The online environment can be a wonderful place for social connection, discovery, education, development and good old-fashioned fun. But it's also a place where our children can be vulnerable to the attentions of online offenders. In line with National Child Protection Week (6-12 September), the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation has created this list of practical steps parents, families and caregivers can take - starting today - to help keep their children safer online.
- Research the different parental control options available for each app, game or platform your children use. Then implement them to suit your family's needs.
- Check whether the apps, games and platforms have a direct message function. If they do, put restrictions on who can contact your children.
- Educate yourself about the available block and report functions, and make sure your children know how - and when - to use them.
- Consider turning off the voice chat on any games they play. If you can't, enable the speakers so you can audibly monitor any conversations.
- Start - and continue - regular discussions with your children to build up mutual knowledge and awareness about what happens online. This will let you understand what they get up to in the digital world, so you can identify potential or evolving risks. It will also let you teach them about what's age-appropriate and what they need to keep an eye out for, knowing you can't supervise them online all the time.
- Keep your knowledge base up-to-date so you can have informed conversations about their online activity in much the same way as you might ask about offline activities such as school and then be able to understand the meaning and context of what they tell you.
- Encourage your children to use critical thinking skills about their online interactions. Run through some scenarios with them to explain how a contact could start off seemingly innocent but quickly veer off-course, especially when it comes to content sharing.
- Make sure they know they should never agree to meet up in person with someone they only know through an app, game, platform or social media.
- Review how and where devices are used at home. Then consider if you want to introduce new practices, such as usage only in common areas or handing over devices at a certain time each night to be tucked away until morning.
- Encourage your children to question new friend or follower requests, or online contact from unknown users, rather than just connecting with anyone who asks. Help them develop critical thinking to identify any potential red flags.
- Talk to them about deflection and rejection tactics they can use if they are pressured to share nude or sexual images or videos of themselves. For example, "Sorry, that's not for me" or "If you ask me that again, I will report you."
- Make sure they use smart usernames that don't give away personal information when creating a profile or account. So, no to 'JakeSmith2010' and yes to 'GamerFun%%'.
- Encourage them to chat only about the game itself if they're playing multiplayer games with people they don't know in person. Give them some readymade answers they can use to bat away peer pressure or attempts to push their boundaries. For example, "I'm only here to win this match, so let's keep our focus on that."
- Make sure they know what information to capture as evidence if they are targeted, so you can report it and share with authorities. This includes screenshots and usernames.
- Educate your children about why it's important to keep personal information private - not only on their own channels but also where they might interact on other people's accounts. Talk them through how separate pieces of information could help offenders to build a profile of them.
- Remind your children they always have the right to both feel safe and say "no" to anything that makes them feel uncomfortable or unsure. Also emphasise that if something goes wrong online, they can always come to you for help and you will support, not punish, them.
- Finally, if your children come to you with a problem, stay calm and remember it has taken them courage to tell you what has happened. Then you can work together to map out next steps.
More resources
ACCCE: https://www.accce.gov.au/resources/for-parents-and-carers
ThinkUKnow online child safety program: https://www.thinkuknow.org.au/
Jack Changes the Game: https://www.accce.gov.au/resources/parents-carers/jack-changes-game
Report online child sexual exploitation
https://www.accce.gov.au/report
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