Education is the key to keeping children safe whether in the park or online. With children as young as 8 years old* using social media and messaging, its important their care network knows how to help children safely navigate online.
Crime Stoppers (NSW), NSW Police Force, eSafety Commissioner and the Australian Federal Police-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) have partnered to focus on prevention and have developed resources including the Child Online Safety Fact Sheet which explains the coordinated approach to safeguarding children delivered by our agencies. This factsheet can help by ensuring parents, carers, educators and those responsible for the care of children understand and manage the challenges for children online.
It is almost school holidays, and during the break we often see children spending more time online, potentially unsupervised. These conditions usually see an increase in inappropriate contact, online grooming and self-generated child abuse material.
The key challenges children and young people may experience include exposure to distressing, harmful, violent content, inappropriate and unwanted contact, or online grooming and sextortion, to produce child abuse material.
CASE STUDY: A 13-year-old female was playing an online game and was talking to a person in the in-game chat. The person manipulated the girl to continue talking on another platform and then tricked her into performing acts with no clothes on. Source: Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation.
CASE STUDY: A 15-year-old male joined a video call on a messaging app from someone they thought was a person their own age. The boy was tricked into sending images of himself with no clothes on, and the other person started to blackmail the boy for money, threatening to share the images with his family. Source: Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation.
CASE STUDY: A 12-year-old child received a request on Instagram to follow an unknown person who posed as an 18-year-old. This person groomed the child over a 3-week period and asked for information such as their age and address. The child shared self-generated child sexual exploitation material, which was then posted across a platform's public group chat dedicated to displaying such material. eSafety reported the material to the platform, the material was removed, and the group chat was suspended for violating the platform's Terms of Service. Source: eSafety.
No child or parent/carer should have to go through something like this.
What's needed is a coordinated approach. Firstly, resources for parents, carers and educators to help them understand the challenges, put preventative measures in place, and have open communication with their children about online safety. This is about parents and carers taking a more significant and greater interest in their children's online activity. A large part of this push is to ensure parents and carers know how to equip their children with knowledge around red flags to identify suspicious behaviour and know when to seek help.
Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty Commander, NSW Police Sex Crimes Squad and Child Exploitation Internet Unit said we as a society have to change the way we look at children's use of the internet.
"The internet is just like the real world. There are places your children can go by themselves and places you should go with your child, but no matter what you should always know who your kids are speaking to online and ensure they are prepared for what they may encounter and who to turn to if something bad happens.
"I don't want the public to be afraid about their children being online, it is a powerful tool for education and socialising, but I also don't want parents and carers to forget the dangers of the internet," Det Supt Doherty said.
"My detectives are constantly targeting and arresting those people who go online seeking to harm children, whether that is on social media, chat forums, games or other forms of online communication in order to keep our society safe.
"I urge parents and carers to continue to educate and look after your children both off and online, while police continue to hunt those who would harm them.
Crime Stoppers CEO, Mr Peter Price AM said, "There are no boundaries when it comes to sexual offenders online, there is no single demographic targeted. What is common is children being alone online and not having the knowledge or maturity to understand or manage the online space.
"Our priority for our most vulnerable will always be prevention. Online child exploitation such as the sharing of child sexual abuse material and sextortion are serious crimes with devastating consequences. We want parents, educators and the wider community to be aware and become engaged in their child's online safety, and we are here to help them by providing the resources they need to manage their children's experiences online".
eSafety recently released nationally representative data* from Australian 8-12 year-olds. It reveals 84% of Australian children surveyed between the ages of 8 and 12 have used social media and messaging services since the beginning of the year. 93% of Australian 12 year-olds surveyed used social media before reaching the current official age for social media entry of 13 years.
80% of children with a current social media or messaging account had help in setting it up. Of these, 90% said they had assistance in setting up their social media or messaging account from a parent or carer.
When we strengthen the support systems around children – at home, at school and in the wider community – with parents and carers more informed and prepared, children will have their best chance of staying safe online.
"Helping children navigate the online world is probably the most important thing parents and carers can do," eSafety Deputy Commissioner Toby Dagg said.
"Think of it like teaching a child to ride a bike. Just as we teach children to wear a helmet, balance, and stay alert for obstacles, we must prepare and protect children before they start exploring online activities on their own."
"We want to help empower parents, carers and trusted adults to provide the right kids of support," Mr Dagg said. "That's why eSafety has just launched our brand new 'Keeping children safe online in communities' hub. It's a one-stop shop for all the resources, tips, and advice you need to safeguard children from online harm in workplaces, communities and homes."
eSafety also has a suite of online safety resources designed to protect children and help build confidence in parents and carers when dealing with common online risks and harms. The resources include practical tips for keeping children safe on games, apps and social media and conversation starters to help parents and carers have age-appropriate conversations about potential harms, including child sexual abuse online.
Some of the red flags include suspicious accounts, asking personal questions, inconsistencies in the profile or language used and starting sexualised chat. Online safety is just another skill kids can learn and really need help from their parents to do it.
Here are five things parents can do now to help keep their children safe:
- Be open and supportive so your child knows they can come to you if something goes wrong.
- Engage with your child's online activities and have regular conversations about online safety.
- Use devices in open areas of the home – never behind closed doors.
- Check privacy settings on apps and games.
- Use parental controls to monitor content and limit access to devices.
ACCCE and Human Exploitation Commander Helen Schneider said the holiday season was often very busy for parents and carers, but it was important to keep online safety in mind. "Having open and honest conversations can help your child understand the risks and confide in a trusted adult if they are faced with unsafe situations online."
Earlier this year, the ACCCE, through the ThinkUKnow program, worked with the eSafety Commissioner to produce education resources to help all families, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, have important conversations about online safety. The resources, which include an advice sheet for parents and carers, and conversation cards for families with simple questions about online activities and behaviours, have been translated into simplified Chinese, Arabic and Punjabi.
"This initiative is about equipping parents and carers with the tools, resources and support so they are empowered to have these important discussions to help keep their children safer online. We want to remind all parents and carers that every online safety conversation matters." Commander Schneider said. "The number one step for parents and carers is to provide a safe space for their child or teen, so they know they will not be in trouble for seeking help."
"Online grooming, coercion or sexual extortion are among the challenges children may face online. When something happens, we ask young people to seek help as soon as possible and know that with help, they can make it stop. The best way to get help is to report it to the ACCCE who have a range of specialised resources available to specifically investigate this type of offending. The sooner it is reported, the sooner we can help."
If it does happen there are three key steps:
- Collect evidence – get screenshots or photos of the conversation/s. Record details such as profiles, usernames and URLs.
- Block – block the user and report it on the platform where the contact occurred.
- Report – report it as soon as possible to ACCCE.
No information is too small or insignificant. Although something may not appear relevant, it could be vital to a police investigation.
Where to go for help:
It can be confusing knowing where to go for help, where to get information to prevent crime and who to report to if something happens.
The Child Online Safety Fact Sheet provides a guide on:
- Signs to watch out for
- Ways to protect children online
- How to report online child exploitation
- Safety advice on sextortion
This will help parents, carers know how to minimise the risks for children and young people online, and where to go to for help if they become a victim of online grooming, child abuse material or sexual extortion.
Where[GT1] to report online child sexual exploitation
To make a report about inappropriate and unwanted contact, online grooming, sextortion or online child abuse material, go to the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation website.
If you're 18 or older and being blackmailed, report it to any platforms or services where the blackmailer contacted you. If your intimate image or video is shared you can report to eSafety to have it removed. eSafety has tips to help you deal with sexual extortion.
Everyone has a role to play in staying safe online. We are asking parents and carers to be engaged with their children's online activity, not only over the school holidays but every day. If you see or suspect something related to online child sexual abuse it should be reported immediately so action can be taken.
Helpful Links:
Prevention Advice
Crime Stoppers NSW - Keeping kids safe online – for tips and how to report find out more HERE
*Source: eSafety Commissioner – eSafety Commissioner (2024). Children and social media. Sydney: Australian Government.
END
