Australian of the Year Calls For Education and Awareness Campaigns to Combat Child Sexual Predation
Australian of Year Grace Tame has used her first public address to call for young Australians to be educated on how to recognise the stages of sexual grooming and psychological manipulation to protect themselves from child sexual predators in the community.
Speaking at the National Press Club on Wednesday, Tame said that the silence surrounding child sexual predation in the community allows perpetrators to operate.
“Child sexual abuse remains ubiquitous in our society because while predators retain the power to get exactly what they want,” Tame said. “The innocent survivors and bystanders alike are burdened by the shame induced silence.”
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Allegations of sexual assault have been swirling around Parliament for weeks, rightfully shattering the ‘what happens in Canberra, stays in Canberra’ trope.
But the seemingly never-ending stream of stories about sexual assault may be triggering for some, according to advocates and experts.
Karen Hogan from Sexual Assault Services said she’s spoken to survivors who are pleased issues of sexual assault “are being taken seriously.”
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However, she said the perpetual reporting of these allegations could induce trauma for some survivors.
“It’s not just on the TV or on the radio anymore. With social media, it can feel like it’s everywhere,” Ms Hogan told