As ChildFund Australia prepares to launch its internationally beta tested SwipeSafe program and App in Australia and other countries, a critical policy discussion will take place in Parliament House
Child rights advocates and Parliamentarians will gather in Parliament House on 2 July for a forum highlighting the practical and policy solutions required to keep children safe in digital environments, with a clear window of opportunity on the immediate horizon.
In the countries and communities in which ChildFund Australia works, the rapid digital transformation of children’s lives has presented acute risks for their protection and wellbeing. ChildFund responded with the creation of the Swipe Safe program and app which serves to immediately strengthens children’s knowledge, skills and behaviours to keep themselves safe online.
“We wanted to contribute to the solution by putting a solution back into the hands of children so they can be a participant in their own safety,” said ChildFund CEO, Margaret Sheehan. “Swipe Safe is a program that goes beyond just raising awareness, and builds their knowledge and critical thinking skills. This is now a globally scalable solution, as we have transformed the curriculum into a deeply interactive, innovative and participatory app.”
Global data presents a clear picture of the prevalence of child sexual abuse material, cyber bullying, online coercion, online sexual exploitation and abuse, addictive-by-design platforms and children’s data collection.
The volume of child sexual abuse material being reported has increased by 87 per cent since 2019, with new and evolving forms including AI-generated CSAM imagery. In South East Asia online child sexual abuse and exploitation is experience by as many as 20 per cent of children.
Swipe Safe has been beta tested in five separate phases, directly involving face-to-face training and app testing with tens of thousands of children in Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Fiji and the Solomon Islands. It has since been piloted in Australia and the Solomon Islands. Soon it will be launched into operation in Indonesia, the Philippines, Ecuador, Brazil, various countries in Africa, and in Australia.
“The digital safety of children requires an approach that doesn’t just keep them safe or protect them from the worst of harms, but one that also preserves their digital rights to play, to learn, to access information, and to connect,” Ms Sheehan said. “Digital environments are here to stay, and a solid part of an exciting future for children. But we can’t ask children to navigate unsafe systems – we need to ensure the digital technology and platforms are safe, which requires a collective effort and cooperation between governments, the tech industry and civil society, with children’s best interests as the driving force.”
With review of the Online Safety Act underway, a Children’s Privacy Code which could be adopted in legislation slated for August this year, Australia could be positioned to secure impressive change. But the bar has been raised internationally and Australia can do more to adopt international best practice. What are the emerging digital safety issues for children? What do the priority solutions look like? And what leadership can Australia show to create positive outcomes and impact for all children – In ChildFund’s case, in Australia and the Asia Pacific?
(Sydney, Australia). A situation largely forgotten by the world the refugees here live in Bangladesh, stateless and without basic human rights.
With no country prepared to offer refuge to this vast population, families are forced live in the vast and highly cramped camp in temporary shelters constructed of flimsy bamboo with mainly tarpaulin rooves. Fires are a constant and life-threatening risk, they occur on a daily basis without warning in the camp, generally from cooking fires.
Domestic violence, child labour, early marriage and child exploitation are real threats children face every day. Personal safety is listed as the number one concern of girls living in the camp. Access to education is also very limited and the refugees in the camp are heavily reliant on foreign aid and the work of aid agencies to have any kind of future.
ChildFund and their partners in Bangladesh work with the community in Cox’s Bazar to implement programs that address some of these critical issues. Their work centres on funding small community centres that provide education and practical skills training. Given the ongoing threats of natural and human disasters, they also work with local partners to help provide firefighting education and equipment.
Lamia* is just 18 years old, and she resides in camp 17 under Ukhiya Upazila, of Cox’s Bazar. She reached the Bangladesh border with her family in December 2017. Recently, she became a member of her local Disaster Management Committee (DMC) the committee meet in a community centre funded by the ChildFund Australia and New Zealand She has learnt how to identify homes at risk, how to use a fire extinguisher and numerous other skills to help defend the camp against the lethal threat of fire.
Lamia said, “I can put out fire by using a fire extinguisher. I learned how to use the fire extinguisher in our DMC meeting session.
“Not all of us have the fire extinguishers at our shelter house; however, we can respond using the one which is installed at my friend’s house. We also learned how to put out fires by using sand, water, or stones. I also share the awareness messages with the people of the community.
“Now I have learned to stay calm and deal with disasters, and I talk with other women in our community who are not members of DMC about how women can ensure their own personal safety as women and children are more at risk during disaster,” Lamia added.
Chief Development Officer Corinne Habel was in Bangladesh last month where she had the opportunity to see the camp firsthand and experience the important work that is being done to make life more manageable in the world’s largest refugee camp.
“The hardships and struggle the people in Cox’s Bazar have had to endure is astounding. In spite all of this, the children there have displayed incredible resilience and aspiration for their futures.”
“I met girls that wanted to be doctors, nurses, pilots and teachers. I was incredibly impressed with the groups of young people – both male and female – joining and leading groups to improve their communities by teaching peers, elders and younger children on topics such as the dangers of early marriage and child labour as well as how to stay safe during fires and storms. They envision a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities.”
“However, while the support we have offered to this community is making a tremendous difference to many lives in this camp there is still a lot of work to do. Nowadays it is easy to feel overwhelmed every time we listen to the news, it’s important to know our work is making a difference to children in vulnerable circumstances. Based on what I saw in Bangladesh, I can tell you with certainty it is, but we need more valuable support from generous Australians to keep this critical work going.”
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*Name has been changed to protect child’s identity.
