There are complex legal and practical issues associated with responding to harmful sexual behaviours between children. Getting it right can minimise the risk of further harm, build a culture of safety, strengthen an organisation’s reputation, and help meet its duty of care. Inadequate responses can lead to further risk of harm to children, reputational damage, and legal/regulatory risks. Empowering staff to effectively prevent and respond to harmful sexual behaviours is an important element of any safeguarding strategy.
In this webinar recording, Moores Practice Leader, Skye Rose will share best practice tips and insights on preventing and responding to harmful sexual behaviours. The webinar will cover:
- the key legal obligations that apply to organisations that work with children;
- recent legal developments in relation to sexting, consent and work health and safety regarding sexual harassment;
- when reporting obligations are triggered;
- obligations to respond to harmful sexualised behaviours that occurred out of hours, involving children from other organisations, or adult students;
- whether and when to act on rumours and suspicions of harmful sexual behaviours;
- safeguards that should be adopted to support a trauma-informed approach and minimise the risk of harm;
- privacy considerations, including engaging with counsellors and psychologists, notifying parents, and disclosing allegations and investigations to staff;
- participating in and managing investigations of harmful sexual behaviours by regulators, including the police; and
- obligations to educate children and young people about their rights and responsibilities, including consent.
The webinar has broad relevance to people and organisations that work with children across Australia, but focuses on legal obligations in Victoria and case studies relevant to schools.