SBS and the eSafety Commissioner create educational resources about cyber safety

Ahead of the premiere of new SBS drama, The Hunting, SBS has partnered with the eSafety Commissioner to produce educational resources that will help parents and teachers keep young people safe online.

The Hunting follows the lives of four young Australians, their teachers and families throughout the lead up, revelation and aftermath of a nude teen photo scandal. It explores the experiences of the teenagers as they traverse the complexities of relationships, identity and sexuality via technology.

Available through SBS’s education portal, SBS Learn, the materials provide families, carers, teachers and the school community with conversation starters about image sharing and cyber bullying, to help promote safe and positive experiences online.

SBS MD, James Taylor said: “The Hunting is a powerful exploration of the issues and impacts of online behaviour in our modern digital world. These are issues which span cultures and communities and are increasingly important for society today. In order to help parents and teachers engage in the topic further, and to create safe forums for these matters to be discussed, SBS Learn has collaborated with the eSafety Commissioner to produce resources to facilitate further discussion, and promote positive digital identities amongst young Australians.”

Paul Fletcher, Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts added: “I am pleased to see SBS working collaboratively with the eSafety Commissioner to spread the message about how to equip young people to be safe online. This is something many parents, teachers and communities have grappled with."

Ninety-nine per cent of young people aged 15-17 years are online, making them the highest users.

Julie Inman Grant, eSafety Commissioner, said young people needed to know how to deal with the risks before facing them.

“eSafety research suggests that one in five Australian children have negative experiences online, so it’s imperative that conversations about staying safe online start in the home, as soon as we hand over devices to children, and are reinforced through their educational journey at school.

“We know first-hand the devastating effects of having an intimate image shared without consent, evidenced through our image-based abuse reporting service.

“These issues are more common than most think, especially for young people. The educational resources help parents and educators understand how to handle these issues and importantly, how to start conversations with young people about respect and consent online.”

The Hunting will air on SBS and SBS On Demand from 1 August, and the SBS Learn resources are available now via the SBS Learn portal.

Visit esafety.gov.au.