listen to children to make them safe

human history is littered with abuses and violence against individuals, against peoples, against nations. When the dominant group convinces themselves that their victims are less than equal, that they do not have the same rights.

when we de-systematise the voices of people, particularly children and young people we quite deliberately codify them as being seen as less than and in doing so make them vulnerable to attack.

as a democratic country, our ideal surely must be framed by voice, as people who want to stand together with those that are doing it tough. Who are we as a people if we do not listen, witness and take action to empower our children and young people and in turn makes them safe.

it is impossible to see children and young people as less than when we hear their voices, their truth, for it those truths which are and should be our clarion call for action.

when in our work, our delivery, we make choices not to listen, we are at our worst when we see the voices of children and young people as a “risk”. The great irony is the great risk to children and young people and the risk to organisation damage both reputational and financial is when we do not provide ways for children and young people to safely raise their concerns.

Submission after submission, report after report has called for the systematization of the voices of children and young people to keep them safe. The Royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse confirms “that in order for children and young people to feel safe and be safe institutions need to have a focus on helping children and young people, value their participation, provide a safe physical environment, proactively protect them from unsafe people and experiences and employ safe and trusted adults.

in my own work of listening to children and young people they told me “really listening to me make a difference, I do not feel safe when adult make it clear that are not interested in what I have to say.”