Report Calls for Policy Changes Based on Children's Insights
On 20th May 2026, the Australian Human Rights Commission released a national report emphasizing the critical role of children’s voices in preventing violence. The report, titled ‘We’re talking about stopping violence before it begins: Supporting Quality Engagement with Children’, incorporates insights from over 300 children and young people across Australia.
This report advocates for embedding children in policy and system design, stressing the need for proactive approaches to build respectful and supportive relationships. Children described supportive and kind interactions as central to positive relationships.
National Children’s Commissioner Deb Tsorbaris stated, “Children and young people have told us what they need to feel safe and we must listen. Their ideas can help shape policies and programmes that truly work.”
Children highlighted the importance of feeling safe, heard, and valued while being able to express themselves and tackle challenges. They identified families, schools, and communities as pivotal in shaping these essential relationships.
Key recommendations from the report include embedding genuine child and youth participation in national strategies, enhancing coordination across government for child safety, and delivering consistent respectful relationships education. Investing in community-led prevention programmes and improving online safety for children are also advised.
The report reveals that factors such as gender inequality, racism, poverty, and housing insecurity shape children’s understanding of relationships. It urges governments to align these recommendations with existing frameworks to effectively address gender-based violence.
The report makes eight specific recommendations aimed at integrating children’s voices into prevention systems and enhancing Australia’s response to gender-based violence. These include a focus on improving intergovernmental coordination and investing in First Nations-led initiatives.
This publication is the final installment of the Commission’s three-year Supporting Quality Engagement with Children project, contributing to Australia’s National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032.
