National Research Finds Australian Businesses Aren’t Prioritising Child Safeguarding — Photo by The Australian Childhood Foundation

  • Research by On Us: The Australian Business Coalition for Safeguarding Children, finds more than half (54%) of Australian businesses don’t have protocols in place to protect children.
  • Only 1-in-4 businesses ranked child safeguarding within their top five business priorities.
  • To safeguard children, Westpac, TikTok, IHG Hotels & Resorts, TBWA\Australia, the Y and The GPT Group unite with the Australian Childhood Foundation to establish a cross-sector coalition, On Us.

On Us: The Australian Business Coalition for Safeguarding Children, an initiative of the Australian Childhood Foundation, has released new research demonstrating a major knowledge gap among business decision-makers and leaders, with 65% of businesses believing that child exploitation could not occur within their industry. Yet, in Australia, child abuse or neglect is reported by a child every two minutes1, with harm extending well beyond the home.

Speaking to 500 Australian business leaders, the findings are compounded when looking at individual industries. Three-quarters of leaders in banking and finance (76%) and technology, engineering and design (75%) believe there is no potential for child exploitation to occur within their business or industry. Compared to those working in automotive and manufacturing (58%), medical and healthcare sectors (55%), or retail, entertainment, tourism, hospitality, and transport (59%).

As a result, the study found that less than half of business leaders have policies in place that protect children when engaging with their businesses' goods or services. Especially those not directly working with children, who are often unaware of the harms they can enable.

All businesses can inadvertently enable harm to children, with perpetrators using products, services and infrastructure to access children. The prevalence of child abuse enabled by business is fast-growing and expansive across industries.

Regardless of industry, all businesses can put children in harm's way, for example; technology and data protection, retailers and public spaces or financial services and the ethical tracking of funds.

In response, On Us: The Australian Business Coalition for Safeguarding Children was established in recognition that whilst there have been significant steps in making community sector organisations safer for children, businesses have lagged behind.

Across all industries, just 27% of businesses ranked child safeguarding within their top three business priorities, with workplace safety (71%), mental health and wellbeing (69%) and cyber security (67%) categorised higher by business leaders.

However, despite this knowledge gap, close to three-quarters (73%) of Australian business leaders say they would be willing to invest in providing resources and staff education to safeguard children within their businesses.

The On Us coalition will work collaboratively with members to undertake responsible business conduct assessments in relation to children and young people, develop tools, policies and practices, and share resources to help enhance organisational child safeguarding within their businesses.

This research further demonstrates that businesses need to be more aware about how their services, products, assets and resources can be used to inadvertently facilitate abuse, exploitation, or harm to children. As leaders, it is on us to be better equipped and prepared to take action to make businesses safer for all our children and young people. On Us Chair and Australian Childhood Foundation CEO, Dr. Joe Tucci

On Us: The Australian Business Coalition for Safeguarding Children will officially launch 22 November 2023. In collaboration with the Y, the coalition’s founding members include industry leaders Westpac, TikTok, The GPT Group, IHG Hotels & Resorts and TBWA\Australia.

The On Us coalition invites expressions of interest from all businesses and organisations that want to learn more. For more information, visit On Us: Australian Business Coalition for Safeguarding Children. 

SPOKESPERSON COMMENTARY

As a founding member of the On Us coalition, it gives us an opportunity to not only learn from other companies that have been on this journey but also when something does go wrong, you’re working with like-minded businesses who can support you in those difficult moments. In 2020, we established Westpac’s Safer Children Safer Communities program and since then it has been formally integrated into our Human Rights Position Statement as a key focus area. We recognise that it is ‘on us’ – not them.” Siobhan Toohill, Chief Sustainability Officer, Westpac
Millions of families, young people and children visit our assets, and so joining the OnUs coalition has enabled us to identify risks and solutions, and share these important learnings with other businesses as part of our commitment to ensure we are doing everything within our power to respect children’s human rights and protect them from potential harm.Jill Rezsdovics The GPT Group’s Chief People Officer
At the Y, we remain steadfast in our commitment to shielding children and young people from harm, to preventing abuse and exploitation, and to listening to, and amplifying their voices. Business can and should be a force for good, and we’re proud to play our part and support organisations across Australia in rising to this most vital challenge. It’s on us. Amy Hill, Executive Director- Y Safeguarding
In the hotel business we provide homes away from home for all guests including families, so we’ve always been proud to have robust child safety policies in place. However, today’s research findings illustrate why it’s critical to put an even greater focus on this important topic and, for us, being part of the coalition has enabled us to relook at some of our practices and procedures alongside other like-minded companies and experts, and we are pleased to be planning to roll out some new initiatives in the coming months. I encourage corporate Australia to consider joining On Us to play their part in creating a safer community for children. Leanne Harwood, Senior Vice President, Managing Director, Australasia & Pacific, IHG Hotels & Resorts

About the research

  • This study was conducted online between 24 October and 1 November 2023.
  • The sample comprised 518 Australian business owners and decision makers aged 18+ who work in the private sector, including n=137 from small businesses (1-19 employees), n=177 from medium-sized businesses (20-199 employees), and n=204 from large-sized businesses (200+ employees).
  • In this report, this audience will be referred to as ‘business leaders’ for brevity.
  • The findings in this report are unweighted.