Emma Kemph

As we recognise Day for Daniel on Friday, 31 October, it’s an important time to remind all families about the need to be vigilant with children’s online activity. This national day, held in honour of Daniel Morcombe, focuses on child safety, protection, and awareness — both in the physical and digital world.

Recent media coverage surrounding the popular game Roblox has highlighted growing concerns about student exposure to inappropriate and sexualised language online. Teachers have also reported hearing some of this language being used at school, which often stems from online interactions.

Many online platforms include messaging services that allow users to communicate freely unfortunately, this can also provide opportunities for adults to pose as someone else. In a recent classroom discussion, approximately half of the students reported receiving messages from people outside their friendship group. One child even commented, “But it was the Captain of the Brisbane Lions,” illustrating how easily children can be deceived online. We strongly encourage parents and carers to:

• Monitor your child’s online use closely.
• Review your home internet safety and privacy settings.
• Use parental controls or monitoring apps to help keep your child safe.
• Have open, ongoing conversations about safe and respectful online behaviour.
• Ensure close supervision

Below are some trusted resources to help you get started:

 eSafety Commissioner – Parental Controls

• Step-by-step guides to set safety and privacy settings on devices, games and apps.
  How to set up Parental Controls

Common Sense Media – Family Tech Planners

• Free templates for deciding “when, where, and how long” technology is used at home.
  Family Tech Planner (Common Sense Media)

 Daniel Morcombe Foundation – Family Technology Agreement Guide

• A practical guide to creating your own family technology plan, tailored to your needs.
  Download the Guide (PDF)

See below Digital Wellbeing section for more information. Thank you for your continued support in helping us promote safe, respectful, and responsible digital citizenship among our students — not just on Day for Daniel, but every day.