The National Strategy
The National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse
The National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse 2021-2030 (National Strategy) is the first of its kind in Australia. It provides a nationally coordinated, strategic framework for preventing and responding to child sexual abuse.
The National Strategy is an initiative of Australian, state and territory governments, and was a recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Royal Commission). It responds to approximately 100 other Royal Commission recommendations and considers child sexual abuse in all settings, including within families, online and within organisations.
The National Office led the National Strategy’s development and now oversees its implementation. The National Office leads or co-leads the design and development of 28 measures under the National Strategy’s First Action Plans and coordinate implementation of the remaining measures by other government agencies.
You can watch the video below for an overview of the National Strategy.
Read the transcript
This video discusses child sexual abuse and may bring up strong feelings for some people. Please take care when watching. If you or someone you know has been impacted by child sexual abuse, you are not alone. You can find a list of support services at ChildSafety.gov.au.
As Australians, we all want to keep children and young people safe.
The National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse is a nationwide framework to protect children and young people from sexual abuse, and support victims and survivors. It is the first of its kind in Australia.
The National Strategy was a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, and responds to around 100 of the Commission’s recommendations.
It focuses on preventing child sexual abuse across Australia, including in organisations, within families and online.
The National Office for Child Safety is implementing the National Strategy, and delivering a number of its key measures.
Other Australian Government departments, plus state and territory governments, are also delivering measures under the National Strategy.
It is designed for everyone, and was developed in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, including the National Strategy’s priority groups. These includes:
- children, young people and their support networks
- victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and their advocates
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
- culturally and linguistically diverse communities
- people with disability
- LGBTQIA+ people
- and those from regional and remote communities.
The National Strategy will last from 2021 to 2030, and starts with two action plans - a First National Action Plan and a First Commonwealth Action Plan.
Further action plans will build on the progress of the first, and address new priorities, trends and evidence about what works.
The National Strategy includes measures that are focused on 5 themes:
- educating and building understanding about child safety
- supporting and empowering victims and survivors of child sexual abuse
- helping children and young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviours
- stopping child sexual abuse from happening
- and understanding information and data on child safety.
Each of these measures are informed by research, evidence and data, and are designed to be culturally safe, trauma-informed and accessible.
All children and young people deserve to be protected and safe, and the National Strategy is one initiative that will help to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse in Australia.
You can learn more about the National Strategy and the work of the National Office at ChildSafety.gov.au.
You can also watch a translated version of this video in the following languages:
The National Strategy’s action plans
The National Strategy is being delivered by Australian, state and territory governments through 2 action plans – a First National Action Plan and a First Commonwealth Action Plan. The Australian Government has invested an initial $307.5 million to support National Strategy implementation, including for measures under the First National Action Plan and First Commonwealth Action Plan.
National Strategy resources
There are several resources available to support understanding of, and engagement with, the National Strategy.
This summary provides an overview of the National Strategy, the First National Action Plan and the First Commonwealth Action Plan.
This guide is designed to support children and young people’s understanding of, and engagement with, the National Strategy, and to assist them to understand safety and child sexual abuse.
This factsheet provides an overview of key terms to support appropriate and consistent use of terminology in media. It also includes a list of support services and reporting lines that can accompany child sexual abuse-related media stories, and a short background on the National Strategy.
The National Strategy Monitoring and Evaluation Framework outlines the impact we are seeking to make under the National Strategy and how progress towards this intended impact will be measured.