Child Safe & Wellbeing
Safety, Respect and Learning
Australia’s Biggest Child Safety Lesson
Your child will soon be taking part in this year’s Australia’s Biggest Child Safety Lesson (ABCSL) created by the Daniel Morcombe Foundation. ABCSL 2025 is all about Safe Spaces - creating safer environments for children in online and offline spaces.
During your child's STSS lesson in Week 9, they will watch and discuss the following video:
Australia's BiggestChild Safety Lesson 2025- Grade 1-3.
Australia's Biggest Child Safety Lesson 2025- Grade 4 - 6.
The Lower Primary resource explores how navigating online spaces and identifying what is real and what is fake can be difficult. “Sus people” or “groomers” may try to trick children to gain their trust, then demand information, images, game credits and money. The Upper Primary resource explores how chatbots and AI companions can influence children’s lives and the spaces where they spend time.
The content of ABCSL is evidence-informed, trauma informed and age-appropriate. Teaching children to think critically about the spaces they spend their time in - both online and offline - helps them to recognise, react and report unsafe situations.
The resources align with the Victorian Curriculum, focusing on Digital Literacy capabilities and Health and Physical Education content descriptors which aim to give students the knowledge and skills to adapt to evolving technologies and develop strategies to help protect themselves and others in digital environments.
Recent Australian eSafety Commissioner research tells us that 38% of young people chat to strangers online and that 1 in 4 have been contacted by someone they didn’t know. With over 80% of Australian children 8 to 12 years old accessing online apps and games with public and private chat functions, groomers have an increased opportunity to contact them and build trust. They will often pretend to be a friend of a friend, someone with similar likes or of a similar age to encourage children to talk to them and share information.
The Australian eSafety Commissioner also reports that in early 2025, over 100 AI companions are currently available. Many AI companions are free and promote friendship, emotional support and romantic companionship. They learn and adapt their interaction based on what users tell them. Reports indicate that some children and youth spend hours daily interacting with these chatbots, frequently discussing sensitive topics like sex and self-harm.
Continuing Conversations
We understand that discussing such sensitive topics can be challenging for both parents and educators. However, we hope this resource will provide a starting point for important conversations about safety online with your child.
Some questions that can continue the conversation include:
• Do you think there’s a difference between what happens online and what happens in person?
• Would you like to show me how to play some of the games you play online?
• Have you felt worried or unsafe when you’ve been online?
• Do you talk to people online? How do you know them?
• What are some body clues someone might have if they feel unsafe online?
• Do you feel comfortable talking to me or another adult if you ever feel unsafe?
These conversations are ongoing and will change as children grow and experience different environments.
If you would like any support, please reach out to us at school, or the below resources: