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International Childhood Trauma Conference
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The adult view of children as lesser humans: How this erodes autonomy and leads to abuse
Plenary

Plenary

9:00 am

21 August 2025

Plenary 2

Plenary - Emma Hakansson and David Kessler

Themes

ICTC

Talk Description
As a western adult culture, we deem developing children as ‘contributing’ less and therefore lesser. In turn, we afford children fewer rights, particularly in relation to their autonomy and voice. These conditions permit ongoing childhood sexual abuse in which children believe that to be an acceptable person, they must obey adults even when it deeply wounds them.

Advocate and Chair of the Australian Childhood Foundation’s Lived Experience Advisory Group, Emma Hakansson.
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