Deputy Principal 

Keeping Kids Safe on Snapchat: What Parents Need to Know

Snapchat is one of the most popular apps among young people, letting users send photos and videos ("snaps") that disappear after up to 10 seconds. While it's officially rated 13+, much of the content can still be inappropriate for that age group, and these age ratings are set by Snapchat itself, not an independent body.

A few important things for parents to know:

• "Disappearing" doesn't mean gone. Snaps can easily be saved through screenshots or screen recording. While Snapchat notifies the sender if a screenshot is taken, there are other ways to save images without any notification at all.

   

• There's no such thing as "safe sexting." Once an image is sent, the sender loses control of where it ends up. Sharing sexually explicit images of anyone under 18 — even with their permission — can be a serious criminal offence.

   

• Privacy settings are limited. One useful step is going to Settings → Who Can Send Me Snaps and selecting "My Friends," which restricts snaps to known contacts only.

   

• Talk, don't just take away the phone. If something goes wrong, open conversation works better than confiscating devices — kids who lose access at home may simply find other ways online, making it harder for parents to stay involved and offer support.

   

• Deleting an account is possible if needed, via support.snapchat.com/delete-account, but should generally follow a conversation with your child rather than replace one.

   

The bottom line: Snapchat isn't inherently dangerous, but like any app, it carries risks if used without understanding. Open, ongoing conversations with your child about respectful, responsible online behaviour remain the best protection.

For more resources, visit thinkuknow.org.au