Too hard, too confronting: the reluctance of schools to publicly acknowledge harm

Abstract Despite having the largest caregiving responsibilities for children outside of families, schools are settings in which egregious forms of harm to children have occurred. As further allegations of non-recent and contemporary abuse of children in schools come to light, principals must decide whether to publicly acknowledge this harm and grapple with the complexities of how to do so. We examine what the research literature, recent public inquiries, and child safety policy reveal about the acknowledgement of harm in Victorian school settings, and identify a critical omission regarding how principals might manage such a response. We argue that public harm acknowledgement strengthens existing child protection cultures and practices and should be viewed by schools, child safety regulators, and governments as a way to foster a shared commitment to prevent past failures from recurring. To assist principals who choose to initiate public harm acknowledgement responses in the future, we call for urgent policy advice and guidance to help them navigate this challenging area of leadership.