Session 1H
Tracks
Track 8
| Thursday, October 29, 2026 |
| 11:30 AM - 1:05 PM |
| Meeting room P11, Plaza Level |
Overview
Meeting room P11
Speaker
Ms Renae Castle
Social Worker
NSW Department Of Education
Problematic and/or Harmful Sexualised Behaviour (PHSB): Trauma Informed Responses in our Schools
11:30 AM - 12:15 PMAbstract
• Aim: To provide an overview of how schools can provide a trauma informed response when a child/young person (CYP) has displayed problematic and/or harmful sexualised behaviours (PHSB).
• Background/Context: Following the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (2013–2017), the NSW Government introduced Children First 2022–2031, a shared framework for preventing and responding to PHSB among children and young people. In line with this, the NSW Department of Education reviewed its policies and procedures on PHSB, leading to the development of new PHSB Guidelines and the establishment of a dedicated PHSB Team to ensure consistent, trauma informed responses in schools when incidents are disclosed.
• Relevance: Effective and proportionate responses to PHSB displayed by CYP requires a trauma-informed lens to ensure contextual and holistic care is provided. Research indicates that early and effective intervention is often effective in reducing further incidents of PHSB.
• Contribution: The Department of Education has implemented a PHSB Team to support school settings in providing a consistent and trauma-informed response to CYP.
• Description: Two case studies highlighting responses in the primary school and high school context will be shared. This will demonstrate the trauma-informed support the Department of Education’s PHSB Team can provide to schools following a reported incident of PHSB.
• Engagement: This will be a research-based presentation by two PHSB Officers who will provide insights and practical strategies on trauma-informed responses to PHSB. This information can support participants in their understanding of and responses to PHSB in their schools.
• Background/Context: Following the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (2013–2017), the NSW Government introduced Children First 2022–2031, a shared framework for preventing and responding to PHSB among children and young people. In line with this, the NSW Department of Education reviewed its policies and procedures on PHSB, leading to the development of new PHSB Guidelines and the establishment of a dedicated PHSB Team to ensure consistent, trauma informed responses in schools when incidents are disclosed.
• Relevance: Effective and proportionate responses to PHSB displayed by CYP requires a trauma-informed lens to ensure contextual and holistic care is provided. Research indicates that early and effective intervention is often effective in reducing further incidents of PHSB.
• Contribution: The Department of Education has implemented a PHSB Team to support school settings in providing a consistent and trauma-informed response to CYP.
• Description: Two case studies highlighting responses in the primary school and high school context will be shared. This will demonstrate the trauma-informed support the Department of Education’s PHSB Team can provide to schools following a reported incident of PHSB.
• Engagement: This will be a research-based presentation by two PHSB Officers who will provide insights and practical strategies on trauma-informed responses to PHSB. This information can support participants in their understanding of and responses to PHSB in their schools.
Biography
Renae started her social work career working at the NSW Health Child Protection Counselling Service, before moving to DCJ. She then moved to New Street (NSW Health) where she provided long-term counselling to 10-17yo who had displayed PHSB and their families. Renae then was the NSW Health Statewide Educator for PHSB.
Caroline Knight and Renae Castle are Social Workers who graduated from the Sydney of University (in 2000 and 1998 respectively).
Caroline and Renae joined NSW Department of Education in July 2025, in the newly established PHSB Team.
Ms Caroline Knight
Social Worker
Nsw Department Of Education
Co-presenter
Biography
Caroline started her career working in Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ), then moved to NSW Health to the Child Protection Counselling Service before working at the Child Protection Unit, Westmead Children's Hospital. She then headed up the SafeWayz program in two NSW Health districts. Caroline has extensive experience in working with primary school-aged children who have displayed PHSB.
Kelly Humphries
Kelly Humphries
Courage Beyond Compliance: Enabling Safe Disclosure in Child Sexual Abuse
12:20 PM - 1:05 PMAbstract
Disclosure is often treated as a clear moment of telling. For many children, it is anything but. It is shaped by grooming, trauma bonding, cognitive dissonance, shame, silence, and the very real fear of not being believed or understood.
We will reframe disclosure through the eyes of the child, exploring what must exist for a child to feel safe to speak, and why many do not. It examines how trauma and coercion influence behaviour, communication, and engagement, and how institutional responses can unintentionally reinforce silence when they rely on compliance, clarity, or consistency that trauma cannot provide.
Drawing on frontline practice, this session moves beyond procedural responses to relational, trauma-informed engagement. Participants will explore how to recognise behavioural cues, make meaning from ambiguity, and confidently ask the “next question” in ways that build trust and reduce harm.
Central to this work is the concept of “courage beyond compliance” shifting from doing what is required, to responding in ways that are attuned, adaptive, and grounded in the lived experience of the child. It also introduces a critical re-frame: discomfort is not something to avoid, but data to be understood and used to inform stronger, more responsive practice.
Participants will leave with:
• a deeper understanding of the barriers to disclosure
• practical strategies to support safer, more effective engagement
• increased confidence in navigating uncertainty and complexity in real time
This session bridges the gap between what children experience, how systems respond, and strengthening the conditions for disclosure before harm escalates.
We will reframe disclosure through the eyes of the child, exploring what must exist for a child to feel safe to speak, and why many do not. It examines how trauma and coercion influence behaviour, communication, and engagement, and how institutional responses can unintentionally reinforce silence when they rely on compliance, clarity, or consistency that trauma cannot provide.
Drawing on frontline practice, this session moves beyond procedural responses to relational, trauma-informed engagement. Participants will explore how to recognise behavioural cues, make meaning from ambiguity, and confidently ask the “next question” in ways that build trust and reduce harm.
Central to this work is the concept of “courage beyond compliance” shifting from doing what is required, to responding in ways that are attuned, adaptive, and grounded in the lived experience of the child. It also introduces a critical re-frame: discomfort is not something to avoid, but data to be understood and used to inform stronger, more responsive practice.
Participants will leave with:
• a deeper understanding of the barriers to disclosure
• practical strategies to support safer, more effective engagement
• increased confidence in navigating uncertainty and complexity in real time
This session bridges the gap between what children experience, how systems respond, and strengthening the conditions for disclosure before harm escalates.
Biography
Kelly Humphries is a survivor, advocate, former frontline police officer, author, and Research Fellow with the AiLECS Lab at Monash University. With over 16 years in policing and lived experience of child sexual abuse, Kelly brings a unique and powerful perspective to child protection, trauma-informed practice, and systems reform. Her work focuses on amplifying survivor voices and embedding lived experience into institutional responses, ensuring that systems designed to protect children do not unintentionally cause further harm. At AiLECS, she contributes to national research exploring survivor perspectives on the use of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and trauma-informed response frameworks. Kelly is a passionate speaker and educator who works across sectors to help build safe, responsive, and compassionate environments for children, families, and those who support them.
