OPEN Seminar: Online Safety and the Rights of Children and Young People

Join OPEN and the Centre for our annual seminar dedicated to championing the voices and rights of children and young people. This year the OPEN Seminar is focusing on policy and service responses in relation to online safety.

Recent government discussions on online safety have emphasised strengthening measures to protect young people from online harms. However, the critical voices of children and young people themselves are often missing from these conversations.

This seminar will bring together influential leaders, policymakers, researchers, and advocates to address the urgent issue of online safety for children and young people. The voices and lived experiences of young people will be central, as they navigate the dangers of gendered and sexually harmful digital content.

By centring the perspectives of children and young people, we aim to develop more effective and empathetic strategies for online safety. Insights from research and lived experiences will be key to understanding the challenges they face and shaping policies that truly safeguard children and young people in the digital world.

Keynotes

• Anne Hollonds, National Children’s Commissioner
  Will deliver a keynote presentation on the critical importance of quality engagement with children. Drawing insights from the recent Do things with the information we tell you’ Supporting Quality Engagement with Children report, Anne will explore how meaningful communication with children can shape their development and uphold their rights. Her address will explore practical strategies for promoting supportive environments where children’s voices are truly heard and respected.
• Rebekah Kilpatrick, Head of the National Office for Child Safety
  Will be presenting a keynote address on the urgent issue of online safety for children and young people. In response to the rising threats in digital spaces, Rebekah will discuss the proactive measures being implemented by the National Office for Child Safety. Her presentation will cover strategies to protect children from online harms, promote digital resilience, and ensure safe online environments.

Research Presentations

• Image-based sexual abuse as a means of coercive control: Victim-survivor experiences by Professor Nicola Henry, RMIT University.
  The presentation will explore the various forms of image-based sexual abuse (IBSA), including its prevention and the importance of non-legal measures, while drawing on young people’s insights on effective responses.
• From Andrew Tate to online pornography: Young men are critical consumers of online content by Professor Amanda Keddie, Deakin University.
  The presentation will explore findings from a recent study, supported by the Australian eSafety Commission. The presentation highlights the risks young men face online and their critical perspectives. While concerns exist about exposure to harmful content, the discussion will focus on how young men actively engage with and challenge these negative narratives.

Lived Experience Parent Advocate

• Wayne Holdsworth from S(MAC)K TALK will share his story about his son Mac and the signs and process people can use to assist people that may be experiencing online harms.