- Research by On Us: The Australian Business Coalition for Safeguarding Children, finds more than half (54%) of Australian businesses don’t have protocols in place to protect children.
- Only 1-in-4 businesses ranked child safeguarding within their top five business priorities.
- To safeguard children, Westpac, TikTok, IHG Hotels & Resorts, TBWA\Australia and The GPT Group unite with the Australian Childhood Foundation to establish a cross-sector coalition, On Us.
On Us: The Australian Business Coalition for Safeguarding Children, an initiative of the Australian Childhood Foundation, has released new research demonstrating a major knowledge gap among business decision makers and leaders, with 65% of businesses believing that child exploitation could not occur within their industry. Yet, in Australia, child abuse or neglect is reported by a child every two minutes, with harm extending well beyond the home.
Speaking to 500 Australian business leaders, the findings are compounded when looking at individual industries. Three-quarters of leaders in banking and finance (76%) and technology, engineering and design (75%) believe there is no potential for child exploitation to occur within their business or industry. Compared to those working in automotive and manufacturing (58%), medical and healthcare sectors (55%), or retail, entertainment, tourism, hospitality, and transport (59%).
As a result, the study found that less than half of business leaders have policies in place that protect children when engaging with their businesses’ goods or services. Especially those not directly working with children, who are often unaware of the harms they can enable.
All businesses can inadvertently enable harm to children, with perpetrators using products, services and infrastructure to access children. The prevalence of child abuse enabled by business is fast-growing and expansive across industries.
Regardless of industry, all businesses can put children in harm’s way, for example; technology and data protection, retailers and public spaces or financial services and the ethical tracking of funds.
In response, On Us: The Australian Business Coalition for Safeguarding Children was established in recognition that whilst there have been significant steps in making community sector organisations safer for children, businesses have lagged behind.
Across all industries, just 27% of businesses ranked child safeguarding within their top three business priorities, with workplace safety (71%), mental health and wellbeing (69%) and cyber security (67%) categorised higher by business leaders.
IHG Hotels & Resorts is proud to be a founder member and co-Chair of this important Coalition. Speaking at the event yesterday, IHG outlined why it’s been an important partnership for IHG:
In the hotel business we provide homes away from home for all guests including families, so we’ve always been proud to have robust child safety policies in place. However, today’s research findings illustrate why it’s critical to put an even greater focus on this important topic and, for us, being part of the coalition has enabled us to relook at some of our practices and procedures alongside other likeminded companies and experts, and we are pleased to be planning to roll out some new initiatives in the coming months. I encourage corporate Australia to consider joining On Us to play their part in creating a safer community for children. Leanne Harwood, IHG’s SVP & Managing Director – JAPAC, and President of Accommodation Australia,
However, despite this knowledge gap, close to three-quarters (73%) of Australian business leaders say they would be willing to invest in providing resources and staff education to safeguard children within their businesses.
The On Us coalition will work collaboratively with members to assess risks to children and young people, develop tools, policies and practices, and share resources to help enhance organisational child safeguarding within their businesses.
This research further demonstrates that no business can remain impervious to the possibility of inadvertently facilitating abuse, exploitation, or harm to children. As business leaders, it is on us to shield young people from unintentional harm that may be facilitated by our businesses, rather than shifting this burden onto them. On Us Chair and Australian Childhood Foundation CEO, Dr. Joe Tucci,
Westpac [TBC]
responds to this by saying “From Westpac’s own experience, no business wants children to be harmed under its watch. Through our involvement with the On Us coalition, we’ve had our knowledge expanded and seen firsthand the benefits of shifting our business priorities and acknowledging our role in ensuring the safety of children. All businesses, regardless of size, must consider the critical significance of implementing child safeguarding principles within business operations.”
On Us: The Australian Business Coalition for Safeguarding Children will officially launch 22 November 2023. In collaboration with The Y, the coalition’s founding members include industry leaders Westpac, TikTok, The GPT Group, IHG Hotels & Resorts and TBWA\Australia.
The On Us coalition invites expressions of interest from all businesses and organisations that want to learn more. For more information, visit On Us: Australian Business Coalition for Safeguarding Children LinkedIn page.
