To Stay Safe Online just remember the acronym I-CURRB

To keep your child safe online the Australian Federal Police and Microsoft Australia advises parents to remember the acronym I-CURRB:

Investigate what your child is doing online.
Communicate with your children.
Use family safety software to keep track of what your children are able to access online.
Research your school’s and Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) policies on cyber-bullying.
Report cyber-bullying to your child’s school or ISP in the first instance, or local police if you
are concerned for your child’s safety.
Block communications from cyber-bullies. Most Instant Messenger sites, chat rooms and
email accounts allow you to block messages from identified people.

Talk to your children: stay aware of what they are doing online, who they are talking to and what social networking profiles they have. Establish communication so that if your children need help they will be comfortable coming to you.

Learn about the Internet: understanding how young people use the Internet and what they enjoy doing will help you to recognise any suspicious or inappropriate behaviour. It will also help you to talk to your children about their online activities if they think you understand the online environment.

Reinforce that your child should never meet anyone in the real world they have met online, particularly without being accompanied by an adult, family member or friend.

If you are concerned about online behaviour that involved the sexual exploitation of a child you can report it online to the AFP at: www.afp.gov.au/online_forms/ocset_form

If you believe a child is in immediate danger or risk, call 000 or your local police.

To keep your children safe from viewing inappropriate content online – such as pornography, child abuse images or terrorist-related material, parents are advised to follow these tips:

• Children under 10 years: monitoring and supervising their Internet use, as well as using a content filter.

• Children in their pre-teen years: monitoring their Internet use, use a content filter, and discuss appropriate safety guidelines.

• Teenagers: discussing appropriate safety guidelines and how to avoid unsafe situations.

In order to avoid exposure to inappropriate content online, it is recommended that parents also consider using an Internet content filter. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is required to provide you with access to Internet content filter software and information about how to use it.

Communicate with your children about how to stay safe online and what to do if they come across inappropriate content online. Inappropriate material can be reported to ACMA on www.acma.gov.au.

For further information and resources on the ThinkUKnow initiative, or to register your school for a presentation, go to www.thinkuknow.org.au.