Child Wise

12 Steps to Building Child Safe Organisations
This booklet introduces the principles of the Choose With Care® program and the 12 steps to building a child safe organisation. If you want to learn more about creating child safe organisations, the Choose With Care comprehensive kit including a handbook, workbook and DVD can be purchased from Child Wise and will help you to build a child safe environment for children. Download now (pdf file, 391kb)

Keeping Your Children Safe: Choosing safe organisations and activities for your children (for Victoria)
The aim of this 16 page booklet is to provide parents and carers with a guide to understanding the important features of Child Safe organisations, and the regulations and legal obligations of children's services to protect children in their care. The booklet has been specifically developed for those in the state of Victoria. Whilst it provides useful information for any parents, most references are specific Victoria.

The booklet includes information on:

• What is Child Safe
• Choosing safe services and activities for your children
• A Child Safe checklist
• Regulation of commonly used children's services such as childcare, kindergartens, and sporting and recreational organisations.
• Children travelling without parents

Download now (pdf file, 409kb)

Choose With Care®: A Parent's Guide to Choosing Child Safe Organisations
Child Wise has written this booklet specifically for parents/caregivers to assist you to make informed decisions by asking relevant questions to establish how “child safe” the organisation, program or club is. The Choose With Care® strategies are outlined and a series of questions are listed for your consideration. These questions have been formulated after extensive work with organisations and consultation with parents about the things they wish to know. Download a copy (pdf file, 391kb)

Females Who Sexually Abuse in Organisations Working With Children. Characteristics, International and Australian Prevalence Rates: Implications for Child Protection
Media coverage in recent years has highlighted the number of females in a position of authority who have sexually abused children and young people in their care. This research was undertaken to determine how much child sexual abuse is perpetrated by women in children’s organisations. Child Wise uses the term organisation generically to include a range of children’s organisations such as child care, health or welfare agencies, schools, sporting groups, kindergartens, children and youth groups, babysitters and nannies. Key findings of the research included that 6% of all Australian reported cases of sexual abuse of children were perpetrated by females and up to 30% of female perpetrated child sexual abuse occurs in an organisational setting: primarily whilst babysitting. Download now (pdf file, 397kb)

Who are the Child Sex Tourists in Cambodia? A Research Report
The sexual exploitation of children in Cambodia has been a matter of significant concern for the past decade. As the anti-child sexual exploitation activities in Thailand and the Philippines began to take effect in the 90s, child sex exploiters started to move their activities to other locations – key amongst these was Cambodia. Through our Child Wise Tourism program we have been working to prevent child sex tourism in Cambodia for nearly a decade. At the centre of efforts to prevent child sexual exploitation is the imperative to understand fully the supply and demand factors that drive the industry. The purpose of this research is to gain a better understanding of the demand factors specifically. This includes gaining an insight into who the child sex tourists to Cambodia are and their modus operandi. Download now (pdf file, 652kb)

ASEAN Tourism Review 2007
This review comprises a country-by-country overview of child sex tourism from the perspective of ASEANs national tourism organisations, law enforcement agencies and community welfare departments. This review compiles the outcomes of the Annual Meeting of the ASEAN Regional Taskforce to Combat the Sexual Exploitation of Children in Tourism Destinations; an activity conducted under the Child Wise Tourism program. Download now (pdf file, 1MB)

Speaking for Themselves: Voices of Young People involved in Commercial Sexual Activity in Australia
The Speaking for Themselves report gives voice to the experiences and views of thirty young people involved in commercial sexual activity in Melbourne, providing a platform from which to talk about themselves, their experiences, their fears and their hopes for the future. This research interviewed young people between the ages of 16 and 29 years. The report outlines the needs of these young people who are caught in a web of sex work, drugs, homelessness and violence; dominant themes in the lives of these young people and recommendation for the provision of services.

Download now (pdf file, 1MB) or purchase a hard copy

Youth for Sale: A National Inquiry into the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Young People in Australia
This research was conducted in 1998 gain insight into the nature and extent of young peoples’ involved in commercial sexual activity (csa) within Australia. Data collected for the report aimed ascertain if the csa of young people is increasing or decreasing, provide an understanding of the forces and circumstances which predispose young people to engage in csa, as well as the dangers and difficulties associated with young people’s csa. It also aimed to gather information on support services that need to be enhanced or changed and establish a series of recommendations for improved policy and practice. The inquiry follows on from the 1998 pilot project “Bridging the Gap”. Download now (pdf file, 636kb)

Bridging the Gap: Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Young People in metropolitan Melbourne
The pilot research was undertaken in 1997 into the commercial sexual exploitation of young people under 18 years of age in metropolitan Melbourne and aimed to inform our National Inquiry Research “Youth for Sale”. The principal objectives of the research were to gain insight into the nature and extent of commercial sexual activities of young people, to investigate areas where youth and community services could be enhanced or changed to better meet the needs of young people. It also served as a starting point for the 1998 national inquiry. Download now (pdf file, 178kb)

Traffic Jam: A report on the Commercial Exploitation of Children
Traffic Jam tells the stories of children and families that have been victimised by child sex trafficking in the South East Asia region. The report contains quotes and photos of children throughout the region. Download now (pdf file, 704kb)

I came to Manila 5 years ago, I was 10. I was brought here from East Java (Indonesia) by ship to work in a factory with 4 other children from my community. They promised my family they would take care of me. They promised. I worked in a karaoke bar in Quezon City as a prostitute for 4 years before I escaped. I don't know where the others are.
Nong, 15 year old girl, Manila, The Philippines, 2003