An Interview with Gabby Hunt on Safeguarding in Faith-Based Organisations
We speak with Gabby Hunt about her research into safeguarding practices within Australian faith-based organisations.
In her research paper, "Just tick the box and move on": Australian Christian religious leaders reflect on safeguarding practices in their settings, Gabby examines how safeguarding is understood, operationalised, and embedded into the policies and practices of religious organisations. The research explores leaders’ perspectives on the strengths and limitations of current approaches and the barriers to meaningful cultural change. While leadership commitment and stronger policies are evident, Gabby’s findings show that resistance rooted in theology, reliance on compliance, gendered power dynamics, and limited resources continue to hold progress back. Her work highlights opportunities to move forward by focusing on prevention strategies, building on community strengths, and elevating the voices of children and survivors.
Safeguarding as mission webinar
Gabby presents her findings in the webinar Safeguarding as mission: Preventing child sexual abuse by changing practice from simple protocol to embedding in mission. Drawing on interviews with leaders in faith-based settings as part of her PhD research, Gabby talks about the ongoing challenges and weaknesses in safeguarding practices and outlines a way forward, suggesting positive practices that reframe safeguarding as central to the mission and role of religious organisations.
Gabby is a PhD candidate, a registered psychologist, and a Research Associate at the Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University. Her work is grounded in professional experience supporting survivors of child sexual abuse and young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviours, giving her research both practical and policy insight.
Q & A with Gabby Hunt
In this interview, Gabby shares insights from her research that are directly relevant for organisations like Kooyoora, reflecting on the barriers leaders face, the cultural shifts needed for authentic safeguarding, and the practices that can help faith-based communities embed child safety at the core of their mission.
Q1. What led you to focus your research on safeguarding practices within Australian Christian religious organisations, and why is this work so important right now?
Towards the end of the Royal Commission, I was working as a psychologist with children and young people who had experienced child sexual abuse, as well as adult survivors. It was clear to me that institutional child sexual abuse was not a problem of the past. Many of the children and young people I had the privilege of working with told stories of harm and betrayal of trust that echoed the stories told by adult survivors of abuse decades ago. Although I could see greater community awareness and some positive shifts in legislation and policy, questions remained about how safeguarding is actually lived out in practice and what true primary prevention looks like at an organisational level. My ongoing research is aimed at understanding how to move beyond just individual compliance to true cultural change which creates conditions of safety and protection.
Q2. What are the biggest barriers that leaders face in implementing meaningful safeguarding (beyond “ticking the box”)?
One barrier is the perception that safeguarding is primarily about policies and compliance. While these are necessary, leaders often feel overwhelmed by regulation and can miss the bigger picture of culture and practice. Resource constraints such as having the time, funding, and training can also be limiting, especially in smaller or volunteer-run organisations. Finally, there can be resistance to change and a denial of the reality of abuse. This can be particularly evident when safeguarding challenges existing hierarchies, traditions, or deeply held beliefs.
Q3. How do issues of power, gender, and theology or doctrine shape how safeguarding is understood and implemented?
Power, gender, and theology inevitably shape how safeguarding is approached. Institutional abuse is often compounded by systemic failures, including cultures of silence and prioritisation of institutional reputation. In faith-based settings, both the institutions and the adults within them are regarded as figures of special trust and hold significant social and spiritual authority. Additionally, patriarchal religious structures often reinforce gendered power imbalances, limiting the ability of women and children to challenge male authority and report abuse. We have made great gains in addressing organisational policies, but I believe there is a real need to critically engage with underlying theologies and cultural conditions in order to see meaningful and long-term change. Positioning safeguarding as aligned with the mission of the church is one important avenue to generate commitment and motivation in leaders and volunteers.
Q4. In your view, what makes the difference between compliance on paper and authentic safeguarding in practice?
Currently, much of the safeguarding policies are aimed at identifying “bad adults” and stopping them from being in positions of power, or detecting and responding to abuse which has already occurred. We need to think about how to address the cultural and environmental conditions which enable abuse to happen in the first place. Safeguarding is not just about having policies that seem good in theory, but about creating environments where people genuinely feel safe. That requires more than just compliance and box ticking. It calls for strong oversight, accountability, and ongoing training and support are crucial for ensuring safeguarding policies are lived out in practice.
Q5. What kinds of leadership or organisational culture shifts seem most important to build more authentic safeguarding?
Leaders need to model empathy, humility, and openness which means being willing to listen, admit mistakes, and learn. Cultures of transparency, collaboration, and diversity are crucial.
Q6. What insights from your study are most relevant for organisations like Kooyoora, which support communities and faith-based groups to improve safeguarding?
The gendered nature of safeguarding responsibilities was stark in my study. Women in the study described their roles as predominate drivers or advocates for safeguarding, often having to act as “salespeople”. I was told stories of women being met with anger, aggression, and resistance in their efforts. Women’s leadership and knowledge in this space is vital and should be valued, but the challenge arises when safeguarding is devalued and left to them alone. Safeguarding needs to be a shared responsibility that is valued and championed at the highest level of leadership, and across the whole community.
Q7. If you could leave faith-based leaders, boards, or volunteers with one key takeaway from your research, what would it be?
Safeguarding is central to the whole purpose and mission of organisations and the community. It requires ongoing reflection, shared responsibility, and the courage to prioritise children’s needs and safety even when it challenges tradition or convenience.
Ongoing Research
Gabby’s current project, Gender and its role in victimisation and safeguarding practice in faith-based settings, looks at how gender roles and norms within faith communities can shape both risk and protection. The study focuses on the experiences of women and children in leadership and safeguarding, exploring how their perspectives can guide more effective, gender-sensitive practices to keep children and young people safe.
If you’d like to take part in this study email Gabby gabrielle.hunt@acu.edu.au