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-...

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...

A Guide to Keeping Kids Safe – Dad’s Edition
(Protection through prevention, not just reaction)

For generations, the role of “protector” has been stamped into what it means to be a dad. You stand at the gate, watching for danger, ready to fight if someone hurts your child.

But here’s the thing - if...

It’s one of the hardest things for a parent or carer to wrap their head around, witnessing a child display sexualised behaviours towards another child. The instinct is to minimise, to explain it away with a nervous laugh and say, “They’re just curious,” or “It’s normal at that age.”

But here’s the ...

The Question No One Wants to Ask (But Every Parent Should)

Most parents assume the people they love are safe for their children. That family and friends means protection. That love equals trust. I wish that were always true.

But my years as a child abuse detective taught me something I could never...

How to talk to your kids if you are worried something might have happened 
(aka: The conversation you pray you’ll never need - but must know how to have)

It’s every parent’s worst fear!

The panic that comes with wondering if your child might’ve been hurt. Maybe there was a shift in their behaviour....

Before I became a police officer, I didn’t know much about child sexual abuse. It just wasn’t something people talked about when I was a child growing up or as I became a parent myself.

I joined the WA Police before my daughter had turned 2-years-old and she grew up with me in the blue uniform, hel...

I recently spoke with a mother who reached out to me because her 5-year-old child had disclosed sexual abuse - not from an adult, but from another 5-year-old child.

Let’s just pause there.

Because this is the part no one warns you about.

No one tells you what to do when the harm doesn't come from...

Our kids will test us with the little things before they’ll trust us with the big things!

As a former child abuse detective, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is for kids to feel safe and supported by their parents, especially when it comes to difficult or dangerous situations. But here’s a truth...