Keeping Young People Safe from Sexual Violence

NSW and Commonwealth Ministers have gathered with a shared mission to address the rise of sexual violence and misogyny involving and impacting young people in New South Wales.

An urgent Roundtable convened by Acting Premier Prue Car and facilitated by NSW Women’s Safety Commissioner Dr Hannah Tonkin brought together victim-survivors, school leaders, frontline services, researchers, policy makers and other experts to discuss the issue.

The Roundtable examined how online environments and algorithms are playing an increasingly influential role in shaping harmful attitudes towards gender, relationships and consent, and contributing to sexual violence among young people.

Attendees also considered the impact harmful algorithms are having on young people and responses that have been pursued in other jurisdictions.

The Roundtable examined the critical role of families, schools and the broader community in challenging harmful social norms and supporting trusted adults to have open conversations with young people about respect, consent, healthy relationships and online influences.

Participants identified several priority opportunities to strengthen existing efforts to address sexual violence, including:

• increasing the reach of Respectful Relationships Education in public and non-government schools;
• supporting parents, carers and other trusted adults to have conversations with young people about online influences and healthy relationships;
• working with the Commonwealth Government to explore giving social media users more control over what they see on social media;
• improving coordination and responses to online misogyny, pornography and technology-facilitated abuse;
• expanding evidence-based prevention; and
• strengthening support for victim-survivors of sexual violence.

The Roundtable is the first step in a wider program of ongoing work by the NSW Government to address sexual violence.

It will inform immediate work on developing a contemporary NSW Sexual Violence Plan, which is due for release in 2027.

The new plan will build on the most up-to-date evidence, insights from recent consultations, best practice and lived experience. Broader consultation with the community and relevant sectors will also be undertaken as the plan is developed.

NSW currently has a Sexual Violence Plan covering 2022–2027, which provides strategic direction for preventing and responding to sexual violence. The new plan announced through the Roundtable process will provide an updated framework beyond the current plan.

In addition, Commonwealth Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin and NSW Women’s Safety Commissioner Dr Hannah Tonkin will commence a program of work focused on the experiences of young women and girls, including discussions in partnership with lived-experience advocates.

The meeting reinforced the importance of a coordinated, whole-of-community approach to preventing sexual violence, promoting respectful relationships and improving safety for young people across New South Wales.