Local paramedic Dave Watson sees first hand the lifelong effects sexual abuse can have on a child, often treating them as adults dealing with an array of drug, alcohol and mental health issues.
\nOn September 6 for the second year in a row, Mr Watson hosted a fundraiser and information session for Bravehearts aimed at equipping parents with vital tools.
\n\u201cThe fundraiser for Bravehearts \u2013 a not-for-profit organisation that provides education, training, counselling, support, research and lobbying \u2013 was at St Therese Catholic Primary School from 3.30pm until 4.30pm,\u201d Mr Watson said.
\n\u201cActivities included a sausage sizzle, silent auction and guest speakers from Victoria Police and Bravehearts. It would\u2019ve been good to get more parents there because the information was for them, it\u2019s about protecting their kids in this online age.
\n\u201cWe raised around $2,000 for Bravehearts so they can continue doing the work they do educating kids within schools and providing services including counselling.
\n\u201cAs a paramedic I often see the aftermath decades later with drug and alcohol abuse and mental health and suicide. My goal is to try and prevent it happening to kids in the first place, that\u2019s everything.\u201d
\nSpeaking on behalf of Victoria Police, Leading Senior Constable Cathryn Hastie said children know what\u2019s right and wrong online but are often \u201ctempted\u201d to do things they normally wouldn\u2019t.
\n\u201cThe key to keeping your children safe is supervision. You need to know what your kids are doing online and limit the amount of time they\u2019re able to do it,\u201d Snr Const. Hastie said.
\n\u201cThe average age of a gamer is a 30-year-old male. You wouldn\u2019t send your child to the park to play with men in their thirties, so you have to supervise them and know what they\u2019re up to.\u201d
\nDetective Sergeant Brad Marks from SOCIT Geelong (Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team) said it was important to reiterate to kids not to send images of themselves.
\n\u201cDon\u2019t send pictures; they\u2019re out there forever. If a girl got talked into sending a photo, and the boy shares it with 50 of his closest friends then suddenly that girl\u2019s getting bullied and she doesn\u2019t want to go to school,\u201d Sgt Marks said.
\n\u201cDon\u2019t send them: once it\u2019s out there, it\u2019s out there, forever and no one wants the stigma associated with that.\u201d
\nMr Watson said he will be hosting an event in Anglesea and another one in Torquay shortly.
\n\u201cBravehearts needs the funding and parents can find out about the technologies being used to groom and trap kids. It\u2019s important for parents to be up to date with changing technology.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Local paramedic Dave Watson sees first hand the lifelong effects sexual abuse can have on a child, often treating them as adults dealing with an array of drug, alcohol and mental health issues. On September 6 for the second year in a row, Mr Watson hosted a fundraiser and information session for Bravehearts aimed at […]<\/p>\n