Rodney Stevens
With the longest school holidays of the year almost upon us, both students, teachers and parents are all looking to relax and unwind, but carers of children who have access to the internet are being warned to remain vigilant as sexual predators know children will be spending more time unsupervised, making them easier to target.
These online predators are increasingly gaining access to children online through popular apps, games, and social media sites to solicit sexual images or video, or to harm the child physically.
According to Mind the Gap research there are significant gaps in parents’ awareness of what their children are doing online.
The research showed 55 per-cent of children communicated with someone they first met online, yet only 34 per-cent of parents were aware of this, while in the 14-to-17-year age group 63 per-cent were exposed to negative online content and only 43 per-cent of parents knew.
The content sent to these teenagers included gory or violent material, drug taking, hate messages, self-harm, ways to take their own life, and violent sexual images or videos, with 11 per-cent of 14-17 year-olds asked to send online sexual images of themselves.
The internet can create a range of safety challenges as not everyone you or your child meets online is who they say they are.
Signs for parents to look for that may indicate their child is being preyed on include when your child becomes vague or secretive about what they’re doing online, they become quieter or more withdrawn, they avoid their phone or other devices and seem anxious when near them.
E-Safety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant said just as we put helmets on our kids to ride a bike, we need to keep them safe when they go online – whether they’re watching videos, gaming, or on social networking apps.
“The best way to prevent your child from being groomed is to be a regular, active participant in their online and offline lives,” she said.
“Set family rules together, including which devices and apps can be used, when and for how long.
“Ensure devices are used in open areas of the home, rather than in the bathroom or bedroom, so you’re generally aware of what they’re doing online.
“Most importantly, co-play and co-view, particularly through interactive online games with strangers.
“The vast majority of covert online grooming and sexual extortion our investigators see is happening behind closed doors, in what might be considered the ‘safety and sanctity’ of one’s home.”
If your child falls victim to an online predator, these are three key steps:
- Collect Evidence – screenshots or photos of conversation. Record social media profile details, usernames and URLs.
- Block – block the user and consider changing your information including password.
- Report – report it as soon as possible to the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation.
To report online child exploitation or abuse visit https://www.accce.gov.au/report