Resources for children and young people
You are not alone
If something is worrying you, we want you to know there is always someone ready to help you out.
Maybe you have concerns about something that's happening to you, a friend or a sibling. Perhaps you're looking for more information about an issue that's on your mind. There are loads of resources at your fingertips. Explore the following sections to find out more.
The National Office for Child Safety and Australian Human Rights Commision have also prepared a guide for children and young people to learn about Australia's plans to stop child sexual abuse.
Download the Guide for Children and Young People to the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse (2021-2030)(PDF, 12MB)
Who to contact for help
There are number of support services available for children and young people.
Kids Helpline provides free, private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young people aged five to 25. You can speak to them over the phone on 1800 55 1800 or online via live chat.
Contact Kids Helpline about a wide range of issues. From everyday topics such as family, friends and school to more serious issues of child abuse, bullying, mental health, drug and alcohol use, homelessness and suicide.
Visit Kids Helpline
Headspace provide mental health support to 12–25 year olds. They have more than 110 headspace centres around Australia. You can drop in to talk with someone over the phone or online.
Headspace works with young people to provide support at a crucial time in their lives. They can support you to get back on track and strengthen your ability to manage your mental health in the future.
Visit headspace
The eSafety website gives information and advice for keeping kids and young people safe online. They can also help you figure out what to do if something goes wrong and how to complain about online bullying or abuse.
eSafety have recently partnered with First Nations organisations to develop culturally appropriate resources. These resources aim to empower communities to stay safe and active online while ensuring mob's voices, music and stories continue to be heard.
Visit eSafety
ReachOut offers a range of online supports for young people aged 12–25. It focuses on supporting mental health and wellbeing through everyday issues and tough times.
Visit ReachOut
Youth Law Australiaprovides free, confidential legal information, help and referrals to young people aged under 25 and their advocates.
- Call 1800 950 570 (9:30 am - 5 pm, Monday-Friday AEST) if you live in SA, NSW, TAS, QLD, NT or ACT or 02 9067 6510 if you do not live in these states (9:30 am - 5 pm, Monday - Friday AEST).
- You can also submit a form on Youth Law Australia’s website or email advice@lawmail.org.au.
Consultation with children: feeling safe
The City of Whittlesea talked with local children on what makes them feel safe and what they can do if they feel unsafe. Watch what we found out in this video.
Your can also download our guide for being safe:
Being safe guide - accessible(DOCX, 30KB)
Being safe guide(PDF, 2MB)
More helpful resources
The Reportable Conduct Scheme helps make sure that if someone who works or volunteers at places where kids go – like schools or clubs – does something wrong to a child, the place they work for knows how to handle it properly.
Get more information about The Reportable Conduct Scheme
Read the National Office for Child Safety's Speak up: make a complaint resource.
Check out this video from the Commission for Children and Young People for more tips on how to make a complaint.
The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) has developed a collection of trusted resources on COVID-19, including information on the physical effects on children, mental health care and advice around supporting your child cope through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Get info about COVID-19