New children’s storybook promotes child safety and healthy relationships

Loving for Life WA has launched a new children's storybook, The Secret Tom Didn’t Keep, to help children recognize healthy relationships and respect personal boundaries. The book is designed for children aged six to ten and aims to teach them how to speak up when something is wrong, identify trusted adults, and recognize unsafe online content.

The organization released the book following National Child Protection Week, which took place from September 6 to 12. This project serves as a resource for families, schools, and parishes to support child wellbeing.

The book addresses growing concerns regarding children's exposure to inappropriate online material. According to a 2025 report by the Australian eSafety Commission titled Digital Use and Risk: Online Platform Engagement Among Children aged 10 to 15, 71 percent of surveyed Australian children had encountered harmful online content. The report also found that 52 percent had experienced cyberbullying and 14 percent had encountered online grooming-type behavior.