When the author was adviser to the Australian Minister for Education for writing the national Safe Schools Framework (2003), meetings were held with early-childhood care and education administrators from all state, Catholic and independent sectors. Their unexpected message was that educators were facing new problems, those of child sexual abuse in…

Parents of 565 children aged 3-12 years were interviewed to find out what the parents told their children to protect them from sexual molestation. Three quarters of the parents told their children nothing, and most parents who thought they had given information had only given hints. (RJC)

Interviewed 194 Australian adult male survivors of sexual abuse. Found that victimization of boys is underrecognized and underreported, and that boys are not adequately protected by parents or child protection programs. Sexual curiosity, ignorance, sexualization of emotions, and lack of affection contribute to victimization and vulnerability.…