Please note: this is an old article
It was published in September 2012, so the information may be out-of-date.
Greater Shepparton City Council staff and kindergartners are showing their support for White Balloon Day today.
White Balloon Day is a Bravehearts signature event held annually during Child Protection Week to raise awareness about child sexual assault and help empower survivors to break their silence.
Council staff and a member of Victoria Police gathered at Queen's Gardens wearing white clothes to show the community their support for this important cause, and "Ditto" the Bravehearts Bear visited Arthur Mawson Kindergarten. Children at the Arthur Dickman Kindergarten were given a helium balloon and staff talked to them about safe touching.
"It's hard to think of anything more important than protecting our children," said Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor Michael Polan. "This is not an easy topic to talk about, but it is not something we can shy away from, given that according to Bravehearts around one in five children are sexually assaulted before their eighteenth birthday."
"Child sexual assault can have a life-long impact and through its effect on behaviour, can affect school performance and mental health," Cr Polan said. "This is a problem that occurs at every level in society, and so it's important that every level of society participate in initiatives which can help tackle the issue, and that includes local government."
"Council commends the work that Bravehearts is doing, in lobbying for protective measures for children, research into the effects of child sexual assault, and education programs to help protect children and raise community awareness."
Bravehearts and Ditto present a personal safety program to children below school age, helping them learn about their bodies and resist unwelcome and inappropriate touching and treatment from others, from hitting to inappropriate sexual behaviour.
Victoria Police would also like to hear from anyone who is a victim of child sexual assault and would encourage people to come forward and speak to police about it. The Shepparton Shepparton Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT) is a specialist unit of Detectives who deal with sexual assault and child abuse allegations and can be contacted on (03) 5820 5878.
- Released 7 September 2012