Children and young people have the right to be and feel safe at all times, including when they are online.  It is never too early to start talking to children about online safety.  Regularly talking with your children about safety online will help children safely navigate their digital world and educate them to reduce the risk of harmful online experiences.  In today’s context, one in four children will experience something online that can make them unsafe.  It is important for all families to have regular conversations about the risks online and how to navigate the digital world safely. 

The eSafety Commissioner has developed three key strategies to help parents start these conversations:

1. Be engaged, open and supportive

• Get involved. Share online time with your children as part of family life. Play games together. Talk about favourite apps, games or websites.
• Keep lines of communication open. Ask about their online experiences, who they are talking to and whether they are having any issues.
• Reassure your child they can always come to you, no matter what. Let them know you will not cut off internet access if they report feeling uncomfortable or unsafe when online – this is a real concern that may stop your child from communicating with you openly.
• If you notice a change in behaviour or mood, talk to your child about it. If you are concerned, consider seeking professional help – from your GP, a psychologist or school counsellor.

2. Set some rules

• Set age-appropriate rules for devices and online access, with consequences for breaking them.
• Get your child’s input — this will help them understand risks. As they get older you can review your rules together. 
• Consider creating a family tech agreement (sometimes called a family media plan or family online safety agreement). This is a set of rules about how devices, like smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs and gaming consoles are used in your home. It is written down and agreed to by all family members and kept in a place where everyone can see it, such as on the fridge.
• Your family tech agreement could cover the type of websites that can be visited, time spent online and acceptable online behaviour. 
• eSafety has created downloadable family tech agreement templates for families with children under 5 or those with kids aged 5 to 8 years. For families with older children, The Family Online Safety Contract from ThinkUKnow Australia is a good starting point.
• The consequences for breaking the rules should be clear. Negotiate these with your child when you create your agreement so they mean something to them – Raising Children Network has some useful tips and advice.
• Consider making some ‘rules for parents’ too and stick to them! Model behaviour that you would like to see.

1. Use technology and get information
• Get to know the devices you and your children use and set them up for privacy and online safety. Take advantage of parental controls to monitor and control screen time and access to content, based on your child’s age and experience. See our guide to parental controls.
• Choose apps and games carefully and visit the App Store or Google Play for age ratings and consumer advice. Read the Australian Classification Board’s online database for information about movies and games.
• You can also visit Children and Media Australia and Common Sense Media (US) for information about apps, games and websites searchable by age.

In addition to these key strategies, research shows that children who receive consistent safety messages, both at home and at school, are more likely to be confident in responding to unsafe situations and to speak up if something happens that concerns or upsets them.  Therefore, the most important message for any child to hear is that they can speak to a trusted adult if they find themselves in a situation that makes them feel unsafe or uncomfortable.  It can be easy to respond hastily and restrict your child’s access to devices.  What is important is to remain calm, listen to your child and to work through these issues together.