Julie Inman Grant says one in four reports include ‘direct threats of violence or harm’ targeted at a child

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

One in five children have experienced cyberbullying while one in 10 adults have experienced image-based abuse, according to Australia’s e-safety commissioner.

Julie Inman Grant will address the National Press Club on Wednesday to warn that cyberbullying is becoming “more complex, urgent and serious” and parents need more information to keep children safe.

The speech will also reveal new statistics on child sexual abuse material, including the disturbing trend that children are increasingly coerced by offenders into creating child “pornography” themselves rather than through direct contact with an offender.

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In excerpts of the speech, seen by Guardian Australia, Inman Grant reveals that one in four reports to the e-safety commissioner include “direct threats of violence or harm” targeted at a child.

“The average age of victims is 14; girls are bullied online more than boys; and almost all of the online abuse is peer to peer and has a nexus to social conflict within the school gates,” she says.

Research indicates that while one in 10 Australians aged 18 and over have had an intimate image or video shared online without their consent, this “increases significantly for vulnerable cohorts”.

One in five women aged between 18 and 45, one in five LGBTIQ people and one in four Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have “experienced image-based abuse”, she says.

In 2017, parliament expanded the remit of the e-safety commissioner to include safety of all Australians online. Since October, a new website dedicated to image-based abuse has received 500 reports and inquiries.

“Despite the material often being hosted overseas, our image-based abuse team has succeeded in having material removed in 80% of cases where removal was requested and have now dealt with more than 140 different platforms to have these removed,” Inman Grant says.

The e-safety commissioner praised new legislation introducing civil penalties for so-called “revenge porn”, which includes fines of up to $105,000 for individuals and $525,000 for companies who refuse to remove an image when requested by the commissioner.

Inman Grant says the law gives her “significant new capabilities to go after perpetrators and offer victims more options for redress”.

The e-safety commissioner conducted a nationwide survey of 3,500 Australian parents that found 94% rated online safety as “one of the primary parenting challenges of our time” and three-quarters attempt to monitor or set rules for their children online.

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But parents have a “significant knowledge gap” and are too time-poor to keep up with their children, Inman Grant warns.

“Ninety-six percent of parents told us they need additional online safety information to help them manage the online risks their children are exposed to,” she says. “Their concerns range from protecting their child’s online privacy to knowing what signs and symptoms to look for in determining whether their child has experienced some form of online abuse.”

Inman Grant says it is a matter of “when not if” children will come across inappropriate or illegal content online, suggesting the e-safety commissioner can help parents with the burden of online safety through education programs in schools and outreach to law enforcement and community groups.

Inman Grant warns that cyberbullying and image-based abuse are often mislabelled “technology issues”, leading parents to demonise technology, banning children from apps or phones as a “singular solution”.

“I’m sorry to say that there is no quick fix or panacea to these online abuses,” she says. “These are social and behavioural issues playing out online that require full scale cultural change.”