Freda Briggs

Follow-up data on the effectiveness of New Zealand's national school based child protection program

In 1987, in response to concerns relating to the high incidence of (reported) child sexual abuse, the Ministry of Education and New Zealand Policy jointly introduced a national school-based personal safety program, Keeping Ourselves Safe. In December 1990, 252 children were interviewed in eight primary schools, selected as representative of the ethnic, economic, and social diversity of New Zealand society (Briggs 1991). The interview schedule was designed on problem-solving lines to establish whether children could identify and respond safely to a wide range of potentially unsafe situations. One year later, 117 of the children were available for interview using the same questionnaire. Children exposed to Keeping Ourselves Safe had retained and increased their safety strategies during that time. The variables of gender, age, race, and academic level did not affect improvement but the number of initial gains by children with highly committed teachers was almost double the number achieved by teachers classified as having low levels of commitment. Prior to using the program, children from low socioeconomic groups had significantly lower knowledge and skill levels than their middle-class contemporaries. Middle-class children also gained more from the program. The difference in gains achieved is explained in terms of parental participation in the school program.

Singaporean early childhood teachers’ responses to myths about child abuse

Prior to attending seminars on child abuse and domestic violence, 86 kindergarten and 64 special education (early childhood) teachers completed a questionnaire seeking views relating to the accuracy of statements relating to all forms of child abuse. This was designed to identify the accuracy of teachers’ knowledge of child abuse and neglect versus the influence of universal myths. Results show that special education teachers were less well informed than kindergarten teachers on child protection issues despite international recognition that children with disabilities are the most vulnerable to abuse of all kinds. The results of this survey will be valuable for the Singapore Government’s plan to provide preservice and inservice education relating to family violence and child abuse. It is part of a larger project.

Follow up Study of Children of 5‐8 years Using Child Protection Programmes in Australia and New Zealand

A previous study (Briggs, 1991) described two different types of child protection programme: the American Protective Behaviours programme promoted by some Australian and British Police and used in pre‐schools and schools and Keeping Ourselves Safe which is the national school based child protection curriculum designed and supported by New Zealand Police in partnership with the Ministry of Education. The present paper reports on a follow up study which reveals the importance of providing young children with a school based protection programme which is developmentally appropriate in terms of language and concepts.

South Australian Parents want Child Protection Programs to be offered in Schools and PreSchools

It is now widely realized that child sexual abuse is an all too common crime against children, resulting in long term damage to victims and heavy costs to the community. It is also realized that much abuse could have been prevented if children had been given basic information about acceptable and unacceptable touching, secrecy about touching and norms of adult‐child behaviour. Parents representing 250 families, caring for 565 children aged 3‐12 were interviewed to find out what parents tell their children to protect them from sexual molestation. Three quarters of all parents told their children nothing and most of those who thought that they had given information had only given hints. Furthermore, this “information” was passed on only after a traumatic event had already occurred. Parents revealed an inadequate knowledge of the dangers to children and a desire for school and preschool programs to remedy the deficit.

Protecting boys from the risk of sexual abuse

Relatively little is known about the sexual victimisation of male children. Because more girls report sexual abuse than boys, it has been widely assumed that boys are less vulnerable or that their abuse is less damaging than the abuse of girls. As a result, child protection programmes have been directed towards the protection of females. Interviews with 194 adult male survivors of sexual abuse suggest that the victimisation of boys is under‐recognised, under‐reported and that boys are not adequately protected by parents and current child protection curriculum. Subjects identified their sexual curiosity and ignorance as the primary contributors to their victimisation. Non‐incest victims also believed that the lack of physical affection from their fathers contributed to their vulnerability. Strategies to facilitate the recognition and reporting of sexual abuse by boys warrant immediate attention.

Pleasing Yourself and Working for the Teacher: Children's Perceptions of School

Three hundred and eleven multi‐cultural children were interviewed to explore how 4‐9 year olds perceived and experienced their activities, roles, responsibilities and relationships with peers and teachers in school. The study explored childrens conception of social and moral issues such as racism, sexism, violence, punishment, social justice and safety issues. The study was to assist educators and care‐givers in their understanding of childrens thinking in a rapidly changing world. More than 310,000 items of information were collected. This paper concentrates on childrens views of schools, teachers, the curriculum, punishment and social justice.

Early childhood experiences of men sexually abused as children

A study which reported information obtained from male child molesters and from the male victims of child abuse has recently been completed. When the results of this study were released, they attracted considerable media attention. Unfortunately the media reports were often inaccurate. The page 1 headline on the South Australian edition of the Australian (Powell, 6/1/95), for example said ‘One in two molesters cites abuse by Catholics’. This is incorrect. Furthermore, the media reports tended to unduly focus on issues to do with abuse by religious authorities and they failed to provide detail about other aspects of the study. In order to correct misinformation spread by the media, we present a short description of the study.

Child Sexual Abuse in Early-Childhood Care and Education Settings.

When the author was adviser to the Australian Minister for Education for writing the national Safe Schools Framework (2003), meetings were held with early-childhood care and education administrators from all state, Catholic and independent sectors. Their unexpected message was that educators were facing new problems, those of child sexual abuse in early-childhood settings including pupils forcing younger children to provide oral sex. In January 2013, the South Australian Minister for Education lost her position following well-publicised parental anger that the Education Department had concealed the sexual abuse of children in early-childhood centres and schools. Parental outrage led to a Royal Commission and ‘Report of Independent Education Inquiry’ (2013) conducted by former Justice Bruce Debelle QC. Public dissatisfaction with some aspects of the Commission led further to a Parliamentary Select Committee Inquiry (February 2014) ‘Matters Relating to the Independent Education Inquiry’1

Children's Perceptions of Personal Safety Issues and their Vulnerability to Molestation

Interviews with children aged from 5 to 8 highlighted their vulnerability to molestation. This vulnerability is based in part on childrens developmental levels. These include a limited capacity for abstract thought which renders some well intentioned attempts at child protection ineffective. Designers need to consider these developmental limitations when they develop child protection programs. Common parenting practices are also implicated in the perpetuation of childrens vulnerability. These practices make it unlikely that a child would have the confidence to report adult-initiated sexual misbehaviour to a parent. Education is necessary to inform parents about ways in which they can reduce childrens vulnerability by changing their own practices.

The Institutionalised Abuse of Children in Australia: Past and Present

Institutionalised forms of child abuse have been committed by both government and non‐government authorities including the police force, social service departments, the diplomatic service, schools and pre‐schools, the judicial system and the church. This paper examines Australian examples and shows that leadership may mitigate or amplify abuse by authority. The precedence of the rights of adults over the rights of children is also viewed as a factor in child abuse. The recent creation in Australia, of another authority ‐‐ a ‘Commissioner for Children’ ‐‐ may go some way towards rectifying this imbalance of rights.