Professional and Ethical Requirements

It is the professional and ethical requirement of teachers to

report all known or suspected sexual abuse of children, whether the
abuse is contact abuse or non-contact abuse. It is also the
professional and ethical requirement that teachers educate children
on sexual assault. Contact abuse can include fondling of genitals
and/or breasts, masturbation, oral sex, vaginal or anal penetration,
fondling of breasts (Australian Institute of Criminology [AIC],
2016, p. 5) and non-contact abuse can include exposing the child
to pornography, grooming and sexual self-manipulation (AIC, 2016,
p. 5). Bravehearts is an agency that can help teachers in fulfilling
these requirements.
Bravehearts mission is to stop child sexual assault in our
society (Bravehearts, 2016a, p. 2) with the vision to make
Australia the safest place in the world to raise a child (Bravehearts,
2016a, p. 3). In order to do that Bravehearts have many different
strategies in place, including the three piers to prevention initiative,
developed by Hetty Johnston and Carol Ronken (Bravehearts, 2012a,
p. 2). The three piers to prevent initiative aims to educate, empower
and protect children from sexual assault. To educate means that all
children receive effective personal safety education (Bravehearts,
2012a, p. 3), to empower means that all adults are trained, aware
and motivated (Bravehearts, 2012a, p. 3) and to protect means

that all systems of community and government engage effectively

(Bravehearts, 2012a, p. 3).
In order to educate all children on personal safety Bravehearts
have developed two programs, one for children aged three to eight
and one for children eight and up with specific programs aimed at
Indigenous children (Bravehearts, 2012a). The program for children
aged three to eight is called Dittos Keep Safe Adventure and
teaches children about personal safety as well as cyber-safety. The
program for older children is a personal safety program
(Bravehearts, 2012a). This educate pier aligns with the following
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL)
Standards: 4.4: Maintain student safety; 7.1: Meet professional
ethics and responsibilities, and; 7.4: Engage with professional
teaching networks and broader communities (AITSL, 2014). The
educate pier also aligns with each states different code of ethics
documents, to educate children and to ensure safe environments for
children (Early Childhood Australia, 2009; Queensland Teachers
College, 2016; Western Australian Department of Education, 2013;
New South Wales Department of Education and Training, 2016;
Victorian Institute of Teaching, 2016; Teachers Registration Board
Tasmania, 2016; Teachers Registration Board of South Australia,
2016; Teachers Registration Board of the Northern Territory, 2016).
The empower and protect piers of the three piers model both
support mandatory reporting, through response training, risk

management policy and procedure training and services [and]

policy and legislative reform collaboration with State Government
departments and agencies (Bravehearts, 2012a, p. 6). Each state
has different requirements for who must report suspected sexual
abuse but each state requires that teachers report. The reason that
each states requires teachers to report suspected abuse is because
of the close contact that they have with children every week day,
allowing them to get somewhat more of a glimpse in to the childs
home life than others (Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2016).
The empower and protect piers, with mandatory reporting, aligns
with each state and territories code of ethics, as well as the
following AITSL teacher standards; 4.4: maintain student safety; 7.1:
meet professional ethics and responsibilities, and; 7.2: comply with
legislative, administrative and organisational requirements (AITSL,
2014).
Bravehearts also have in place community awareness raising
campaigns, that are both online and offline, as well as national
campaigns including White Balloon Day. As well as the following
programs Bravehearts also run sexual assault awareness,
support and response training and risk management policy and
procedure training and services (Bravehearts, 2012a, p. 6).
Bravehearts have a 1800 crisis line for child sexual assault, as well
as child sexual assault counselling (Bravehearts, 2012a). All of these
programs and support services are in place to help support children
and adults when there is suspected or known child sexual assault,

allowing teachers to further meet their ethical and professional

responsibilities.
Social Justice
Social justice is a belief system that is based on equity,
human rights and fairness for all (Foreman, 2014, p. 10). Every
human has the right to feel safe in their relationships with others
and in their environment. Bravehearts supports the provision of
advocating for childrens social justice in regards to stopping sexual
assault and making Australia the safest place to raise a child by
2020. The organisation aims to half the number of children who are
sexually assaulted by 2020 (Bravehearts, 2016b; Bravehearts
2016c). Bravehearts aims to meet this goal in their three piers of
prevention; educate empower and protect; which were discussed in
depth in professional and ethical requirements (Bravehearts,
2016c).
Inclusion Legislation
It is important that there is inclusion legislation in place for
children, especially for children who have been sexually assaulted.
The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Children
declares that all Australian governments and all sectors must
provide all students with access to high-quality schooling that is free
from discrimination based on gender, language, sexual orientation,
pregnancy, culture, ethnicity, religion, health or disability,

socioeconomic background or geographic location (Queensland

Government: Department of Education and Training, 2016, p. 1).
Even though the documentation never specifically mentions children
who have been sexually assaulted after this experience children
would suffer from mental illness and therefore benefit from an
inclusive environment. For inclusive education to be practiced
everyschool student is learning and achieving in a safe,
supportive, inclusive and disciplined learning environment
(Queensland Government: Department of Education and Training,
2016, p. 3).
Bravehearts supports inclusion for children who have been
sexually assaulted, as well as providing services for children to be
able to better participate in inclusion. These include; support phone
line, counselling services and counselling services (Bravehearts,
2016c). Bravehearts also support the inclusion of children who have
been sexually assaulted by educating children and adults.
Frameworks and Policy
In Australian schools there is a national approach to protecting
students, however, these approaches can only be effective when
suitably coordinated by the Australian Government (Australian
Government, 2014). The national framework outcomes for
protecting Australian children believes that children need to live in
safe and supportive families and communities. Children and families
need access adequate support to promote safety and intervene

early, as well as risk factors for child abuse and neglect addressed.
Children who have been abused or neglected receive the support
and care they need for their safety and wellbeing, Indigenous
children need to be supported and safe in their families and
communities and that child sexual abuse and exploitation is
prevented and that children receive adequate support (Australian
Government, 2014).
It is vital for professional Australian educators to implement
the national framework outcomes and policies into their personal
pedagogies as well as always acting in the best interest of the
children at all times. The national framework delivers a harmonised
approach to protecting Australian children however it is the
Australian Governments responsibility to integrate policies and
legislation based on factual evidence that has been identified within
Australian societies (Australian Government, 2014).
It is crucial that educators follow and support national and
state policies, frameworks, standards and practice that are just and
non-discriminatory (Early Childhood Australia [ECA], 2009).
Educators need to be an advocate for unethical and unjust issues
and should seek change through appropriate procedures, while
maintaining the best interest of the children and their families (ECA,
2009). Standards 3, 4 and 5 in the Australian Professional Standards
for teachers (graduate) all fall under the heading of Professional
Practice, which demonstrates the principles and support used to

establish effective professional practice and ethics (Queensland

College of Teachers, 2011).
Child Protection
A forcible reason that it is essential for all Educators to follow
the set Australian Code of Ethics in regards to advocacy, is that
young children in todays society are vulnerable and lack the power
to look after themselves (Feeney et al., 2010). Educators are being
faced with the responsibility of making ethical decision on behalf of
people who may be under age, have disabilities, are vulnerable or
just people whom lack power (Newman & Pollnitz, 2005).
Ethical teaching needs to be about preparing and educating
individual children into making informative and educated decisions
about ethical issues rather than personally teaching morals
(Newman & Pollnitz, 2005). Educators should be there to protect
children from harm, respect their dignity and privacy, promote the
childs wellbeing and should provide positive learning experiences
that stimulate and develops the children creative, emotional,
intellectual, physical and social potential (Queensland Child Care
Act, 2002). Professional practicing educators need to be an
advocate for unethical and unjust issues and should seek change
through the appropriate procedures while maintaining the best
interest of the children and their families (ECA, 2009).

Bravehearts encourages the exchange and influence of ideas

to ensure effective methods of child safety and protection can be
taken seriously throughout Australia (Barnes, 2012). Child abuse is
morally heinous therefore educators need to promote and enhance
the protection of vulnerable children/students by conducting and
widening the notion about child abuse through research and
evaluation (Australian Catholic University [ACU], 2012).
Duty of Care
Unfortunately studies show that child abuse is rarely a one off
incident and are always harmful, far too often these incidents cause
a lifetime of damage (Sinclair & Stewart, 2016). Tens of thousands of
children are mentally and/or physically harmed or die each year
from the brunt of child abuse and neglect (Sinclair & Stewart, 2016).
As teachers are dealing with a particularly vulnerable group within
the Australian society it is in their duty of care to aim to protect
children who are at risk from abuse or neglect (ACU, 2012). By
ensuring that teachers are protecting the safety of children/students
this could intern reverse the immediate effects that is caused from
abuse and neglect and ensure the individuals place in society (ACU,
2012).
Theorist Reggio Emilia approach incorporates roles of
communication, relations and concepts for teachers that will intern
lead to a childs expression and help drive their focus towards
specific experiences (Unknown Author, 2004). Educators need to
encourage students to have open communication within the school

environment in order to establish an effective teachers-student

relationship that assures no secrets, confidentiality, respect and
dignity for each individual child/student (Ausdance, 2013). As it is an
educators duty of care to report any suspected child/student harm it
is vital that records be kept of any incidents or conversations to
confirm that the educators mandatory reporting requirements have
been met and to ensure action is taken for any child/student abuse
or neglect.