What to say when the adults you love are modelling the exact behaviours that put children at risk.

I want to talk about something that doesn’t get said enough.

The behaviours we most commonly associate with grooming and child sexual abuse - the testing of boundaries, the forced physical affection...

I spent nearly six years as a detective specialising in child sexual abuse investigations. In that time, I interviewed hundreds of children and sat across the table from the people who hurt them.

One thing was always true: the abuse didn't start with the abuse.

It started long before - with a proc...

Let me say something that might surprise you.

Not everyone who displays red flag behaviours will abuse your child. 

But here's what I know from nearly a decade investigating child sexual abuse - everyone who abuses a child displays red flag behaviours first.

Read that again.

Red flags are not a ...

When is a child’s sexualised behaviour age-appropriate and when is it something we need to interrupt?

In Australia, the term used to describe sexualised behaviours between children that are inappropriate or problematic is Harmful Sexualised Behaviours (HSB).

For some adults, certain behaviours wou...

I received a message recently that made me think about all the times when I was still in the Police and I felt like protecting kids was an impossible task and being a Police Officer didn't help anyone. 

I had many days where I I felt that what I was doing didn't matter. If I'm honest, I still have da...

Recent cases involving female educators and carers have understandably shaken people and forced many of us to re-examine assumptions about who we trust with our children.

Not because abuse by a female perpetrator is new - but because when a woman, particularly a trusted adult such as a teacher, har...

After years working as a detective with children who had been abused, I started noticing something. 

It wasn't obvious at first but as time went on, certain conditions became consistently apparent. 

Different families. Different ages. Different settings. Different offenders. 
Some cases were adult-...

Why Teaching Kids About “Games” Matters More Than Ever

Most unsafe games don’t look unsafe. They start as fun, friendly, harmless… until something shifts.

Predators often disguise grooming as “play” - because games feel normal, familiar and exciting for children.

When kids understand the rules of ...

From 10 December 2025, Australia is rolling out major changes to how teens under 16 can use social media. No fines and no parents getting in trouble… but big shifts are coming.

And if you’re a parent, you deserve a calm, clear breakdown of what this actually means for your family, without the fear-...

Grandparents hold a special kind of magic in a child’s world - they’re the storytellers, the biscuit-bringers, the soft landing when life feels hard. They’ve lived through decades of change and with that comes wisdom, love and a deep desire to protect the little ones who light up their lives.

But t...

Every educator dreads it. 

A child whispers: “They touched me on my private parts.”
Or you see two children in a situation that crosses boundaries.

It can be awkward. It’s often confronting and it can feel overwhelming if you don't know how to handle it.

But here’s what I want you to remember: yo...

It happens more often than parents realise: your child accidentally stumbles across pornography online, or a friend shows them a video they’re not ready for.

If your child has seen porn -  whether they’re 7, 10 or 14 - you’re probably asking: What do I say? How do I explain this without making it w...