 2009 by Megan · Leave a Comment
With your vote ACT for Kids can win $60,000 in cash from Canon to help treat and prevent child abuse.
If you’re as passionate about helping Aussie kids as we are then ACT now and vote for us! Please follow this link to view our photo and vote 1 for ACT for Kids.
Please forward this email to everyone you know and ask them to vote for this photo – with your help, and $60,000 ACT for Kids can help give more abused kids the life they deserve.
Canon’s Creative for a Cause photographic competition is designed to raise awareness of Australian and New Zealand charities through creative imagery. Photo enthusiasts from far and wide have uploaded a photograph which represents a cause that they are passionate about to the Creative for a Cause website along with an explanation of what their photo means. From there, it’s all up to the public to vote for their favourite image. Canon will donate a massive $60,000 AUD to the winning Australian charity and $25,000 NZD to the winning charity from New Zealand. ACT for Kids would like to thank all those who have submitted photos on our behalf.

Monday March 15th, 5.00 – 7.00 pm



