Strong engagement among 16 culturally and linguistically diverse communities,  reflected by over 65,000 page views and 2,200 downloads

Since the Australian Government launched One Talk at a Time in 2023, Australia’s first national campaign aimed at preventing child sexual abuse, multicultural communities have shown strong engagement with the campaign. This is demonstrated by over 65,000 page views and more than 2,200 downloads of translated web content to date. Since the campaign’s launch, the wider site has been accessed more than 2.2 million times by 1.4 million unique users.

One of the key resources driving this engagement is ‘My superhero voice’ – a children’s storybook developed by Cultural Perspectives in collaboration with the National Office for Child Safety. It aims to provide multicultural communities in Australia a safe and inclusive way for children to learn about personal safety. This resource has been translated into 17 languages in both print and audio formats, in addition to English.

Launched in September 2024, ‘My superhero voice’ has been downloaded close to 830 times in 17 languages, with the highest downloads in Chinese Simplified and Traditional, Farsi, Arabic, Korean, Vietnamese and Punjabi-speaking communities.

Hard copies of ‘My superhero voice’ have also been distributed to more than 5,000 early childhood services across Australia, and shared with community organisations through 35 information sessions, reaching over 500 individuals across 10 diverse communities. These on-ground efforts have contributed to greater campaign awareness, ensuring the reach of One Talk at a Time extends beyond online resources.

To further build on the momentum of the One Talk at a Time campaign, the Australian Government has co-created six community case studies with real parents, carers and service providers who used the campaign’s resources to talk to children about body safety. Their stories are a powerful reminder that despite the difficulty of the topic, with the support of culturally safe and inclusive resources, these conversations are possible and important to have. Additionally, an interactive card game has also been developed to support families in having conversations about child safety.

Nishi Puri OAM, Founder and Chair of the Multicultural Association of Canberra (MAC):

“We know that culturally and linguistically diverse communities are not hard to reach, they simply need resources that reflect their experiences. ‘My superhero voice’ is a strong example of this. The storybook is culturally safe and easy to use, supporting families in having that first conversation about body safety. Families with which we have shared the book have shown a genuine willingness to use this resource.”

The One Talk at a Time campaign is a key measure under the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse 2021–2030. This Strategy provides a nationally coordinated, strategic framework to protect children and young people from sexual abuse and support victims and survivors.

Reading about child sexual abuse can bring up strong feelings. Support is available. For 24/7 support you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14; call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online via www.1800RESPECT.org.au, or text 0458 737 732; or 13YARN (13 92 76) for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander crisis support. Bravehearts supports anyone seeking advice or help related to child sexual abuse, and is available Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm. Blue Knot Foundation provides support and information to adult survivors of childhood trauma including child sexual abuse, their families and friends, and is available Monday-Sunday 9am-5pm. Visit ChildSafety.gov.au/get-support for a dedicated list of support services.