IT’S the early ’70s and a young altar boy starts to receive unwanted sexual attention from a priest. He doesn’t tell anyone, he thinks no one will believe him or could do anything. He is ashamed and blames himself for what happened. It goes on for many years.
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Finally, after years of anguish and mental health issues he approaches the Church for healing, acknowledgement and support. Despite being not believed and discouraged to go any further, he lodges a complaint. The matter drags out for years, his character is questioned in court, the Church wins the case and he is threatened with having to pay all costs.
A 10-year-old girl joins a swim club. The coach sees her potential, and takes a personal interest in her. When she is 14 he starts offering private massages, escalating into regular sexual abuse at his home, in his car and poolside. The girl becomes increasingly anxious, develops an eating disorder and mental health issues.
She doesn’t tell anyone because she fears she won’t be believed, and because he is well respected. She suffers significant mental and physical health conditions.
Years later, a chance meeting with another former swimmer reveals she had been abused by the same coach. She finally tells her mother and a therapist about the abuse, and makes a statement to the police. Despite being charged and deemed a risk to children the coach keeps coaching for many years.
These are two of the harrowing accounts to emerge from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Every day we are hearing stories of abuse facilitated by people and organisations who did not have children’s rights and best interests at heart, and who did not encourage children to speak up.
As the commission chairman, Justice Peter McClellan, told Parliament last year: ‘‘The power of an institution must never again be able to silence a child.’’
The findings from the commission illustrate the need for further discussion in the community about listening to children’s voices and how we can advocate and support this right as a critical aspect of keeping them safe. Despite Australia having ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child 25 years ago, we have been very slow in recognising and realising the rights of children.
Few adults and children are aware of their rights and there are limited references to children’s rights in our legal and policy frameworks. But we should never underestimate the empowering nature of the convention in enabling children and their advocates, including parents and carers, to argue for improvements in children’s lives.
For this, we need to make the Convention more accessible. One way to do this is to become champions of child rights in our workplaces and communities.
Along with my colleagues from Early Childhood Australia, I have launched a joint statement of intent for supporting young children’s rights in learning and care services. This is a practical tool that agencies and professionals working with children and young people can use to integrate a child rights approach into their services.
The right to be heard is a central theme throughout the statement. Children cannot exercise their rights if they are not recognised, heard and given agency.
Workers are encouraged to find time and space to listen to children and families, enable children’s free expression and play, engage them in decisions that affect them and to genuinely respect their views.
This is a commitment to keep children safe and ensure they thrive.
Megan Mitchell is Australia’s National Children’s Commissioner. Supporting young children’s rights is a statement of intent launched by the Australian Human Rights Commission and Early Childhood Australia.