As a child or young person, you have a right to be safe and respected wherever you are, including:
- living with your parents, foster or family carers, a group home or boarding school
- in a workplace or education and training
- using health and support services
- using public transport like buses and trains
- in churches and during religious activities
- during community activities like drama, sports or camps
- using online spaces like online education and training or an organisation’s chat function.
Most of the time children and young people feel safe and protected in the community and at home; but sometimes situations and the things people say or do might make you feel confused, uncomfortable, afraid, anxious, or hurt. If this happens to you, you have a right to tell someone about it and receive help to feel safe again.
Your rights to be safe and feel safe in any organisation
People who work and volunteer in organisations must treat you with respect, try to understand your needs and support you to share concerns or make a complaint.
Child safety and wellbeing is so important to all governments in Australia that a set of ten National Child Safe Principles were developed to tell organisations how to be safe for children and young people.
The Australian Human Rights Commission has written the National Child Safe Principles in plain English to make it easier to understand and talk about how you should be kept safe.
- All people in the organisation care about children and young people’s safety and wellbeing, and make sure they act that way.
- Children and young people are told about their human rights, have a say in decisions and are taken seriously.
- Families and communities know about and are involved in the organisation’s child safety and wellbeing activities.
- Everyone is treated with dignity, respect and fairness.
- People working with children and young people are suitable and taught how to keep children safe and well.
- Children, young people, families, staff and volunteers are listened to and can share problems and concerns.
- Staff and volunteers keep learning all the time, so they know how to keep children and young people safe and well.
- Children and young people are safe online and in physical spaces provided by organisations.
- The organisation keeps reviewing and improving its child safety and wellbeing practices.
- The organisation writes down how it keeps children and young people safe and well and makes sure that everyone can see it.
Resources
There are ways to get more information about your rights to be safe and respected in organisations, and how you can speak up if you’re not.
- Feeling safe and respected wherever you are guide – Commissioner for Children and Young People – what you should expect from an organisation working with children and young people.
- Understanding cultural safety in organisations video – SNAICC – explains how organisations can be culturally safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people, families and communities.
- A3 worksheets – National Office for Child Safety – can help you understand your rights and how to use them.
- Speak up and make a complaint – National Office for Child Safety – how to raise concerns (this one is available in multiple languages).
- How to make a complaint – Commissioner for Children and Young People – tips, posters and a video on how to speak up about your worries and make a complaint.
- Kids Helpline counselling service – webchat or email is available at any time of the day or night if you need to talk to about a problem.
- About children’s rights – Australian Human Rights Commission
- Translated National Principles resources – National Office for Child Safety – information about the National Principles is available in a range of languages.
- Youth Participation Kit for Young People (2021) – Department of Communities – A series of publications for young people which provide advice on how to maximise young people’s input and contributions to community life (please note that elements of this toolkit may be outdated and will be updated in due course with relevant information).
How to make a complaint
You can lodge a complaint against organisations you come into contact with.
If you are unhappy or worried about something happening in an organisation, you have the right to tell someone and be listened to.
When organisations have clear information and easy steps you can take to raise concerns and make complaints, it is a sign that they take the safety of children and young people seriously. You should be able to find this information on an organisation’s website, in places where they run activities and from staff and volunteers.
Further support
If you need to talk to someone, here are some places you can get help:
- Kids Help Line: 1800 55 1800
- Lifeline: 13 11 14
- Headspace: 1800 650 890
