AFP boosts child protection efforts in the Northern Territory
The AFP is rolling out measures to further protect Northern Territory children, including extra resources for child protection operations and reinvigorated online safety initiatives for children, parents and educators.
Some of the forthcoming measures form part of the AFP’s commitment to enhancing child protection investigations under the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse, which includes $3.9 million to enhance child protection investigations in the Northern Territory.
AFP Detective Superintendent Jayne Crossling said the measures would increase the AFP’s presence in the Northern Territory.
“The AFP is committed to working with partners in the Northern Territory to ensure that children are protected from online abuse,” Detective Superintendent Crossling said.
“The AFP will have stronger investigative, prevention and intelligence capability in the Northern Territory and an increased presence in the Northern Territory Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team, which comprises of officers from the AFP and Northern Territory Police.”
The AFP will also expand our community outreach and engagement across the Northern Territory.
This week in Darwin, Detective Superintendent Crossling will also launch targeted recruitment efforts for program partner volunteers to deliver the AFP’s ThinkUKnow online child safety program.
ThinkUKnow is a law enforcement led program, delivered nationally to educate the community about preventing online child sexual exploitation. The program is facilitated in partnership with state and territory police, Datacom, Microsoft, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Neighbourhood Watch Australasia.
During the last financial year, the AFP, state and territory police and program partner volunteers delivered 257 presentations to an estimated 17,756 parents, carers, and teachers across Australia, including a mix of face-to-face and virtual sessions. The AFP and state and territory police delivered 2,515 presentations to an estimated 209,544 students across Australia.
The AFP has seen an increase in demand for the ThinkUKnow program demonstrated by the increase in delivery of presentations, and number of police members and program partner volunteers being trained to deliver the presentation. The demand shows the need for targeted education program on online child sexual exploitation, and the important role the ThinkUKnow program plays in the community.
ThinkUKnow addresses topics including online grooming, preventing inappropriate contact, sexting and self-generated content, sexual extortion, and importantly, how to report and where to seek help.
ThinkUKnow is a unique initiative, as it is developed using the evidence base of real case studies as a result of reports to the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) and AFP investigations.
While in Darwin, Detective Superintendent Crossling will deliver a ThinkUKnow parent and educator presentation at a primary school and undertake volunteer engagement and training with police and partners, including the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
The recruitment and training efforts will boost the AFP’s ability to deliver more presentations to the Northern Territory community.
For more information about ThinkUKnow including how to request a presentation go to www.thinkuknow.org.au.
The ACCCE is committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and is at the centre of a collaborative national approach to combatting organised child abuse.
The ACCCE brings together specialist expertise and skills in a central hub, supporting investigations into child sexual abuse and developing prevention strategies focused on creating a safer online environment.
Members of the public who have any information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime stoppers on 1800 333 000.
You can also make a report online by alerting the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation via the Report Abuse button at www.accce.gov.au/report.
If you or someone you know are impacted by child sexual abuse and online exploitation there are support services available, visit to learn more www.accce.gov.au/support
Advice and support for parents and carers about how they can help protect children online can be found at ThinkUKnow, an AFP-led education program designed to prevent online child sexual exploitation: www.thinkuknow.org.au
Note to media:
Use of term ‘CHILD ABUSE’ MATERIAL NOT ‘CHILD PORNOGRAPHY’
The correct legal term is Child Abuse Material – the move to this wording was among amendments to Commonwealth legislation in 2019 to more accurately reflect the gravity of the crimes and the harm inflicted on victims.
Use of the phrase "child pornography" is inaccurate and benefits child sex abusers because it:
- indicates legitimacy and compliance on the part of the victim and therefore legality on the part of the abuser; and
- conjures images of children posing in 'provocative' positions, rather than suffering horrific abuse.
Every photograph or video captures an actual situation where a child has been abused.
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