The AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation has called on school communities to help identify and protect vulnerable children amid a growth in reports of forced marriage.
According to the latest figures, reports of forced marriage into the ACCCE jumped almost 30 per cent last financial year, from 91 in 2023-24 to 118 in 2024-25.
AFP Commander Human Exploitation Helen Schneider said while the figures didn't necessarily represent a growth in offending, they did highlight why it was so critical for Australian school communities to understand their role on the frontline of defence.
"As Australian school communities prepare to ring in a new year, it's an exciting time for everyone involved, from teachers and principals to parents and guardians," Commander Schneider said.
"But, in among that excitement, it's also timely to raise awareness of the role these communities have to play in helping to tackle the very real risk of forced marriage.
"It's a crime people often assume doesn't happen here in Australia. But it can and it does - it could be happening in your neighbourhood and your street.
"And, with potential victims often being school-aged, this makes school communities - from educators and parents through to fellow students - a key partner in awareness."
Forced marriage describes when a person is married without freely and fully consenting, either because they have been coerced, threatened or deceived, or because they are incapable of understanding the nature and effect of a marriage ceremony, for reasons including age or mental capacity.
The legal age for marriage in Australia is 18. While a child aged 16 to 18 can obtain permission from a Court to marry, the person they wed must be an adult.
According to Commander Schneider, forced marriage has historically been an under-reported crime in Australia, in part because of a lack of recognition of the warning signs.
It's here school communities can come into play, building on the proximity and insight that come with being in a classroom.
"Because educators interact with their students day in and day out, they get to know them at a fundamental level and build up an authentic picture of their personalities," she said.
"This uniquely positions them to identify any changes in behaviour that could seem incredibly subtle to an outsider, but may actually indicate a school-aged child is at risk of forced marriage."
Warning signs included children who have very limited independence and privacy, are constantly monitored by a family member, have expressed concerns about planned family travel overseas, or have flagged a sudden change in domestic circumstances.
Other indicators include:
Sudden withdrawal or isolation from their school friends;
Mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, self-harm or panic attacks;
A sudden drop in effort or performance in schoolwork;
Expressing concerns of physical or psychological violence for not fulfilling family or community expectations;
Older siblings who left education early or married young.
Commander Schneider said forced marriage was a complex crime because it often involved family members as victims and perpetrators, so young victims might be reluctant to involve police or not know where to seek help.
"People may not report this crime due to a lack of awareness of their rights, a distrust of law enforcement, and a fear of retribution, especially when the perpetrators are from their own communities or families," she said.
It's something the ACCCE continues to address through its Human Exploitation Community Officer (HECO) program. Based around the country, these officers engage with at-risk areas of the community, including schools where concerns have been raised about forced marriage, to provide advice about people's rights and how to seek help.
Commander Schneider said while most reported victims were young women and girls, anyone could be a victim of forced marriage, regardless of their religion, ethnicity or gender.
"If you suspect you, or someone you know at school, is being forced, threatened, coerced or deceived into marriage, please do not hesitate to seek help," she said.
"If you do not feel comfortable speaking to police there are other services and agencies that can provide support."
Forced marriage has been illegal in Australia since 2013, with the laws tightened in 2019 to extend protection to children under 16.
It can apply to legally recognised marriages, cultural or religious ceremonies, marriages which occur in Australia or where a person is taken overseas to be married, and can include the conduct of those involved in facilitating the forced marriage.
Forced marriages are different to legally arranged marriages which are entered into with the full knowledge and consent of all parties.
If you suspect that you, or another person, has experienced, or is at risk of, forced marriage or human trafficking, call 131 AFP (237) or use the AFP's human trafficking online information report.
If you have immediate concerns for your safety, the safety of another person, or there is an emergency, dial Triple Zero (000).
My Blue Sky, an initiative of ACCCE partner Anti-Slavery Australia, delivers specialised advice and support to individuals and communities affected by forced marriage.
Life Without Barrier's Forced Marriage Specialist Support Program (FMSSP), funded by the Federal Government, assists victims of human trafficking, slavery and slavery-like practices.
