Helping kids thrive online

General tips for supporting your child online:

Support your child’s friendships online and off by talking with them about their friends and activities.
Ask your child to demonstrate the games and apps they use to better understand what they play, why it’s fun and possible pitfalls they may encounter.
Help build confidence by encouraging children to share their knowledge of the online world.
Encourage routines that promote health and balance. For example, create device-free times and places in your home.
Model your own behaviour, by demonstrating that you can put your phone down and concentrate on spending time with your child, without the distractions of being online.
Talk to your child about who could be their ‘askable adult’, and when they would speak with them.

Harmful content

Harmful or inappropriate content is content that a child might find upsetting, disturbing or offensive.

Ways to start the chat:

Use eSafety’s information on how to approach the hard-to-have conversations.
Use the eSafety guide to learn more about popular apps, games and social networking sites.
Explore eSafety kids pages with your child to discuss topics such as I saw something online I didn’t like.
Learn how to report illegal content.

Contact with strangers

Unwanted contact is any type of online communication that your child finds unpleasant or confronting, or that leads them into a situation where they might be harmed. At worst, it can involve ‘grooming’ a child — building a relationship with a child in order to sexually abuse them. To help your child:

Learn and discuss what children can do in situations where they might feel unsafe.
Explore eSafety kids pages so you can more easily discuss topics like someone is contacting me and I don’t want them to.
Learn about the features of apps that can expose children to contact with strangers by exploring the eSafety guide.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is using technology to bully a person, hurt or scare them. eSafety can help with the removal of serious cyberbullying content. To help:

Use the eSafety guide to show your child how to block and report users that make them feel uncomfortable.
Explore eSafety kids to discuss topics such as someone is being mean to me online and people are being mean to others online.
Teach your child how and when to report cyberbullying to eSafety.

Resources

Download the online safety guide for parents and carers — available in 5 languages.
Use online safety basics to explore technology issues with your child, negotiate rules and get to know the technology.
Refer to eSafety’s taming the technology to set screen time tools and parental controls.
Read eSafety’s privacy and your child to help manage privacy and safety settings. It also offers advice about how to check location settings.
Explore the big issues and find out more about cyberbullying, online pornography, time online, gaming, unwanted contact and grooming.
Check eSafety’s skills and advice resources—establishing good habits, hard to have conversations and using parental controls.
Show your child how to contact Kids Helpline and learn the details of Parentline in your state or territory.
Be smart and secure when choosing tech gifts for children by reviewing the eSafety gift guide.
If you have children under five, read eSafety Early Years for more information and resources.
For parents of teens, visit eSafety young people.
Look at eSafety parents for advice, resources and links specifically tailored for parents’ needs.

For parents of primary school aged children, visit eSafety kids.

Source: https://www.esafety.gov.au/

Suzanne Deefholts

Child Safety Officer

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