Online child sexual exploitation can be confronting and not something that you may have considered as an issue that could affect you or your child. The ACCCE in partnership with ThinkUKnow is involved in many prevention and awareness raising initiatives in relation to keeping young people safe online and reducing the incidence on online child sexual exploitation.

Knowing the challenges and how they can be prevented or managed with the right information will help you take action.

 

Five top tips

ThinkUKnow have produced five top tips for you to prevent online child sexual exploitation. The tops tips are drawn from key advice areas including building safe online habits, technology settings, and getting help. These tips apply to parents and carers of children and young people of all ages.

Have open conversations, often

The most important tip we can give you is to start talking to your child regularly about their online activities and interactions.

Supervision is essential

This means knowing what your child is doing online, who they are interacting with and what platforms, apps or games they are using.

Be approachable if your child needs help

Coming forward isn’t always easy and your child may feel reluctant to tell you about online issues if they believe they will be punished or have their devices taken away. This also makes children more secretive about device use and at greater risk of exploitation.

Check privacy settings

We recommended that you research and understand app settings, including privacy settings. This could include turning off location settings, setting profiles to private, or turning off chat functions.  

Know how to report

If something goes wrong online, it is critical your child is supported. You need to know how to take action and report.

 

For more information and useful resources, visit ThinkUKnow.org.au.

Common Misconceptions

Online child sexual exploitation is a complex issue. There are many myths about the topic, and it's critical to get the facts right.

Learn about the common misconceptions of online child sexual exploitation here.