With everything that's come out recently about AI tools like Grok, online predators, and disturbing cases emerging from childcare centres, the question every parent is asking is ‘how do I actually keep my kids safe?’ It's a topic that feels bigger and more frightening by the day and one that parents constantly think about.
Today we're sitting down with Kristi McVee. Kristi McVee is a former Detective Senior Constable and Specialist Child Interviewer. After 10+ years investigating child sexual abuse, Kristi shifted her focus to prevention to give families the tools, language and the confidence to protect kids. She’s the author of Operation KidSafe: A Detective’s Guide to Child Abuse Prevention, a speaker, educator and the founder of CAPE-AU, where she teaches parents and educators how to talk about consent, spotting red flags, online dangers and building trusting conversations with kids.
Today’s conversation isn’t about scaremongering, it’s about learning real strategies and assessing both physical and online risks to keep our kids safe.
We chat:
The sobering statistics every parent needs to know - 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 5 boys will be sexually abused before the age of 18
The biggest myths surrounding child sexual abuse, including why "it won't happen to my family" is dangerous thinking
Why nearly 50% of child sexual abuse is perpetrated by other children and what "harmful sexualised behaviours" actually means
When and how to start body safety conversations with your kids
Why using correct anatomical language could one day be critical to a legal case
The grooming red flags hiding in plain sight and why grooming looks a lot like nurture
The difference between in-person grooming and online grooming, and why kids often don't even recognise what's happened to them
The sleepover question
How to assess the safety of your child's daycare or early childhood education centre
Red flags in your child's behaviour that could signal something is wrong
The importance of connection: why predators use your lack of connection with your kids against you
timestamps:
00:00 — Introducing Kristi McVee: former detective and specialist child interviewer
01:43 — Kristi's background: joining the police with a two-year-old and becoming a child abuse detective
04:11 — How do you come home to your own child after seeing this every day?
06:34 — The biggest myths about child sexual abuse
08:26 — What age are children most at risk, and who is most often the perpetrator?
10:11 — Harmful sexualised behaviours between children: what parents need to know
13:09 — When to start body safety conversations
16:22 — Should you use correct anatomy names with your kids?
17:30 — Why are convictions so rare?
20:21 — Red flags to watch for: grooming looks like nurture
22:03 — The "don't tell mum" problem and why secrets are a grooming tactic
23:22 — Online grooming vs in-person abuse: what's the difference?
25:16 — Has the social media age limit actually made a difference?
26:52 — What is Grok, why is it dangerous, and what can parents do?
28:41 — Should your kids go on sleepovers? A former detective's honest answer
31:23 — How do you explain to a six year old why they can't photograph their body?
36:00 — Behavioural red flags that could signal something is wrong
38:26 — The daycare safety crisis: how to assess risk and ask the right questions
41:23 — How often do offenders reoffend
42:26 — How Kristi keeps going when the weight of this work feels impossible
43:26 — The single most important thing parents can do
You can find Kristi on Instagram
You can visit Kristi's website
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Hosted by Britt Hockley & Laura Byrne
Produced by Keeshia Pettit
Video Produced by Vanessa Beckford & Lachy Pugsley
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