Technology has undeniably been a lifeline for us all during isolation. It is important that parents continue to be increasingly vigilant as their children spend more time online.

Being able to continue classes and connection with School and friends has made the challenges of lockdown more manageable. The use of Apps and social media platforms have also provided much needed social connection for young people in a time of physical distancing. This increased screen time comes with considerable risks unless adults are checking that appropriate privacy settings and have other protective behaviours are in place.

In response to “a surge in online child exploitation reports” since Melbourne has returned to lockdown, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) is warning parents “to be vigilant in keeping their kids safe online” to ensure that they “don’t fall victim to insidious online predators”.

The AFP reports that, “Child abuse forums have grown to more than 1,000 members who are sharing hundreds of videos and images”. Their data also suggests “the amount of child abuse material shared on the Dark Net between February and March doubled from the same period last year”. They warn that “offenders will use this second wave of COVID-19 as an opportunity to find more potential child victims, as young people spend an increasing amount of time online with limited adult supervision.”

These and other shocking statistics provided on the AFP website and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE), are a salient reminder of how vital parental involvement and oversight is. The AFP state that “the most important thing families and carers can do is to start the conversation about online safety with children from an early age and to continue talking with them regularly throughout all stages of their lives”.

Kaspersky, a global cyber security company, commissioned a worldwide survey which revealed, “On average, parents only spend a total of 46 minutes talking to their children about online security through their entire childhood. More than half (58%) of those surveyed spend less than 30 minutes discussing the subject”.

In February this year, the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) released the results of market research into community awareness and understanding of online child sexual exploitation. “Despite just under 17,000 reports of online child sexual exploitation received by the ACCCE in 2019, the Australian-first research found only 21 per cent of parents and carers think there is a likelihood that online child sexual exploitation can happen to their child”. The data and resources to assist parents to discuss the topic of online safety can be found here.

The AFP advises:

• Know what your children are doing and who they are interacting with online.
• Start using smart usernames and passphrases.
• Check the privacy settings on your family’s social media and online accounts.
• Research the Apps your family use.
• Supervision for young children is critical in preventing self-produced child exploitation material and online grooming.
• Make sure your child feels comfortable talking to you or another trusted adult about issues they might be experiencing online.
• Consider establishing a Family Online Safety Contract. Developed by ThinkUKnow and The Carly Ryan Foundation, it has been designed to help parents and carers start online safety discussions with their children. A copy is available at thinkuknow.org.au

The statistics: “Four out of five children aged four are using the internet; 30 per cent of these children have access to their own device”, necessitates the need for early education and surveillance.The Office of the eSafety Commission has created an Online Safety for Under 5s Booklet for parents, along with range of resources. The booklet contains advice including How to Set up a Device with Safety in Mind, Screen Time and Screen Practices and Where to Go for Content.

In recent articles, I have noted the importance of monitoring the Privacy Settings on popular Apps. Young people using new Apps and spending more time on social media can increase the likelihood of unwanted attention and exposure to inappropriate content. Tik Tok and House Party are Apps which have been increasingly downloaded by young people during the COVID 19 pandemic. Some of the key concerns regarding these Apps centre around the ease of contact by strangers, exposure to inappropriate content through search functions, the potential for self-esteem and bullying concerns and the risks to privacy and location.

While Tik Tok and House Party recommend that users must be at least 13 years of age, Common Sense Media recommends that Tik Tok should not be used by anyone younger than 16 years of age. One of the main issues with TikTok is that when signing up to use the App, the default setting on their accounts is “public”, meaning anything they share can be seen by any other user. Apart from the reported data sharing and other privacy implications, online predators are reportedly soliciting young people and sharing explicit images on the App. As there is no age verification when these apps are downloaded, it is important for parents to utilise the parental controls on their child’s device. Tik Tok released new parental controls in April, which include a Family Pairing option. More information can be found on the Smart Social site, including how to make the settings private.

The Parents@Home page on the Portal Learn@Home hub offers a range of advice and suggestions, including fact sheets and warnings regarding a range of Apps and ways to check privacy settings on your daughter’s devices.