News Centre

Editor’s note: The information sheets and advice cards can be downloaded via Hightail

The AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) is launching a suite of new education resources to help culturally and linguistically diverse families have important conversations about online child safety.

The ACCCE and the eSafety Commissioner have translated the resources, which include advice sheets for parents and carers, and conversation cards for families, into simplified Chinese, Arabic and Punjabi.

The resources are available online and will be rolled out through AFP community liaison teams and human exploitation community officers across Australia, as well as through the ThinkUKnow online child safety programs presented at schools across the country.

The new resources aim to engage and educate culturally and linguistically diverse communities and groups, as well as those who work with these groups, to help explain what online child sexual exploitation and abuse are, the warning signs and where victim-survivors and families can seek assistance or report to police.

AFP Commander Helen Schneider said the AFP worked closely with eSafety to develop the materials to ensure some of the largest non-English speaking communities in Australia were reached.

“Having open and honest conversations can help families feel empowered to tackle unsafe situations online,” Commander Schneider said.

“The advice sheets and conversation cards have been carefully designed to help parents and carers understand online child sexual exploitation, know how to handle uncomfortable or unsafe situations, make a report to the police, and get support for their child.

“By helping these communities and families to better understand online child sexual exploitation, online grooming, sextortion and what child exploitation and abuse material is, we are giving them the power to protect their children and help police to do the same.

“Australia is a proud multicultural country and we want to educate as many Australian families as possible to protect children from the threat of online child sex offenders. These resources help us get that vital message into the community.

“The work of the AFP-led ACCCE in protecting Australian children from harm is important. That’s why, any chance I get, I like to thank the dedicated men and women – the sworn and unsworn members – for their contribution.”

If your child tells you they have experienced abuse, try to remain calm and take action to support them:

• Remind them they have done nothing wrong, and things will get better with time;
• Reassurance and support will help them handle the situation;
• Do not punish them for being a victim-survivor of online child sexual exploitation or abuse, a victim is never to blame;
• Collect evidence including screenshots (but do not save or screenshot nude or sexualised images of children), URLs and usernames;
• Make a report to the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation and get support for your child.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said online games, social media and instant messaging could be a gateway for predators to access children.

“Children participate in online spaces to play, learn and connect with each other and their families, so it’s vital we keep those spaces safe so children can continue to enjoy the benefits of being online,” eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said.

“Parents can play a vital role in preventing online child sexual exploitation and abuse simply by having open, ongoing conversations with their children about online safety.

“It doesn’t have to be one big talk. In fact, smaller conversations during everyday activities like going for a walk, doing the dishes or playing a game together can be more effective at breaking down barriers and helping families feel like they can talk about anything that happens online.

“The new resources developed by eSafety and the ACCCE aim to facilitate those conversations.”

The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the ACCCE is driving a collaborative national approach to combatting child abuse.

The ACCCE brings together specialist expertise and skills in a central hub, supporting investigations into online child sexual exploitation and abuse, and developing prevention strategies focused on creating a safer online environment.

Members of the public who have information about people involved in child abuse are urged to contact the ACCCE. If you know abuse is happening right now or a child is at risk, call police immediately on 000.

If you or someone you know is impacted by child sexual abuse and online exploitation, support services are available.

Research conducted by the ACCCE in 2020 revealed only about half of parents talked with their children about online safety. Advice and support for parents and carers about how they can help protect children online can be found at the ThinkUKnow website, an AFP-led education program designed to prevent online child sexual exploitation and abuse.

For more information on the role of the ACCCE, what is online child sexual exploitation are and how to report it, visit the ACCCE website.

For information and advice about online safety and to report harmful or abusive content visit eSafety.