Kristi McVee

Kristi McVee

Share

Author. Speaker. Child Safety Expert. Advocate. Kristi spent 10 years in the police force as a specialist child interviewer and a Detective Senior Constable.

When she retired from the force, Kristi believed there was a better way to help. By taking a proactive approach, rather than a reactive approach, she could help prevent child abuse and break the cycle of trauma that victims are so often subjected to. In addition to her experience in the force, Kristi has appeared on TV and was an Online Safety Specialist. During this role, she presented to schools

15/06/2026

"Is it really that bad to post photos of my kids online?" 📱👀

It’s a question that divides many households. In fact, a recent DM came from a mum whose husband works in education and is completely against it, while she loves sharing their special moments.

In Episode 9 of Ask Kristi, we are diving headfirst into the reality of "sharenting." As a former Western Australian Police Detective, I’ve seen the side of the internet that most parents don't even know exists. The hard truth is that a significant proportion of images found in exploit collections online aren't taken by offenders-they are harvested directly from everyday social media accounts.

Before you post your next family photo, let’s unpack the actual risks and look at how we can share safely without compromising our kids' digital footprint.

Where do you stand on sharenting? Have you and your partner ever disagreed on this? Let’s chat respectfully in the comments. 👇

🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3y2jZelfIXUjszynRZ3bat
📺 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7XCyn1lKLU

Photos from Kristi McVee 's post 10/06/2026

Damian Porter is the creator of - a former special forces commando, former police officer, and current firefighter who uses his diverse background in high-risk operations to teach everyday people how to stay alive.
Damian and I have been trying to coordinate this chat for a whole year, and it was completely worth the wait! As two people with policing backgrounds, we speak the same language when it comes to human behavior, but Damian’s no-nonsense military and survival frameworks bring a whole new level of practical clarity to protecting your family.

We break down the raw truth about situational awareness, why biological reactions like freezing or fawning are completely normal, and how we can actively practice bravery before we ever need it. We even dive into surface-level takeaways from recent high-profile attacks, looking at what happens when ordinary citizens choose to stand their ground and turn to face a threat.

"Action's better than inaction. Something's better than nothing... Take notice of the first red flag, because it's really important."

If you have ever felt silly for overreacting when a situation felt "off," or if you want practical tools to help your kids build an unshakeable defensive voice, you cannot afford to miss this episode.

Share this with a mum, a parent, or anyone you love who deserves to walk through the world feeling confident, aware, and completely empowered.
Connect with Damian and explore his incredible survival resources at hownottodieguy.com.

Listen on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. 🎧
www.kristimcvee.com

10/06/2026

"Sometimes violence enters your world immediately." ⚡

It’s a chilling truth, but it’s one we cannot afford to ignore. In my latest episode of Conversations with Kristi, I sit down with Damian Porter-widely known as the

Damian isn’t here to make you paranoid; he’s here to make you prepared. We dive deep into situational awareness, practical self-defense, and the psychology behind the two distinct types of "bad guys" you might encounter out in the world. 🛡️🔥

Bravery isn't something you simply inherit-it is a choice you make when a moment demands it.

The full podcast releases tomorrow! Make sure you are subscribed so you don't miss this crucial masterclass in safety. Link in bio!

09/06/2026

I was talking about grooming with my daughter from a young age. It was not a taboo topic, but I didn’t talk about it like I would with an adult.

I would use every day scenarios from the playground or school, to explain what grooming looks and feels like.

Things like - “You know when a friend makes you do something they want to do but you don’t, but they say they won’t play with you if you don’t and it makes you feel uncomfortable in your tummy”

“yeah”

“that’s not ok. You don’t ever have to do anything you don’t want to do, even if they threaten or bribe you or tell you they won’t be your friend anymore to to make you do it, that’s being an unsafe and unfair friend”

During a meeting yesterday, a participant reminded me that I used to teach my daughter, how to identify grooming type behaviours in her friends and other relationships, before I even talked about grooming.

Teaching how it feels to your children in their body, might just protect them from abuse. Because they’ll know what feels safe and unsafe, well before they realise it’s that the behaviour is abuse.

Check out my website for more resources and information on talking to your kids about grooming and body safety education.

Kristi x

www.kristimcvee.com

09/06/2026

Gosh… how smart are kids when we give them space to think!

09/06/2026

"How do I explain that someone in my child's life has been convicted..."

It's a question no parent ever expects to ask. When the unthinkable happens, you are flooded with pain, anger, and worry about how your child will handle the truth. The burden of how to tell them-or even what to say-can feel completely overwhelming.

In this episode of Ask Kristi, we take a deep breath together. As a former Western Australian Police Detective who spent years in interview rooms with families navigating this exact crisis, I want you to know: you don't have to carry this alone.

It's never easy, but the focus is not just whether to tell them, it’s how to guide them through it safely and truthfully. 🛡️✨

If you are facing a difficult truth in your family, my DMs are always a completely anonymous, safe space to look for answers. Let’s support each other. 👇

Photos from Kristi McVee 's post 08/06/2026

"If it’s predictable, it’s preventable."

As a former child abuse detective and child safety expert, these are the facts that keep me up at night-but they are also the facts that should empower us to act.

Did you know that 90% of all child sexual abuse is committed by someone known to the child? Or that 30-50% is committed by another child?

When our children are small (aged 0-5), they rely completely on our boundaries and our judgment.

Protecting them isn't about fostering fear; it’s about building a proactive, safe environment.

Swipe through the slides to learn the 4 essential prevention tips every parent needs to know today:

1️⃣ Be Discerning: Do not blindly trust anyone with the care of your young child. Ensure anyone watching them matches your attitude toward safety and supervision.
2️⃣ Teach Body Safety Early: Protective behaviours education can begin as young as 18 months old.
3️⃣ Rethink Teen Babysitters: Older children are not adequate babysitters for long periods-child-on-child abuse is far more common than people realise.
4️⃣ Recognise Grooming Red Flags: Predators manipulate adults just as much as children. Always trust your gut.

Knowledge is our greatest tool for protection. We can change these statistics together, one conversation at a time. 🛡️

✨ Take the next step in protecting your family:

Not sure how to talk to your kids about body safety?

Grab a copy of my Conversations with Kids Body Safety cards via the link in my bio to start these crucial, age-appropriate talks easily and confidently.

05/06/2026

⚠️ What to do if you suspect your child has been abused??? ⚠️

This is by far the toughest question I get asked on the regular, and the reason it’s such a hard question is because the answer is not simple or straightforward and it is also not the answer any parent wants to hear.

If you are ever concerned and have suspicions, by all means speak with your local police and child protection for support, but also arm your kids with the knowledge and awareness to know, that if someone is breaking the body safety rules and doing something inappropriate, that it’s ok to tell you and their safe people.

Because sadly, they may not know, and they may be afraid to say anything because of the grooming that is happening.

Body Safety is both a prevention and support tool. It provides the language, clarity and framework, for children to know their rights and what to do if the body safety rules are being broken!

If you are teaching body safety; keep it up. If you haven’t started; it’s never too late to have these life saving conversations.

It works!

Grab a copy of my Conversations with Kids Body Safety cards via my website at www.kristimcvee.com/links or the link 🔗 in my bio.

Kristi x

03/06/2026

"My 2-year-old has started kissing her friends goodbye..." 👧💋

It sounds sweet, but as parents, how do we teach boundary setting and consent when our toddlers are natural "cuddle bugs" who don't understand body language yet?

In this episode of Ask Kristi, we breakdown an anonymous question from a mum trying to navigate this exact situation. It’s a delicate balance: we want to encourage our kids to love and be affectionate, but we also have to protect them by creating clear, consistent rules about who gets access to their personal space. 🛡️✨

Let's look at how to guide our littlest ones to respect their own boundaries—and others'—from the very start.

Has your toddler ever crossed a boundary out of pure affection? How did you handle it? Let’s chat in the comments! 👇

Photos from Kristi McVee 's post 01/06/2026

Your child seeing explicit content online can feel terrifying for parents… but your response matters more than the moment itself.

Kids need calm, safe adults who can help them process confusing or inappropriate online content without shame or fear.

These conversations help children:
✔ understand what they saw
✔ feel emotionally safe
✔ build trust with trusted adults
✔ learn healthy online boundaries
✔ develop digital resilience

When children know they can come to us without getting into trouble, they’re far more likely to keep communicating when something feels wrong online.

👉 Swipe through for practical ways to respond calmly, support your child, and turn difficult online moments into safe, protective conversations.

Because online safety isn’t just about devices.
It’s about emotional safety too. 💙

Read the full blog on the website.
www.kristimcvee.com/links

PLUS:
Check out my Conversations with Kids Online Safety Guide for age-appropriate conversation starters and practical support for navigating online safety and explicit content with children aged 6+.

Want your school to be the top-listed School/college in Brisbane?

Click here to claim your Sponsored Listing.

Location

Address


Brisbane, QLD