KNOWLEDGE IS PROTECTION
Step in for Kids was founded to address one of the most pressing but often overlooked issues in Australia—childhood sexual abuse and the limited awareness in communities about recognising and responding to grooming behaviours.
Our programs focus on protective behaviours, giving young people the tools to recognise unsafe situations early and providing adults with the language and confidence to step in. Drawing on lived experience and educational expertise, we create practical, evidence-informed strategies that foster safety, awareness, and resilience.
At the heart of our work is the belief that survivor voices must lead the way. Real change requires more than raising awareness—it requires cultural and systemic shifts in how we talk about, recognise, and respond to grooming. By embedding lived experience into education, Step in for Kids challenges stigma, equips educators, and empowers communities to create protective environments where children feel safe, supported, and heard. Because silence has never kept children safe — but open, honest education can.
WHAT IS GROOMING?
Grooming is a deliberate and gradual process where a perpetrator builds trust with a child — and often with the adults around them — to create opportunities for abuse. It often begins with seemingly kind or harmless behaviour, slowly eroding boundaries, normalising secrecy, and making the child feel complicit or unable to speak out. Because it can look like friendship, mentoring, or care, grooming is often missed until harm has occurred. That’s why educators and adults in protective roles play such a critical part: with the knowledge to recognise early warning signs, they can step in, disrupt grooming before abuse escalates, and create environments where children feel safe, supported, and empowered to speak.
About Sarah Kopp – Survivor Advocate
Sarah Kopp is the founder of Step in for Kids and a passionate advocate for child protection, specialising in grooming and child sexual abuse prevention. As a survivor of childhood trauma, she brings a unique perspective to her work, empowering communities through education, awareness, and practical strategies to create safer environments for children.
With a background in teaching and the entertainment industry, Sarah combines lived experience with professional expertise to deliver impactful, school-based programs and community education. Committed to raising the profile of grooming as an urgent issue, she chose to give up her court-granted anonymity to speak publicly about her story, amplifying survivor voices and fostering meaningful change. Sarah’s advocacy has been featured on ABC’s Australian Story, in The Australian, and on MamaMia’s No Filter Podcast, establishing her as a leading voice and spokesperson in the field.
THE RED FLAGS
