Tasmanian children say "take notice, believe us and act" on institutional abuse

Other children and young people have described hospitals as "sterile and creepy", with dark, windowless rooms that felt like solitary confinement, which felt horrible and unsafe.

While others said not all teachers felt safe, some were "really disrespectful", some were distracted and looking at their phones, and some did not want to help.

The voices of 59 Tasmanian children and young people are heard in the report "Take notice, believe us and act", that forms part of the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Goverment's Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutions (COI) state-wide investigations.

Almost all participants said they could identify adults they knew who made them feel unsafe.

The research report aims to look at how child safe organisations can best serve the interests of the children and young people that they seek to support and protect.

Commission of Inquiry president Marcia Neave said the children's experiences and words could help to improve systems and policies.

"Child sexual abuse flourishes in silence," she said. "We hope very much that this excellent report will open our ears and hearts to the voices of children. "

One of the key findings in the report was a need for children and young people to feel like they had a trusted adult that they could go to, who would listen, and act and respond to their concerns.

The report states that children and young people "stressed the importance of adults stepping in to protect them".

"They noted that some teachers, some workers and some youth detention workers were not helpful because they did not step in to stop children from being bullied, harassed or threatened," the report said.

"These adults were considered unsafe, and their lack of action compounded children's distrust and sense of hopelessness."

The children in the report talked about bullying and violence, intimidation, sexual harrassment and online harrassment.

"In school settings, for example, young women talked about [sexual] harassment [and assault] that occurred both at school and after school by fellow students," the report said. "Primary-school aged students talked about it occurring on the bus to school. Young women who had been in detention or out-of-home care reported similar encounters."

It noted that young people saw institutions as having a limited ability to respond to sexual harrassment due to Australian society not appreciating the gravity or seriousness.

As one young person described: "You are worried that people won't believe you. That hinders your ability to get help because you don't think you'll be treated seriously".

Key conclusions from the report found that children and young people feel safe when they see adults and organisations acting with effort to prevent harm and to respond to harm by acting "in a way that makes children feel valued, respected anmd in alliance with adults".

The report found that a trusted adult, champion or ally is important to young people, as was knowing that they will be believed, knowing how to make complaints, and having confidence that there will be action and visible outcomes.

One of two lead authors, Associate Professor Tim Moore, said the children involved in the report strongly felt that they needed to be included in the efforts to prevent and respond adequately to abuse.

"There is a great opportunity to collaboratively create child-safe systems to minimise the risk, meet children's safety needs and provide the vital care they need to grow and heal," he said.

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