Response to the Allegations of Abuse in ECE - Where to now?

*** Trigger warning. Contains discussion of child sexual abuse. May be upsetting for readers ***

I have been silent up until now on the recent allegations of sexual abuse against a male childcare worker because I wanted to consider my response carefully as an advocate for trauma informed education. There are many people in the sector speaking out, advocating and expressing opinions on how this should be handled. To be honest, for me this is both personal and professional as I suffered years of sexual abuse from a perpetrator who was not only a member of my household, but a teacher at my school also. I want to scream, rage and shout at the world, at the sector, at the systems in place meant to protect children. But what good does that do? So instead, I have been reflecting. Trying to come to terms with this happening in a sector that I love, am dedicated to and one in which I recognise the majority of people involved in are there because they are committed to best outcomes for children. And so now, here are a few points around this I think are important to consider.

Firstly, I understand and empathise with the males in the sector right now and the discrimination they are facing. It has been my experience in 25 years of working in Early Childhood Education that male educators make wonderful additions to the team, offering a different perspective and approach to working with young children that is needed. Having said that, I also understand that according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 97% of sexual offenders proceeded against by the police are male. Am I saying we shouldn’t have male educators? Absolutely not, in fact I am wholeheartedly against that idea. I am saying I don’t judge those who have responded to the news with concerns regarding males working with young children. But it is also important to recognise that atrocities like this are sometimes perpetrated by women too.

Does the answer lie in more systematic change? More stringent and frequent working with children checks? Perhaps; this is certainly part of the response I would like to see. Are cameras in centres the answer? I don’t believe so: with the technological world being what it is I think this is a further invasion of children’s privacy and puts them at even more risk (think hackers and child pornography). Deep sigh. So what is the answer really? Well, I believe it lies in ratios and supervision. Everywhere I go as a trainer and consultant I hear about staffing issues. Not enough educators, high turnover. Services are stretched thin. And this is a problem. Ideally I would like no child to be left alone with one adult at any given time. Safeguarding children, not budgets, should be our main priority. More knowledge of protective behaviours would also be beneficial (particularly for children over two years of age).

One of the biggest lessons to be learnt from this, is just how difficult it is to identify sexual abuse. We are trained in child protection in early childhood and yet this case was missed entirely (there were reportable offences but not sexual in nature). So when this happens in the family home and is not picked up by family, we really shouldn’t judge. One of the most covert forms of abuse, sexual abuse is often driven through connection. Pedophiles use ‘grooming’ techniques to build a relationship with the child which keeps the child quiet. In fact, the best way to identify sexual abuse is through disclosure and yet this can take years for a child. Further, if they disclose and are not believed once, it becomes even harder for them to try again.

With this said, my area of passion is in trauma informed care. I recognise that as good as we may get at preventing abuse through systematic change, child protection awareness and education around protective behaviours, there will still be children who fall through the cracks. Children who are faced with some of the most adverse childhood experiences. I hate to admit it, but with over 45,000 substantiated cases of risk of harm every year in this country, we can’t be ignorant to this. And so this is where I want to place my emphasis today.

Through this time, compassion and understanding for the children involved and their families, is paramount. Child sexual abuse is a devastating experience and has ripple effects through the entire family. The media attention on this case will just make everything harder for the adults in the children’s lives, taking away any ability to escape the horror show that has played out. It is up to us, as educators, to support the children and the families through this as best as we can.

When it comes to promoting children's healing, this is something I have spoken out about regularly and for more information on this specifically you can read my contribution to ECA’s the Spoke “Relationships and Resilience: The Impact of Trauma and the Healing Nature of Love”, a blog I wrote for Growing Kind “How to Make Your Environments and Routines Trauma Informed” or listen to a Learn, Play, Thrive The Podcast episode in which I spoke about “The Trauma Lens: Transforming Early Education”. I give these few links because the detail is there and I don’t need to write it again.

When trauma like this happens to the child it also happens to the family. Parents and families of the children involved in this case will be going through a roller-coaster of emotions: shock, horror, rage, betrayal. They will more than likely be in survival mode as they work through how to approach this in the short and long term. As educators we need to be support systems for the families. We have to be professionally competent when working with their children and this means having some knowledge around trauma informed education as laid out above. We need to be compassionate and available for the parents as we try to restore their faith in us as educators. Because let’s be clear, this is a failing of the sector as a whole.

We should ensure we are informed on all the information and resources available to families. This may mean liaising with community groups and professionals (such as the police), or simply supplying families with information on psychology services, support groups, advocacy groups (Bravehearts is a good place to start), etc. Our job here is to connect families with whatever they require to meet their individual needs at this time.

And finally those educators close to this case (or any other cases be they sector based or not) need to look after themselves. When working with children who have experienced trauma, it is easy to become overwhelmed and in turn experience vicarious trauma. We have to find ways to engage in self care, because at the end of the day, ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’.

Good luck to all of you out there fighting for children’s rights and safety. And to the families and children involved, my heart is with you.

Kate Hodgekiss