Parents who have dedicated their lives to helping protect Sunshine Coast children and beyond have launched a vital new project.
The Daniel Morcombe Foundation’s innovative program Bright Futures addresses the growing prevalence of harmful sexual behaviour and technology-assisted harmful sexual behaviour in Australia.
The main aim of the new project is to prevent child sexual abuse in Australia.
A 2023 Australian Child Maltreatment Study showed one in three girls and one in five boys has experienced child sexual abuse in Australia.
The project will provide educators and professionals who work with children and young people with the necessary tools to help them identify, respond and prevent harmful sexual behaviours and technology-assisted harmful sexual behaviours in pre-teens and young people.
Bruce Morcombe said the foundation believes child exploitation and neglect is a national threat.
“It is the foundation’s genuine hope that Bright Futures can change the course of history through early intervention,” he said.
“Providing awareness, support and education, we can help to ensure future children and young people are not impacted by sexual abuse.”
Denise Morcombe said that by addressing these behaviours early, people could protect youngsters from harm and potentially divert someone from a pathway that leads to life-course offending.
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“Our motivations are not embedded in anger,” she said.
“We cannot undo the past, but we are driven to make sure we learn from it and do all we can to make sure it never happens again.
“Every day that Bruce and I go to work at the Daniel Morcombe Foundation is another day that we can make a real difference to the lives of children and young people.”
An international expert in the field of child maltreatment and sexual harm, Professor Simon Hackett from Durham University’s Department of Sociology, launched the project this week.
Former Queensland Police Commissioner and former Commissioner of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Bob Atkinson also assisted with the launch.
The Bright Futures Queensland Forum took place after the launch, with experts discussing preventing, identifying and responding to harmful sexual behaviours and concluding with a panel discussion.
A series of Keeping Kids Safe podcasts was also released as part of the Bright Futures program.
Related story: ‘Reunite them’: Morcombes’ plea on missing children
Each episode will feature practical insights on how people can teach their child safety in the world today. The first of this series will feature the Morcombes for their very own podcast.
The Morcombes will discuss the foundation’s work, provide invaluable tips to parents and carers about what they can do to keep kids safe and discuss the prevalence of harmful sexual behaviours in children.
Mr Morcombe said the podcast was directed at mums and dads.
“We deliver no-fuss, simple messaging to help identify and respond to harmful sexual behaviour,” he said.
As part of the project, the foundation has partnered with several key academic and leading educational and therapeutic professionals within the fields of harmful sexual behaviour, technology-assisted harmful sexual behaviour and child protection.
These partners will help to build professional confidence, knowledge and skill through a series of educational webinars, podcasts, state and territory specific workshops, forums and practical resources.
For more information on the Bright Futures Program click here.
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