Young People Reluctant to Report Sexual Abuse, Royal Commission Research Finds

By Ursula Malone
ABC News
October 28, 2016

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-28/young-people-reluctant-to-report-sexual-abuse-rc/7975104

Children and young people are reluctant to speak out about sexual abuse, according to a survey for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

The commission wants young people to play a role in making themselves safer in institutions like schools, churches and sporting clubs.

To do this they commissioned a research project involving 1,500 children and young people, including those with a disability, asking them what makes them feel unsafe and what they think needs to be done to make them safer.

For the past three years, the commission has been hearing accounts of horrific abuse of children and the failing of these institutions.

Children had little say in the running of those institutions and their voices were rarely if ever heard.

Now young people have a role to play in identifying how these organisations need to change through this research.

The clear message from children is they want grown-ups to pay more attention to what they're saying.

"Children said they relied more on how they were feeling than adults did and what they needed from adults was to respect them when they said this person creeps me out or I feel unsafe," Tim Moore from the Institute of Child Protection Studies said.

Claire, 13

PHOTO: Claire says children have lots of potential but need to be taken more seriously by their parents and other adults. (ABC News: Ursula Malone)

"I think adults aren't listening because they think children aren't as mature," Claire said.

"Adults are busy with their jobs and stuff and they don't have time to listen to us.

"I think adults can ask more questions and try to find out what's going on in their child's life.

"We have a lot of potential and a lot of great ideas and we don't get listened to."

Ben, 22

PHOTO: Ben believes adults underestimate young people too much. (ABC News: Ursula Malone)

"I think that adults definitely underestimate young people, because they do play the power card a lot," he said.

"They just go, 'well, you're a young person, you know nothing'.

"Anything a young person says is important.

"If a young person has enough courage to stand up and express what is on their mind, the adult should definitely take it on board.

Julia, 18

PHOTO: Julia says adults need to believe children when they tell them about something that has made them feel unsafe. (ABC News: Ursula Malone)

"I think adults do listen, but I think they can always listen more.

"I think it's very important that adults believe children when they tell them something.

"If one young person slips through the cracks ... it's not good enough.

"I think adults are more fearful than children to be honest, children in this age are so accepting and so open and there's so many new possibilities."