In Conversation - What do we know about the drivers of child sexual abuse and how do these inform prevention efforts

Challenge 7 in Here for Change, the National Centre’s Five Year Strategy, highlights that child sexual abuse will not be stopped unless there is a comprehensive framework for addressing the power dynamics and factors which enable it.

Moderated by National Centre CEO Dr Leanne Beagley, this In Conversation discussion brings together lived experience with insights from research and practice experts to explore the drivers of child sexual abuse and how these inform prevention efforts.   

The webinar will unpack:

• What is the current knowledge base surrounding the drivers of child sexual abuse.
• What are the conceptual, policy and practice challenges that the prevention of child sexual abuse presents?
• What are the layers of prevention efforts needed at different levels?
• What are the key actions we need to take to strengthen a prevention approach?

This webinar is part of a concentrated effort by the National Centre to support the translation of knowledge and improve responses for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.

Time: 12pm-1.30pm AEST

Where: Online 

Please note this webinar will be recorded.

Featured Speakers:   

Professor Daryl Higgins’ research focuses on public health approaches to protecting children and child-safe organisational strategies. A registered psychologist, Professor Higgins has been researching child abuse impacts and prevention, family violence and family functioning for more than 30 years. As the Director of ACU's Institute of Child Protection Studies (ICPS), and the former Deputy Director (Research) of the Australian Institute of Family Studies, Professor Higgins has extensive research experience in the areas of child-safe organisations, child abuse and neglect, child protection, out-of-home care, family law and allegations of child abuse, disability and family care, welfare reform, family and interpersonal violence, jobless families, past adoption and forced family separation practices, and community development approaches to child and family welfare issues. Professor Higgins has contributed to a number of reports and provided expert advice to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse about how and why abuse occurs, the risks within different sectors that need to be addressed within child-safe organisational strategies, and ripple effects that organisational sexual abuse has on families and others.

Christabel Chamarette, is a registered Clinical Psychologist with over 50 years’ experience in the treatment of violence, sexual offending and healing for adult victims of child sexual abuse. Christabel is a Founding Board member and Clinical Director of SafeCare WA. Christabel has held roles as an expert consultant to the Ministry of Justice and member of the WA Parole Board, and a member of the WA Board of Professional Standards of the Anglican Church. Christabel is a single expert witness appointed by the Family Court of Western Australia, and is a postgraduate Psychiatry lecturer on child sexual abuse. Christabel is member of Non-Government Advisory Committee of the National Office for Child Safety. In addition to a Clinical Psychology private practice offering individual therapy and community-based group treatment programs for child sexual offending and working with aboriginal communities, Christabel provides supervision for allied health professionals.  

Kelly (Kel) Humphries is a victim survivor of Child Sexual Abuse. She is an author, speaker, advocate, coach and a Research Fellow with the AiLECS Lab (Artificial Intelligence for Law Enforcement and Community Safety) at Monash University. Kel is as an expert in child protection and trauma informed approaches bringing a multi-disciplinary focus to provide perspective, rigour and objectivity for the AiLECS research project, “Survivor Perspectives on Institutional Use of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM),” funded by the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse. 

 Kel has over 16 years of First Response Policing, and this, coupled with her lived experience, has enabled a very rare insight into the needs of victims and survivors throughout the investigative process.  This insight has led her to speak at various conferences and work alongside Bravehearts, the Daniel Morcombe Foundation and the AFP led ACCCE- Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation.  She regularly shares at the QPS Police Academy in the Sexual Crimes training, and advocates and shares through her podcast, “Off the Cuff with Kel- A Podcast for Survivors and those who support them.”

Moderator

Dr Leanne Beagley is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse. She has clinical, leadership and legal qualifications and 15 years of clinical experience in child and family mental health services, with subsequent experience as a senior leader within health, mental health and primary care settings. She has undertaken policy leadership within government and policy advocacy from within the sector.

About the In Conversation series

Hosted by the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse (the National Centre), our In Conversation series brings together experts from research, law, policy and practice to explore how we can work together to reduce, eliminate and respond to child sexual abuse so that victims and survivors are believed and supported to heal and recover.

About the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse

The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse (the National Centre) is a partnership between three respected organisations — the Australian Childhood Foundation, Blue Knot Foundation and the Healing Foundation. Established in late 2021, following a recommendation by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the National Centre commissions critical research, builds the capability of workers and organisations and raises community awareness to reduce stigma. Central to this work is elevating the voices of victims and survivors of all ages, life stages and communities