Speaking up for children is a must.

Child Protection Week is always an important time for Barnardos where we speak up about child safety – an organisational value that lays the foundation for everything we do. But this year we are taking it a step further and launching our campaign “Don’t let domestic violence destroy kids’ lives.” This campaign calls for the community to recognise the serious impact that domestic violence has on children. We are putting the child’s voice and experience front and centre for public awareness. Those on the front line of our services see domestic and family violence daily, however the impact on children is not well known in the community. Barnardos put this issue on the political agenda last September when we launched our DFV Report “Truth is the abuse never stopped” at NSW Parliament House. The data and compelling testimony in this report has helped Barnardos elevate this issue in our conversations with government, the community, and across the sector.

More than 90% of the children and families Barnardos assists have experienced Domestic and Family Violence (DFV). This places us in a unique position to support children through DFV when they would otherwise suffer in silence. Our 2022 research report made two things very clear. Firstly, the enormous impact that experiencing DFV has on children - impact that extends well into adulthood. Participants in our research told us that, even later in life, they struggled with feeling safe in relationships and were often still dealing with the disruption that DFV placed on their education.

Secondly, there were very few opportunities for children to get help with their situation. As an organisation championing the voices of children, Barnardos is at the forefront of this issue, so that children are heard and provided with a pathway to safety. This starts with changing the public understanding of children’s experiences. Language is important here. Children aren’t just witnesses, they are victims. They aren’t just exposed to domestic violence, they experience it, and they are damaged by it.

During National Child Protection Week Barnardos’ aim is to promote and continue the public conversation recognising children as the voiceless victims of domestic violence, driving our advocacy approach for child-centred policy and support. You can find more information about our campaign on the Barnardos website, as we seek to bring greater attention to this growing crisis.

As always, I want to acknowledge and celebrate the incredible work our Children & Families frontline teams do to improve the lives of vulnerable children. This work is why Barnardos Australia is here, striving to make our Australian communities a safer place for children to grow and thrive. When all’s said and done, this is what National Child Protection Week is really all about.