Sexual Violence Awareness Month is recognised across Queensland throughout October, reminding us that preventing sexual violence is not the responsibility of one service, organisation or individual, it belongs to all of us. 

Queensland’s Prevent. Support. Believe. framework places the focus on preventing sexual violence, supporting people who have experienced it, and strengthening accountability and justice. 

LISTEN AND BELIEVE 

When someone shares an experience of sexual violence, the response they receive can matter enormously. 

Listening without judgement, believing what they tell you and allowing them to decide what happens next can help create safety and support. You do not need to investigate, question or have all the answers. 

Sometimes the most important first response is simply: 

“I hear you. I believe you. What do you need?” 

UNDERSTAND CONSENT 

Queensland operates under an affirmative model of consent. Consent must be freely and voluntarily given, and each person has a responsibility to make sure the other person is consenting. 

Consent is ongoing, can be withdrawn at any time and should never be assumed from silence or lack of resistance. 

CHALLENGE WHAT NORMALISES HARM 

Prevention also means looking at the attitudes and behaviours around us. 

Sexist jokes, victim blaming, disrespecting boundaries or dismissing someone’s experience can contribute to environments where sexual violence is minimised. 

Speaking up respectfully helps set a different standard. 

KNOW WHERE SUPPORT IS 

People may disclose immediately, years later, or never report to police at all. Support should remain available regardless of when someone chooses to speak. 

1800RESPECT ~ 1800 737 732 provides confidential information and support 24/7. 

IT BELONGS TO ALL OF US 

Prevention, support and belief are not separate ideas. Together, they shape how we respond, how we support, and how we create safer communities. 

Awareness is important, but meaningful change comes from what we do with it. 

Listen. Believe. Respect boundaries. Challenge harmful attitudes. Know where to find support. 

Because safer communities are created when ordinary people choose to act differently. 

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Every September, National Child Protection Week asks us to think about how we can help children and young people feel safe, heard, valued and supported. 

But awareness alone is not enough. 

A child who feels unsafe. A teenager who doesn’t feel seen. A young person carrying fear, trauma, neglect or isolation without the right support. 

Those experiences don’t simply disappear as someone grows older. 

Child protection isn’t only about stepping in after something has gone wrong. It is also about what happens much earlier — building connection, supporting families and creating environments where children feel they belong. 

LISTEN, THEN RESPOND 

Giving children a voice is more than asking what they think. 

When a child tells us something makes them uncomfortable, unsafe or unheard, what we do next matters. 

Listening builds trust. Acting on what we hear tells a child that their feelings and their voice have value. 

DON’T WAIT FOR CRISIS 

Families can face financial pressure, housing instability, isolation and other challenges long before reaching breaking point. 

Sometimes practical help, connection to services or simply having someone notice that a family is struggling can make a difference much earlier. 

SAFE?PLACES NEED MORE THAN POLICIES 

Schools, sporting clubs, community groups and organisations all have a role. 

Safety needs to be reflected in who works with children, how people are screened and trained, how concerns are handled and whether young people are genuinely listened to. 

IT BELONGS TO ALL OF US 

Parents. Carers. Teachers. Coaches. Neighbours. Businesses. Services. Communities. 

We may have different roles, but we can all notice, listen, support and speak up when something doesn’t feel right. 

Because the children we overlook today don’t simply disappear. 

They grow up. 

Perhaps one of the most powerful forms of prevention is making sure no child grows up wondering whether they matter.

READ FULL ARTICLE IN OUR LATEST EMPOWERED MAGAZINE HERE. 

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