As the start of a new school year approaches, parents and carers are being urged to talk to their kids about how to stay safe online after Australia’s eSafety Commissioner recorded a significant increase in cyberbullying reports.
Last year, eSafety received 2,383 reports of cyberbullying compared to 1,700 in 2022, with two-thirds of reports (67 per cent) concerning children aged 12 to 15 years.
Acting eSafety Commissioner Kathryn King said eSafety’s investigators tend to see an increase in cyberbullying reports during the school term because online bullying is frequently an extension of bullying behaviour in the playground or classroom.
“Before school returns, it’s helpful to sit down with your children to reassure them they can always come to you if they see anything online that makes them feel uncomfortable – but to also remind them to treat others with respect,” King said.
“It’s also helpful to discuss why any parental and privacy controls are in place for their safety and agree on when and where they can use their devices.”
King said once children are back in the classroom, parents should ask questions about what they’re doing online and who they’re chatting to with the same regularity that they would ask them about maths, sport and school friendships.
The top five cyberbullying harms reported to eSafety in 2023 were nasty comments or serious name calling; offensive or upsetting pictures or videos; fake accounts and impersonations; threats of violence; and unwanted contact. Two-thirds of reports (66 per cent) related to cyberbullying of girls and just under one-third (29 per cent) concerned boys, with gender diverse children targeted in 2 per cent of reports.
King said any parent or carer wanting to brush up on their online safety skills could sign up for free webinars as part of Safer Internet Day on Tuesday, 6 February.
This Safer Internet Day, eSafety is helping more Australians take three simple actions to improve online safety for themselves and loved ones – Connect, Reflect, Protect.
“Connect safely by keeping apps and devices secure and reviewing your privacy settings regularly. Reflect on how your actions online may affect others or your safety. Protect yourself and others by visiting eSafety.gov.au to find out how to stay safe online and report online abuse,” King said.
Ms King said rapid take-up of sophisticated AI technologies was changing the nature of online abuse.
“We encourage families not to make online safety a ‘set and forget’ issue,” she said.
“Even as eSafety applies pressure on industry to do more to make their platforms and services safer, we’re also asking parents, carers, aunties, and uncles to actively guide and support children’s online experiences.”
King said the nature and impact of cyberbullying harm is changing for the worse with the rise of generative AI technologies.
“These incredibly powerful tools burst onto the mainstream stage last year and are now being used to produce very realistic, degrading and offensive synthetic content featuring real people, including children,” she said.
“We want children, parents and carers across Australia to know that we can remove seriously harmful content when the platforms won’t. We’re here as your online safety net.”
The original version of this story appeared as a media release from Australia’s eSafety Commissioner.