Safeguarding Children - Together with Willow Duffy

In this special episode, we’re focusing on one of the biggest challenges for parents today - navigating the digital world with their children. Recently, we surveyed parents about their top concerns and the questions they most want to ask experts about online safety, wellbeing, and resilience. Their honest, anonymous responses highlight both the struggles families face and their deep commitment to protecting and supporting their children.We’ve brought these questions to a panel of experts who share practical advice, insights, and solutions to help families thrive in the online space.Join us as we learn, share, and work together to make the digital world safer for every child. Panel of experts: Tim Houston is Manager of the Digital Child Exploitation Team (DCET) at New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs. Since 2014, he has led investigations into child sexual exploitation material (CSEM), victim identification, and major domestic and international operations, including the largest in New Zealand’s history. A former Customs Officer and founding member of the Child Exploitation Operations Team. Tim is a dedicated child protection advocate. As well as his DIA role, he’s a member of the board of Safeguarding Children, and a member of the Thorn Law Enforcement Advisory Council. Nikki Denholm MNZM, is Director of The Light Project, founded in 2017 by sexual and public health professionals to address the changing online porn landscape and the lack of resources for young people in Aotearoa. Nikki specialises in emerging sexual health and gender issues and works to equip young people, their families / whānau, and communities to build porn literacy and foster healthy sexuality and relationships. Sean Lyons is Netsafe’s Chief Online Safety Officer, media spokesperson and head of Netsafe Lab, the organisation’s innovation arm. From 2022-2024, he served as Vice President of INHOPE, the global network of helplines combatting the distribution of child sexual exploitation material. With a background in both IT and education, including time as a classroom teacher and school leader, Sean brings deep expertise on online safety challenges and leads Netsafe’s work to prevent and respond to child sexual exploitation material.

In this episode of Together, guest Dr Emma Barker-Clarke, a specialist in violence prevention education, delves into the nuanced experiences of young people facing online harms, particularly peer-to-peer digital sexual harassment and sextortion. The conversation underscores the importance of centring young people’s voices, providing education that is tailored to their realities, and challenges the adequacy of existing legislative measures to protect youth in digital spaces. Emma also shares valuable insights from her research with young people, advocating for a collaborative approach involving parents, educators, and policymakers to foster safer online environments for children and young people. Cyberbullying is a common issue impacting young people today. It includes everything from hurtful messages, to image-based sexual harassment and sextortion. In today’s episode, we interview Dr Emma Barker-Clarke, an educator and researcher specialising in sexual violence and family violence prevention. Emma has focused her career on understanding and addressing online harm, particularly how these issues manifest and impact youth. Topics include: Understanding Peer-to-Peer Harm: Emma explains how young people's experiences of online harm, particularly through image-based sexual harassment and sextortion, often occur between peers rather than strangers, creating complex social dynamics. The Role of Education in Digital Safety: The discussion highlights the importance of schools and educators in providing comprehensive, non-judgmental education on digital sexual ethics, consent, and recognising online harm. The Gap in Current Legislation: Emma discusses the limitations of current legal frameworks like New Zealand's Harmful Digital Communications Act and the need for reforms to keep up with evolving digital threats, such as deepfakes and sextortion. Youth-Led Research Insights: Emma shares findings from her youth-led research on online harms, emphasising the need to involve young people in shaping the questions and narratives around their digital experiences. Empowering Young People and Families: Emma discusses practical strategies for parents and caregivers, including open communication and knowing where to seek help, like Netsafe and other online safety resources. And more. Enjoy the show! To learn more about how you can help safeguard children, visit our website ⁠https://www.safeguardingchildren.org.nz Feel free to reach out via the website, or connect with Willow and Safeguarding Children on LinkedIn⁠. Join the Conversation: We are all stakeholders in the safety and well-being of children. Whether you are a professional working with children, a parent, or a concerned citizen, your voice matters. Share your thoughts, experiences, and questions with us. Together, we can make a difference in creating a safer world for children. Contact Us: Website: Safeguarding Children Email: info@safeguardingchildren.nz Social Media: Join us on Facebook and Instagram for updates and discussions. Subscribe and Rate Us: If you found this episode informative and empowering, please subscribe to "Together" on your favorite podcast platform and leave us a rating. Your support helps us reach more listeners and continue our mission to safeguard children. Thank you for tuning in to "Together." Remember, every child deserves

In this episode of Together, the team at Safeguarding Children discuss the critical role that training plays in preventing child abuse and neglect, particularly in light of the recent findings from the New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry. They explore the need for sector-specific, ongoing training that is not only tailored to the unique needs of various settings—such as state care, faith-based institutions, and sports—but also extends to leaders and decision-makers within these organizations. The conversation addresses common barriers to effective child protection, such as misconceptions and the fear of making mistakes, and stresses the importance of external oversight to ensure that training leads to real, actionable change. This episode underscores that while training is just one component of a comprehensive child safeguarding strategy, it is a foundational step towards creating a safer future for all children in Aotearoa. Last week, we unpacked the New Zealand Abuse in State Care Report and its key findings. In today’s follow-up episode, we go deeper into a core recommendation outlined in the Inquiry: The critical role that training plays in preventing child abuse and neglect. Topics include: The Urgent Need for Comprehensive Training: Why mandatory, sector-specific training in safeguarding and child protection is critical across all settings, including state and faith-based care, sports, health, and education. Leadership's Role in Safeguarding: The importance of training not just frontline staff, but also high-level managers and leaders to create a culture of safety and ensure the implementation of child protection policies. Addressing Misconceptions and Barriers: How training dispels myths, builds confidence, and provides practical tools for recognising and responding to signs of abuse External Oversight and Accountability: Why independent audits and external oversight are crucial to ensure that safeguarding practices are not just theoretical but are effectively embedded into everyday practice within organisations. Enjoy the show! To learn more about how you can help safeguard children, visit our website ⁠https://www.safeguardingchildren.org.nz Feel free to reach out via the website, or connect with Willow and Safeguarding Children on LinkedIn⁠. Join the Conversation: We are all stakeholders in the safety and well-being of children. Whether you are a professional working with children, a parent, or a concerned citizen, your voice matters. Share your thoughts, experiences, and questions with us. Together, we can make a difference in creating a safer world for children. Contact Us: Website: Safeguarding Children Email: office@safeguardingchildren.org.nz Social Media: Join us on Facebook and Instagram for updates and discussions. Subscribe and Rate Us: If you found this episode informative and empowering, please subscribe to "Together" on your favorite podcast platform and leave us a rating. Your support helps us reach more listeners and continue our mission to safeguard children. Thank you for tuning in to "Together." Remember, every child deserves

Welcome back to Season 2 of Together - a podcast dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and the promotion of child-safe organisations. In this introductory episode, Willow Duffy, CEO of Safeguarding Children in New Zealand, outlines the grassroots inception of Safeguarding Children in 2011 and its evolution into a sustainable organization that has trained over 60,000 professionals in keeping children safe on and offline. Topics include: Willow's Professional Journey: How she transitioned from being a nurse and midwife in the UK to becoming a leading advocate for child safety in New Zealand Victoria's Tragic Story: Willow shares the harrowing story of Victoria, a young girl in the UK whose abuse and murder highlighted the failure of multiple professionals and organizations The Journey of Safeguarding Children: Starting with voluntary training sessions in 2011, the organization grew out of a community response to a critical need for child protection education And more! Enjoy the show! To learn more about how you can help safeguard children, visit our website ⁠https://www.safeguardingchildren.org.nz Feel free to reach out via the website, or connect with Willow and Safeguarding Children on LinkedIn⁠. Join the Conversation: We are all stakeholders in the safety and well-being of children. Whether you are a professional working with children, a parent, or a concerned citizen, your voice matters. Share your thoughts, experiences, and questions with us. Together, we can make a difference in creating a safer world for children. Contact Us: Website: Safeguarding Children Email: office@safeguardingchildren.org.nz Social Media: Join us on Facebook and Instagram for updates and discussions. Subscribe and Rate Us: If you found this episode informative and empowering, please subscribe to "Together" on your favorite podcast platform and leave us a rating. Your support helps us reach more listeners and continue our mission to safeguard children. Thank you for tuning in to "Together." Remember, every child deserves

Willow talks to Jaydene Buckley, the Managing Director of the OSACO Group. OSACO are a global team of extensively experienced investigative consultants and specialists in compliance, governance, safeguarding and anti-corruption. Willow and Jaydene discuss the issues of lack of training, policies and understanding around child protection for those in governance in Aotearoa New Zealand. Please visit Safeguarding Children for more information about the training they offer.

Willow talks to Dr Claire Achmad the Deputy Chief Children's Commissioner at Mana Mokopuna. Dr Achmad is a recognised advocate for children in Aotearoa New Zealand. She has worked in a wide range of areas relating to children's rights, including from legal, policy and practice perspectives. They discuss the rights of the child in Aotearoa New Zealand and the big problem of equality and poverty we have. Dr Achmad talks about how important it is to understand the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC) and how we can implement this in Aotearoa New Zealand. Claire also talks about her visit to Geneva part of a civil society delegation, to talk to the UN Committee about what's going for children here in New Zealand and how we are upholding the rights of the child. Please visit Safeguarding Children for more information about the training they offer.

CEO, Willow introduces herself, Safeguarding Children and talks about her passion in preventing child abuse in Aotearoa New Zealand. Willow talks in depth about her experience of child abuse in Aotearoa New Zealand and how this led to the creation of Safeguarding Children. Please visit Safeguarding Children for more information about the training they offer.