ScreenSafe is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people in the New Zealand screen sector.

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ScreenSafe has zero tolerance for child abuse. All allegations and child safety concerns are treated seriously and consistently with our guidelines, policies and procedures.

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ScreenSafe is committed to providing guidance on child safe environments where children and young people are safe and feel safe, and their voices are heard. Particular attention is paid to the cultural safety of Māori children and children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, as well as the safety of children with a disability and those who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and/or intersex. Our complaints process is child-focused and responsive to the concerns of children and young people.

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Every person involved in the New Zealand screen sector has a responsibility to understand the important and specific role they play both individually and collectively to ensure that the wellbeing and safety of all children and young people in the screen sector is at the forefront of all they do and every decision they make.

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What are these guidelines and who is covered by them?

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These guidelines set minimum recommended standards for the screen sector to create and maintain child safe environments, free from abuse, exploitation and hazards.

These guidelines:

• affirm our commitment to the safety and well-being of children and young people in the screen sector;
• inform all production companies, producers, managers, directors, cast and crew of their obligations to act ethically towards children and young people, and their roles and responsibilities in ensuring the safety and well-being of children and young people; and
• give guidance on the processes and procedures that aim to ensure children and young people’s safety and well-being across all areas of screen sector work.

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These guidelines are for all people who conduct work in the screen sector in a paid or unpaid capacity including, but not limited to: production companies, producers, managers, directors, cast, crew, students on placement, volunteers, interns, trainees, contractors, consultants and visitors on set.

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When referring to protection from abuse and neglect, a child is defined as anyone under 18 years of age. For the purposes of workplace health & safety legislation and regulations, a child is defined as anyone under 16 years of age.

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These guidelines support the requirements of Appendix 1 of the SPADA & New Zealand Actors’ Equity Individual Performance Agreement 2014.

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These guidelines are informed by the following legislation and standards:

• The Children’s Act 2014
• Children’s (Requirements for Safety Checks of Children’s Workers) Regulations 2015
• The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
• The Education Act 1989

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What is Child Abuse?

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A common understanding about the nature and impact of child abuse informs our response to child safety. Production companies, producers, managers, directors, cast and crew must be aware of the types and indicators of child abuse, and the impact of child abuse and neglect on the healthy development of children and young people.

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The abuse of children and young people is highly complex in nature with multiple forms of abuse often co-existing. Abuse can be:

• physical abuse
• emotional abuse
• neglect
• sexual abuse
• sexual exploitation
• sexually harmful behaviours in children
• exposure to family violence
• grooming.

A summary of each abuse type can be found below in Appendix A.

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There are many indicators of child abuse and neglect. The presence of a single indicator, or even several indicators, does not mean that abuse or neglect
has occurred. However, the occurrence of an indicator or multiple indicators should alert people to the possibility of child abuse and neglect. Equally, abuse and neglect may occur without the presence of obvious indicators (e.g. in cases of emotional abuse), so those working with children and young people should remain open and aware in assessing risk to a child or young person.

Observable indicators of abuse may include:

• physical abuse – bruises, burns, sprains or fractures;
• sexual abuse and exploitation – displaying sexualised behaviour, sexually transmitted infections, or unexplained gifts or money;
• emotional abuse – developmental delays, withdrawn, or anxious; and
• neglect – malnutrition, poor hygiene, and stealing food.

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A detailed list of abuse and neglect indicators is provided below in Appendix B.

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Bullying and harassment are also forms of abuse. They will not be tolerated in our screen community and will be treated seriously.

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Who has responsibilities under these guidelines?

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Child safety is everyone’s responsibility.

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Production Companies should ensure that:

• criminal record checking is conducted on all chaperones and house parents, and any personnel who may have contact with a child including costume, makeup and sound personnel, casting and stunt coordinators, health and safety officers, intimacy coordinators, and any other staff employed to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children on set, e.g. psychologists;
• appropriate planning, budget and resources are provided to support their minimum requirements under the law and recommendations contained in these Child Safety Guidelines; and
• conditions as set out in Appendix 1 of the SPADA & New Zealand Actors’ Equity Individual Performance Agreement 2014 are met.

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Producers / Line Producers / Production Managers should consider appropriate support and ensure budget and/or personnel are available to provide the minimum requirements for the number of children involved in the production; this includes:

• hiring competent people with an appropriate or necessary level of training, experience and/or qualifications;
• ensuring police and safety checks are carried out where required for chaperones or tutors, with respect to the requirements of the production;
• ensuring the appropriate number of people are hired in relation to the size of the project and children engaged on the production.
  
  Best practice ratios are as follows:
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  • 0–2 years-one adult to three children
  • 2–3 years-one adult to four children
  • 4–8 years-one adult to six children
  • 9–12 years-one adult to eight children
  • 13–18 years-one adult to 10 children
• ensure intimacy coordinators are hired for productions where required; and
• ensuring sufficient resources, including budget, are allocated to enable appropriate and safe practices and satisfy the minimum requirements under law.

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As producers, line producers and production managers have oversight across the production, they should:

• meet with the child and parent or guardian to confirm vital information such as emergency contact information, costume measurements, allergies, educational needs such as tutors, dietary requirements and any other considerations relating to the subject matter of the film or requirements of the role; and
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• ensure appropriate planning, budget and resources are provided to support their minimum requirements under the law and recommendations contained in these Child Safety Guidelines.

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Producers should ensure a production schedule is developed that provides adequate time for work to be undertaken safely.

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Directors / Heads of Department are equally responsible for ensuring the welfare and safety of children working on a production. This may include but is not limited to:
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• appropriate behaviour and language used around children and young people;
• working within the legal restrictions on working hours;
• providing appropriate rest breaks; and
• liaising with chaperones or guardians on set.
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Directors on a production are in a position to influence all of the above, as well as the conduct of the other heads of departments and crew, and should expect to be responsible for doing so.

• ‍Assistant Directors should remind the cast and crew about the expectations and standards of behaviour when children are working on set during inductions.
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• ‍Cast and Crew are expected to comply with the recommendations in these Child Safety Guidelines.

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Before you start

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Managing the risks

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Children are uniquely vulnerable and there are specific activities that pose a greater risk to children that need to be managed.

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ScreenSafe recommends that specific child safety risks are included in production risk assessments. These risks include, but are not limited to:

• toilet and change facilities;
• transportation;
• breakout spaces (eg green room, catering facilities);
• water shoots;
• physical contact;
• supervision of staff; and
• overnight stays with house parents.

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These specific child safety risks should be understood by staff involved in the production and effective mitigation processes put in place to reduce the likelihood of the risk occurring.

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In addition, if a child works directly or indirectly with the equipment or in situations such as those listed below, it is recommended a specific risk assessment be carried out to protect or minimise the risk of potential harm to child performers:
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• stage combat, firearms and weaponry;
• electrical devices or scenery that are mobile or automated;
• high levels of noise exposure;
• working at heights; or
• exposure to contagious illnesses, such as those carried by mosquitoes.

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Refer to Risk Assessment of the NZ Screen Sector Health & Safety Guidelines for more information on identifying hazards and assessing risk. (word this differently)

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Hiring the right people

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Making sure you have the right people in your production, and that you do not hire the wrong people, is a key child safeguarding mechanism.

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ScreenSafe recommends that the responsibilities required by production staff to safeguard children and young people are detailed in all Duty Statements, job advertisements and employment contracts for the production. For roles such as child performers’ coordinator, chaperones and house parents, child safety questions should be included in the interviews and in reference checks prior to employment offers being made.

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ScreenSafe recommends that productions designate a child performers’ coordinator, responsible for coordinating matters related to the welfare, safety and comfort of child performers.

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Criminal history checks

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Criminal history checks are a key mechanism in ensuring that no-one with a criminal history that could pose a threat to the safety of children on set is allowed to work on your production. There are two main types of criminal history check that production companies can utilise.

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Police Vetting

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The Children’s Act 2014 sets a legal minimum standard for safety-checks for state services and those individuals and organisations funded by them.
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Anyone employed or engaged in work that involves regular or overnight contact with children must undergo a criminal history check known as police vetting.
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If the production is funded, wholly or partly and whether directly or indirectly, by a state service, it must comply with the Children’s Act 2014.
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Police vetting is requested by the employing agency, not the individual, and results are returned to the employer. Production companies who run funded productions will need to register for NZ Police Vetting.

More information about the Police vetting process and who qualifies to register can be found at https://www.police.govt.nz/advice-services/businesses-and-organisations/vetting.

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Criminal Record Check

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Criminal record checks are provided by the Department of Justice and can be requested by an individual or by a third party (with the individual’s written consent on the form). The results are returned to the individual or to the third party.
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More information about the Criminal record check can be found here at https://www.justice.govt.nz/criminal-records/

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Best practice

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ScreenSafe recommends that all productions working with children, or filming at schools or events that involve a significant number of children, irrespective of whether it is a funded production covered by the Children’s Act 2014, undertake the appropriate criminal history checking (police vetting or requesting a Department of Justice criminal record check) of all production crew, and employ a child performer’s coordinator to monitor the production’s interaction with the children. This should be in addition to any chaperone and/ or house parent contracted to care for a child/children.

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In cases where a production requires crew at short notice or for short production run-times, it is recommended that crew are encouraged to provide evidence of a criminal record check from the Department of Justice undertaken within the previous six months. Over time, this will set the expectation that criminal histories will be checked for convictions of concern, and also provide a pool of people who have recently had their criminal history checked.

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In addition, it is recommended that production companies keep a record of crew who have undergone police vetting for productions in the last six months as a risk management strategy when timeframes are tight.

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Induction

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All staff on set should be briefed on child safety and behavioural expectations as part of their induction, including signing a Child Safety Code of Conduct. ScreenSafe’s recommended Child Safety Code of Conduct covers:

• professional boundaries;
• transporting children;
• chaperones and house parent arrangements;
• makeup and costume;
• images of children; and
• use of social media/technology.

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Training

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Ensuring that producers, directors, chaperones and house parents, cast and crew know what child abuse looks like, know how to recognise when a child is being abused, and know who to talk to if they have any concerns is a key child safety strategy.

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ScreenSafe recommends that key personnel on any production that involves children participate in annual professional development around child safety. ScreenSafe recommends Safeguarding Children New Zealand’s training programs which can be found here: https://safeguardingchildren.org.nz/ training/

ScreenSafe recommends that experts are engaged to brief all personnel on child safety at the commencement of a production. Safeguarding Children New Zealand can provide customised briefing sessions for productions.

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They can be contacted on 027 772 4469 or office@safeguardingchildren.org.nz

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Chaperones and house parents

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Chaperones and house parents are the primary supervisors and carers of child performers on behalf of their parents or guardians. As such, the engagement of chaperones and house parents must comply with clause 10 and clauses 19 through 29 of Appendix 1 of the SPADA & New Zealand Actors’ Equity Individual Performance Agreement 2014. This includes ensuring that chaperones and house parents are suitably qualified and experienced and have undergone police vetting.

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Chaperones and house parents should also receive specific child safety training, and induction with respect to the Child Safety Code of Conduct and expected behaviours while in their role, including approaches to child discipline.

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Engaging a child performer

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Pre-meeting with the child’s parent or guardian

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Before employing or contracting for the services of a child, a producer or line producer must meet with the child’s parent or guardian. This meeting may also include the child’s agent and / or legal representative, if deemed necessary by the child’s parent or guardian, and could be held in person, by telephone, or by electronic conferencing. The child is also entitled to be present.

The information to be disclosed by the producer at the meeting includes:

• the ScreenSafe Child Safety Code of Conduct which guides the behaviour of all adults involved in the production;
• any health or safety hazards, as well as the precautions that will be taken to prevent injury, including the appointment of relevant professionals, e.g. stunt coordinators;
• any special skills the child will be expected to perform;
• any special effects to which the child may be exposed;
• what off-set facilities will be provided for the child and how they will be cared for on the production, such as a green room area and meals; and
• confirming that a quiet space will be made available for doing schoolwork if this is a longer production.

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Following this meeting, the producer must disclose any subsequent proposed changes to the matters discussed and may not implement any of the proposed changes without the written agreement of the child’s parent or guardian.

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At the meeting or during contracting stages, a parent or guardian of the child should provide the producer with current contact and emergency telephone numbers, the name and number of the family doctor and pertinent medical information that would be useful in an emergency. In the case of an international child performer, a local medical contact must be provided.

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Special considerations for infants

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If the child is an infant (under two-years old), they must be cared for by a parent or parent’s approved alternative. Producers must comply with clauses 12 through 18 of Appendix 1 of the SPADA & New Zealand Actors’ Equity Individual Performance Agreement 2014 with respect to infants.

The following guidelines must also apply:

• infants must be attended too at all times and appropriate facilities for naps, feeding, changing, playing, in consultation with the caregiver, should be provided; and
• no person with an illness or infection is to come into contact with the infant.

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Scheduling

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When scheduling a production (including travel time), the producer needs to consider the age and maturity of the child, and under no circumstances will travel time exceed the restrictions as stated below.
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Maximum hours of work per day and associated conditions are set out in clauses 2 through 6 of Appendix 1 of the SPADA & New Zealand Actors’ Equity Individual Performance Agreement 2014.
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Children under the age of 16-years-old should not work between the hours of 10pm and 6am. However, if required, work may be undertaken during these hours in consultation with, and if agreed to, by the child’s parent or guardian.
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On-set induction

The producer must provide information and instruction to a child and the parent, guardian, or chaperone of the child on the following matters with respect to each location where he or she works:

• who is the key contact for the child if they have any concerns (e.g. child performers’ coordinator);
• restricted areas;
• safe waiting areas;
• a quiet space for the child to do schoolwork if they are on a long production;
• restroom locations, make-up areas, and anywhere else relevant to the child’s work;
• emergency procedures, including health and safety precautions specific to the location; and
• the procedure for reporting concerns or complaints.

Induction for the child must be appropriate to their developmental stage.

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Healthy food / dietary requirements

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The producer must:

• provide healthy snacks and meals as close to the child’s regular snack and mealtimes as possible – these should be agreed during the initial meeting/ contracting stages; and
• ensure that the food provided meets the child’s needs in respect of any food allergies or special dietary requirements.

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It is recommended that productions post menus detailing the snacks and meals provided, to inform children (and their parents, guardians and chaperones) of the food available, including information about any allergies or special dietary requirements that may apply.

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A parent or guardian should provide the producer with information on any food sensitivities, allergies or dietary requirements.

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Changing and toilet facilities

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Male and female children should have separate dressing rooms and toilet facilities, separate from those provided to adult performers.
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It is recommended that gender neutral toilets be made available wherever possible as an alternative changing space.
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At no time should a child be left alone in a closed room with only one person (with the exception of the parent, guardian or authorised chaperone).

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Travel safety

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Everyone on a screen production who does, or could, work with motor vehicles, or drives to work, should read and understand the chapter on motor vehicles in the NZ Screen Sector Health & Safety Guidelines.
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The producer must ensure:

• drivers hold the appropriate license/s for the vehicle/s they drive;
• suitable child seats / restraints are provided when requiring children to travel by vehicle; and
• children or young person must not be transported in a private vehicle without the child’s chaperone or parentally approved alternative. In circumstances where this is not possible, the child performers coordinator or producer must be informed of the purpose of the travel, how long the travel is expected to take and what the expected time of arrival is. Arrival must also be confirmed with the child performers coordinator or producer.

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Looking after a child’s wellbeing

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The safety and wellbeing of a child is paramount at all times. At no time should the producer or PCBU involved in the production expose a child under the age of 16-years-old to any situation that could be deemed detrimental to the child’s mental, physical or moral wellbeing.

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Filming should be scheduled, and filmed shots constructed, in such a way so that the child is not exposed to scenes that are harmful or likely to cause distress, taking into account the nature of the material, the child’s age and the requirements of the performance.

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The producer must disclose information about proposed scenes that include nudity or coarse language, or any scenes that could cause psychological or emotional distress. The parent should also be informed about changes to scenes that include exposure to nudity or coarse language, or to scenes that may cause psychological or emotional distress. The producer and parent or guardian should agree to any such changes before the child is required to rehearse or perform the changed scene.

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If the producer is responsible for travel for the child to and from the production base, the child should be accompanied by the chaperone, or an approved alternative.

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Traumatic Content

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For any scenes of a sensitive nature being performed, a closed set is always recommended. On productions dealing with sensitive subject matter and scenes of a traumatic nature, especially if they involve a child with experience relevant to the subject matter, ScreenSafe recommends that a psychologist or therapist and an intimacy coordinator who are properly qualified be hired by the producer to guide and assist the child with this.

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In the case of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender children or young people playing roles that could be traumatic for them to perform, it is recommended that special care and attention be given to ensure their safety and wellbeing before, during and after their time performing on set. If relevant, this may include providing appropriate briefing, training and awareness for other cast and crew involved with a production where gender identity and / or sexuality is relevant. For example, educating cast and crew on the appropriate use of the correct pronouns and how to provide a safe and supportive environment in which the young performers can safely be vulnerable and offer their best work.

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Similar further consideration should also be given to child workers where the subject matter may contain triggers in relation to disabilities, eating disorders and mental illnesses.

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Being child safe on-set

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Workplace health and safety

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Under workplace health and safety regulations, a child is defined as anyone under 16-years of age during any of the pre-production or principal photography dates. If the child turns 16 during pre production or principal photography, they will be treated as a child until and including their birthday. From the day after their birthday, they will be treated as an adult engaged on the production.

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A child has the same responsibilities as an adult in keeping themselves and others physically safe. There are a range of regulations that provide further guidance as to the types of work that children can be engaged in, and some of the practical things those working in the screen sector need to think about when working with children.

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Most notably, regulations require that children:

• do not work in any area where construction work is being carried out, or in any area where work is being carried out that is likely to cause harm to the child’s health and safety;
• do not lift weights or perform any task that is likely to be injurious to their health; and
• do not operate machinery, including tractors and other self-propelled plant.

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Special activities / stunts

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No child should undertake a special activity unless they are qualified or have the appropriate training to perform the activity safely. Any special activity should include walk-through time to confirm the child performer is comfortable carrying out the activity.

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If the special activity heightens the risk of harm, a risk assessment must be carried out and measures developed to protect the child, taking into account age and skill level.

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The above guidance does not include stunt work. All activities deemed to be a stunt should be performed by a suitably qualified stunt double or performer unless previously discussed and agreed to by all parties directly responsible for the child performer’s health and wellbeing. Any such activity should be appropriately planned, arranged and rehearsed under the strict guidance of the stunt coordinator prior to the day of filming.

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Props, costumes, make-up and hair products

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A child’s age and size should be considered at all stages of design, purchase, construction and use of hand props, wigs, and costumes. Costumes should be designed to adequately fit and avoid tripping hazards, or hazardous accessories such as belts. Hand props for children under the age of three, or those likely to put small objects into their mouths, should adhere to the Toy Safety Standards provided by the NZ Commerce Commission:

https://www.consumerprotection.govt.nz/tradingstandards/product-safety/ keepingkids-safe/toy-safety/

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Information on a child’s skin sensitivities should be collected before the child is provided with or exposed to costumes, accessories, make-up, wigs, or hair products. Products should be chosen with regard to the age and skin sensitivity of the child.

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It is recommended the person responsible for providing a child performer with costumes, accessories, make-up, wigs, or hair products check for negative skin reactions, as appropriate.

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Costume and make-up artists should refer to the ScreenSafe Child Safety Code of Conduct for guidance on acceptable and unacceptable behaviour with children in their context.

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Special effects

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Exposing children to special atmospheric effects should be avoided. If effects, such as smoke or fog, are used, exposure should be minimised by limiting the amount of time of their exposure. A discussion with the child’s caregiver should also occur before any special effects are used. Any child performers with asthma or other airway disorders should not be exposed to smoke or fog at any time.

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Working with animals

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Extra care should be taken to protect children when animals are used on a production. A risk assessment should be carried out and a plan made around the protection of children, which must include police vetting of any animal trainers engaged on the production.

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A child must be acquainted with hazards associated with the animals and instructed on the procedures required to work safely. It is also recommended the parent, guardian or chaperone be acquainted with any of the hazards and procedures for working safely around the animals the child will be working with on a production.

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Outdoor work

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Children should be protected from heat and humidity. Precautions include providing cool areas for rest periods, water and costumes that take into consideration the weather conditions.

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Avoid exposure to sunlight for long periods by using shaded areas for rest periods, sun hats and sunscreen formulated for children with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher.

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Children should also be protected from the cold. Precautions include providing warm areas for rest periods, costumes and outerwear such as jackets and blankets made available for use when possible.

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Water safety

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Children should be adequately instructed in safety precautions to be taken when working on, in or by water. It is recommended that the parent, guardian or chaperone be acquainted with the hazards and procedures for working safely around water.

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All children involved in filming around deeper water should be strong swimmers or wear the appropriate water safety devices. Qualified, police-vetted life-saving personnel and equipment (such as safety boats) should be present for the duration of the production activity. Costume weight should be considered when choosing personal flotation devices as well as water temperature and length of exposure. Washing facilities should be available for use after completion of filming.

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How do I handle concerns about child safety?

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The screen sector has zero tolerance for child abuse. All allegations and child safety concerns must be treated very seriously and in a manner consistent with our guidelines, policies and procedures. We have a moral and ethical obligation to contact authorities when we are concerned about a child or young person’s safety.

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The producer should encourage child performers and all adults in contact with children on a production to identify any safety or wellbeing concerns, and to bring them to the attention of the child’s supervisor or the child performers’ coordinator. Adults should also be sensitive to the distress or discomfort expressed by infant or child performers, which could be an indication of a safety or wellbeing issue.

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ScreenSafe has developed the Managing Disclosures Guide to provide advice on how to deal with disclosures of abuse. It is recommended that child performers’ coordinators, chaperones and house parents receive training or briefings on managing disclosures.

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Record Keeping

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Producers should:
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• create and keep full and accurate records relevant to child safety;
• create records for all incidents, response and decisions affecting child safety;
• maintain and appropriately store the records relevant to child safety – records related to child sexual abuse that has occurred or is alleged to have occurred, will be maintained and stored for a minimum of 45 years;
• only dispose of records relevant to child safety in accordance with legal requirements; and
• fully recognise the individuals’ rights to access, amend or annotate records about themselves.

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Review

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These Child Safety Guidelines, and related procedures, will be reviewed every second year and following significant incidents if they occur. ScreenSafe will ensure that families, children and young people have the opportunity to contribute to the review process.

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Related Policies and Procedures

• ScreenSafe Child Safety Code of Conduct Template
• ScreenSafe Child Safety Reporting Concerns Procedure
• ScreenSafe Managing Disclosures Guide
• NZ Screen Sector Health & Safety Guidelines
• ScreenSafe Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy

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Appendix A

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Forms of Abuse

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Emotional abuse – This may involve a child being repeatedly rejected, verbally abused or put down. It may involve children being frightened by threats or subjected to continual coldness. Emotional abuse can diminish a child’s sense of identity, dignity and self-worth, resulting in damage to the child’s social, intellectual or emotional development. It does not leave physical injuries and its ongoing nature usually means there is no crisis which would precipitate easy identification. For
this reason, emotional abuse is the most hidden and underestimated form of child maltreatment despite the impact being chronic and debilitating. Stakeholders therefore need to be particularly aware of the behavioural indicators of emotional abuse and astute in any assessment of risk.

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Physical abuse – Occurs when a person intentionally or recklessly uses physical force against or in the presence of a child without their consent, which causes or could cause harm to that child. It can also occur when someone intentionally or recklessly causes a child to believe that physical force is about to be used against them without their consent. Physical abuse can take the form of punching, beating, shaking or otherwise harming a child and also includes behaviours, such as words or gestures that leads a child to believe they are about to experience physical abuse.

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Neglect – Involves the failure on the part of the caregiver to meet a child’s basic needs, such as providing adequate nutrition, clothing, supervision, and hygiene and medical attention to the extent that the child’s health and development are, or are likely to be, placed at risk. Neglect also includes a failure to meet a child’s social and emotional needs, for example a child may receive no emotional warmth, nurture and affection with the caregiver unattuned or disinterested in the child’s needs.

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Sexual abuse – Occurs when a person uses power, force or authority to involve a child in any form of sexual activity. Sexual offences include: touching or fondling; obscene or suggestive phone calls/texts; exhibitionism and voyeurism; showing children or involving them in the production of child exploitation material; and penetration. Sexual misconduct is another type of sexual abuse and includes a variety of sexualised behaviours toward children. Examples of sexual misconduct include inappropriate comments of a sexual nature, and behaviour that crosses a professional boundary such as establishing (or seeking to establish) an overly familiar relationship with a child.

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Sexual exploitation – Is a specific form of sexual abuse where children and young people, by virtue of their age and development, are unable to give informed consent to sexual activity. Sexual exploitation of children takes different forms. It can include children being involved in sexually exploitive relationships, exposing a child to pornography, receiving money, goods, drugs or favours in exchange for sex, or being exploited in sex work. In all cases, those exploiting the children have power over them due to the child’s age, gender, physical strength, economic or other resources such as access to drugs or gifts.

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Sexually harmful behaviour in children - Sexually harmful behaviour involves a child (17 years of age or younger) engaging in sexual activity that is either unwanted or where, due to the nature of the situation, the other party is not capable of giving consent (e.g. children who are younger or who have cognitive impairment). In children under 10 years of age, such behaviour is usually referred to as sexually problematic behaviour.

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Grooming – Refers to actions deliberately undertaken by an adult, adolescent or child to befriend and influence a child (and in some circumstances members of the child’s family) with the intention of achieving the criminal objective of sexual activity with children. Grooming is generally subtle and ambiguous. Adults therefore need to be vigilant in reporting any breach of policy, code of conduct or generalised concern to enable patterns of behaviour to be identified early and potential abuse prevented.

Grooming behaviours can include the following:

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• sharing secrets with a child;
• engaging inappropriately with a child on social media;
• non-sexual touching such as tickling, hugging or rough play;
• allowing the child to break the rules;
• spending time with the child away from protective adults; and
• favouritism toward a child through giving gifts or money.

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Exposure to family violence – The nature of children's exposure to family violence ranges from witnessing (including seeing and overhearing violence and witnessing its effects) to being directly involved. Children were previously seen as "silent witnesses" to domestic and family violence; however, a now substantial body of research indicates children may be involved in domestic and family violence in a range of ways, including being forced to watch or participate in assaults or intervening to stop the violence occurring.

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Appendix B

Indicators of Abuse

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