On Tuesday 5 February 2021, we celebrated Safer Internet Day. Run by the eSafety Commission, this year’s theme was Start the Chat.
Research by the eSafety Commision revealed that only 46% of Australian parents feel confident about dealing with the online risks their children face and 95% want more information about online safety. We are writing the blog this year to remind parents, educators and the community of the resources available on the eSafety Commission’s website to assist in having conversations around staying safe online.
As part of the eSafety Commission’s commitment to helping children and young people stay safe online, they are running a number of webinars in March titled eSafety’s parent guide to cyberbullying and online drama.
For younger children there is also an ebook and song titled Swoosh, Glide and Rule Number 5, which our own kids have enjoyed.
The eSafety Commission website also has lots of useful information for pertinent to older children, including help for parents in securing social media and online gaming platforms. This website can also be used to report cyberbullying, image-based abuse, and illegal/harmful content.
We encourage everyone to have a look at the website and access the resources. Also feel free to share the word that these resources exist. We hope this blog reminds you to start the chat about internet safety with someone you care about, it certainly has for us.