The Operation Kidsafe Blog
Kristi McVee is a former Detective Senior Constable & special-ist child interviewer, having spent 10 years in the Western Australian Police Force. When she retired from the force due to PTSD, anxiety and depression, Kristi knew from all she witnessed there was a better way to help.
By taking a proactive approach, rather than a reactive approach, Kristi felt she could help prevent child abuse and break the cycle of trauma that victims are so often subjected to.
Kristi founded CAPE-AU in 2022 after spending a decade investigating child abuse cases where she recognised that parents needed the knowledge and education she had collected in the police in order to protect their children. Through this Kristi be-lieved if she could teach parents what she knew, many more children would be safe and parents, carer's, children and com-munities would be empowered to speak up and speak out about child sexual abuse.
On leaving the Police, Kristi wrote her first book, Operation KidSafe - a detectives child abuse prevention in which she shares strategies and age appropriate advice on child abuse prevention.
Website: https://cape-au.com/about-cape-au
Articles
TRIGGER WARNING – THIS BLOG POST CONTAINS THE DISCUSSION OF CHILD ABUSE MATERIAL! I had a young person contact me yesterday asking for HELP. The young person had been shared a link to a website in which they were pressured to… Continue Reading >
Before I begin with my sleepover safety advice and tips, I would like to acknowledge that sleepovers were one of my fondest memories growing up. When I went to a sleepover, I got to see how other families interacted and… Continue Reading >
At times I think we forget this FACT in our goals to protect and help kids. As a specialist child interviewer, I was very aware that the time and process prior to the child’s interview was equally, if not more… Continue Reading >
School Camps can be both amazingly exciting and nerve wracking in equal measure. For some kids, camp will be an amazing opportunity to spread their wings, find new talents and spend hours upon hours with their friends. For other children,… Continue Reading >
Parent Question – Hi there, my wife and I are looking for some guidance in relation to supporting our two young children from potential adverse consequences from sharing their photos online. We are stuck as to what is appropriate when there… Continue Reading >
Help Kristi… my child asked me to explain what ‘rape’ is, and I don’t know what to say? I get a lot of parents asking questions around ‘how to talk’ with their kids about tough subjects, which leave them worried… Continue Reading >
If parents knew what I knew, they would do things differently with their kids’. That is the thought that runs excessively through my mind after 10 years as a specialist child interviewer and a detective, interviewing victims and investigating cases… Continue Reading >
Books are the ultimate life hack when it comes to parenting. However, there are so many good books out there that it gets a tad overwhelming to know which ones that are actually helpful and useful for what purpose. Let… Continue Reading >
What makes someone a SAFE adult? Have you ever contemplated this question before? You would be surprised at the number of people who haven’t. It’s probably because it’s not something our parents openly discussed, it’s not something we have grown up discussing… Continue Reading >
So why does our mental health matter when it comes to protecting our children from abuse? LOTS! When we aren’t coping or we are in crisis, our kids are inadvertently exposed and at risk. It’s imperative that as parents we… Continue Reading >
Last year, I attended an amazingly insightful presentation regarding Autism, Young People and the impact of pornography hosted by eSafeKids founder Kaylene Kerr and presented by Maree Crabbe and Dr Wen Lawson. This presentation was hugely interesting and gave me… Continue Reading >
After my Sunrise interview this morning which just touched on some of the basics of child safety, I wanted to share with parents, more in-depth advice on how to help keep your kids safe but NOT scared when talking about… Continue Reading >
A lot of parents haven’t considered the potential implications that a phone or device can have on your child’s safety and development before they are gifted or given one. Not because they don’t care about those issues but more so… Continue Reading >
Grooming is when a person engages in predatory conduct and behaviours to prepare a child or young person for sexual activity at a later time by gaining their trust and/or compliance. Grooming encompasses all activity/behaviours from communicating and befriending of… Continue Reading >
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