A record number of young Australians received online safety education in 2017-18 with almost 200,000 students attending ThinkUKnow presentations across the country.
ThinkUKnow is the Australian Federal Police's (AFP) online safety program. Established in 2009 it is Australia's first and only nationally-delivered, law enforcement-led crime prevention program.
ThinkUKnow's
Corporate Report 2017-18
The Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton said the report highlighted the strong and growing appetite for online safety education in our schools and communities.
The program is giving many more children, teachers, parents and carers the tools to manage challenges posed by new and emerging technologies, from sharing personal content and online grooming to cyberbullying and illegal content.
It uses real law enforcement case studies and focuses on what young people do online, the challenges and threats they may face and what they can do if something goes wrong.
"The AFP and state and territory police continue to play an essential role in keeping Australians safe both online," Mr Dutton said.
"I would also like to thank the hundreds of ThinkUKnow volunteers across the country delivering this program – your selfless work strengthens our communities and saves many individuals and families from significant heartache."
Key findings from the ThinkUKnow Corporate Report 2017-18:
- 2,711 presentations delivered to 196,881 students.
- 485 presentations delivered to 17,144 parents, carers and teachers.
- 855 adult and youth presenters across Australia received training and skill development.
- 200 people in regional NSW and Victoria received combined AFP and Commonwealth Bank-delivered online safety and security presentations
ThinkUKnow expanded to regional Australia in 2017-18 with presentations provided in Groote, Eylandt, Port Augusta, Ballarat, Rockhampton, Cairns, Kalgoorlie and Karratha.
The program is a partnership between the AFP, Microsoft Australia, Datacom and the Commonwealth Bank, and is delivered in collaboration with all state and territory police forces, as well as Neighbourhood Watch Australia.
ThinkUKnow's Corporate Report 2017-18 can be viewed here. For more information on how to stay safe online, visit www.thinkuknow.org.au.
