Please find below links to resources listing signs and indications that a child may have been sexually abused:
Bravehearts: Signs & Indicators of Sexual Abuse
Department of Communities, Child Safety & Disabilities: Child Sexual Abuse Document
Contact numbers in Australia if you suspect a child has been abused:
1800RESPECT National Helpline 1800 737 732
Bravehearts Information & Support Line 1800 272 831
From the Author Michelle Derrig:
"It was at a dinner party in early 2014, that I heard about two separate cases in my immediate community, where young children in primary school had been sexually abused by children their own age. I was horrified to hear that in both cases, the parents had been supervising their children at the time!!
It made me realise, that no matter how diligent you are as a parent, the reality is that we need to empower our children to protect themselves. We need to teach them, educate them and develop the skills they need, in order to keep themselves safe. Yet how do we do this, in a way that is gentle and dignified? How do we engage them in such a conversation? How do we talk to them about such confronting subjects, whilst maintaining their innocence?
It was these questions, that prompted me to produce Only For Me. A book which will instantly engage your children through its beautiful illustrations and clever use of rhyme, whilst gently introducing critical information that they need to know, in order to protect themselves.
Written with advice from expert professionals, it is the most comprehensive book ever written on the subject - covering subjects never before included like the inappropriate use of technology by predators and what happens after they tell someone they can trust."
Written by: Michelle Derrig
Illustrated by: Nicole MacKenzie
Dewfall Publishing