A cyberbullying support bot and 3D cyber ninjas teaching self-defence in the metaverse are among the latest projects funded under the Australian Government's $9 million Online Safety Grants Program.
The eSafety Commissioner has awarded nine grants totalling $2.25 million to universities and non-government organisations in the third round of the grants program, bringing the total number of projects funded to 32.
Data from eSafety shows reports about online harms continue to grow, with complaints about cyberbullying involving young people increasing 95 per cent in the first six months of 2022 compared to the same period last year.
The grants support the development of innovative programs and resources that improve children and young peoples' awareness of online safety issues and how to reduce online harms.
The successful applicants for the third round of the Online Safety Grants Program are:
- Deakin University - CyberNinjas: Empowering our children to be cyber smart in the Metaverse
- Centacare Catholic Family Services - Power Up: Online
- K.I.D.S Foundation - Netys the trusted eSafety friend
- Scope (Aust) Ltd - Be Safe Online
- The Butterfly Foundation - Body kind online: Education resources
- Western Sydney Community Forum - Our safe community online
- Western Sydney University - Reconceptualising Digital Safety in Family Homes post Covid-19
- University of Tasmania - Chatbot-enabled cyber safety for adolescents
- Charles Sturt University - Protecting children from smartphone leakage of security sensitive information
Projects supported in round one of the grants program have reached around two million children and young people.
This number is expected to grow significantly when a further 15 projects funded in round two of the program are delivered in coming months. These include a youth-produced short film festival (REELise), interactive stories to educate children about online grooming (Daniel Morcombe Foundation), and online resources and forums for young carers (Little Dreamers).
