April marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month. It is a time to raise awareness, strengthen understanding, and encourage action to prevent harm.
At Safeguarding Children, this work is closely connected to our purpose. Preventing sexual harm is part of keeping children and young people safe. It relies on adults who feel confident to notice concerns early and respond in ways that protect and support children.
Working alongside Tautoko Mai
This year, we are proud to support Tautoko Mai and their Start by Believing campaign in the Bay of Plenty.
Tautoko Mai provides specialist support for people affected by sexual harm. Their work focuses on ensuring people are listened to, believed, and supported to access the help they need.
Through this partnership, and with the support of The Wright Family Foundation, funded places are available for people in the Bay of Plenty to access our online safeguarding training throughout April.
This reflects a shared commitment to strengthening how communities respond to harm and support those affected.
Why this matters for children and young people
Children and young people rely on the adults around them to notice when something is not right and to respond safely.
Sexual harm is often hidden. Children may not tell anyone straight away or may not have the words to explain what is happening.
When adults feel unsure what to look for or how to respond, opportunities to protect children can be missed.
Building safeguarding capability helps change this. It supports people to:
- recognise early signs of harm
- respond calmly and safely to disclosures
- take appropriate action to protect children
- create environments where children feel safe to speak
This is not only about responding to harm. It is about preventing it.
Supporting adults to respond well
Our online courses support adults across many roles and settings, including education, health, community services, sport, and faith communities.
They are practical, evidence informed and designed for real situations people face every day.
They cover:
- recognising and responding to child sexual abuse
- understanding grooming and early warning signs
- responding to disclosures in a safe and supportive way
- strengthening organisational safeguarding practice
This is about building real capability. Not just knowing what to do but feeling confident to act.
A shared responsibility
Keeping children safe is a shared responsibility. It takes communities, organisations, and individuals working together with a clear understanding of what safe practice looks like.
We are proud to support Tautoko Mai and initiatives like Sexual Assault Awareness Month that help build that shared understanding.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Strengthening safeguarding capability
If you work with children and want to strengthen safeguarding capability in your organisation, we offer specialist training, policy support and Child Protection Lead development.
Our training includes practical guidance on recognising and responding to sexual harm, alongside broader safeguarding practice to help keep children safe.
Explore our training and resources>
Training and Courses – Safeguarding Children