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The Australian Federal Police has said it will deliver cyber safety picture books to more than 57,000 primary schools in the Philippines.
Primary schools across the Philippines are about to receive a gift from the Australian Federal Police after the law enforcement agency announced it has translated a children’s cyber safety guide into Tagalog.
Mga Batang Cyber Smart ay Cyber Safe – Cyber Smart Kids are Cyber Safe – is a print and digital publication based on Jack Changes the Game, a book published by the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) in 2022.
Now that the book has been translated, it will be distributed to more than 57,000 primary schools across the Philippines, addressing what the AFP Detective Sergeant Daisie Beckensall called a critical education gap when it comes to combating online sexual abuse or exploitation of children, or OSAEC.
“Online child sexual exploitation is a significant and growing issue in the Philippines and is fuelled by a whole range of factors,” Detective Sergeant Beckensall said.
“One of these is a lack of education and awareness about cyber safety issues and the risks and red flags for offences such as online grooming.
“These are issues that are critical for families, parents and carers to understand and embrace, as part of a whole-of-community approach.
“But tackling this problem can’t just be about reaching adults. We also need to empower children to help keep themselves safe online.
“That’s where Mga Batang Cyber Smart ay Cyber Safe / Cyber Smart Kids are Cyber Safe comes in.”
The book’s key message is simple: “Online friends are different from the friends you see each day. You can’t be certain who they are, so be careful what you share and say.”
The ACCCE funded the book and works closely with Filipino law enforcement to monitor and combat OSAEC. Australians are major offenders in the country, which is part of the reason for the cooperation, but other circumstances led to the Philippines being the first country to receive a translated version of the book.
“The ACCCE receives a high volume of referrals about online child sexual exploitation out of the Philippines,” said AFP Commander Human Exploitation Helen Schneider.
“We know from our referrals, which we receive from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, that exploitation of children in the Philippines is sometimes facilitated by someone known to the victim,” Commander Schneider said.
“What that highlighted to us was the need for an avenue to talk directly to young children to help educate and empower them to keep themselves safe online.
“This messaging includes simple prompts such as thinking about who they can go to for help.
“It also complements conversations the book can spark across the wider community, especially in school communities.”
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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