Books aim to keep Indigenous children safe online

Indigenous translators and illustrators in the Northern Territory have teamed up with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to create two picture books to support education and awareness of child safety online.The Wise Emu and the Digital Dingo in Paradise, and The Wise Brolga and the Digital Dingo in Paradise, written in Western Arrarnta and Old Tiwi respectively, are aimed at teaching children and parents about the risks of child sexual exploitation in a culturally and age appropriate way.The Wise Emu and the Digital Dingo in Paradise is increasing awareness about online safety. (ABC News)Hermannsburg resident and Western Arrarnta woman Maxine Malbunka translated The Wise Emu."My role was to get this message across to my community and to educate the young ones that online is not safe," she said."Nowadays, kids, they like internet all the time … the little ones, they like phones, they like to watch YouTube."We need to let the parents know that they have to look after their little ones while they're watching."Maxine Malbunka reads The Digital Dingo in Paradise. (ABC Alice Springs: Victoria Ellis)Ms Malbunka said she could not give specific examples to protect the privacy of families, but there had been instances where children in the community had encountered "nasty people" online.Increased reports of child sexual exploitationIn the past financial year, the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) received more than 100,000 reports of online child sexual exploitation, according to Online Child Safety Team leader Kristy Thomson."That equates to about 275 reports per day, and it's a 21 per cent increase from the previous financial year," she said.Kristy Thomson says online predators use many tactics to groom children. (ABC News)Ms Thomson said one of the biggest online threats was child grooming, when an adult made contact with a child to enable their sexual abuse."Offenders use a variety of tactics to get children to engage with them and then sort of groom them to share intimate images of themselves," she said."So, this book is a great way of introducing safe and unsafe situations, going to a trusted adult to seek help, and then the importance of making a report and getting support in those types of situations."Maxine Malbunka says parents need to supervise their child's use of the internet. (ABC Alice Springs: Victoria Ellis)'The mums can teach the young ones'Hermannsburg mother Kara Katakarinja welcomed the books, both to preserve culture and to educate families about the dangers online for their children."Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and all that. Yeah, it's not good for the kids," she said."It's really good to show it to the mums, so the mums can teach the young ones not to play with the phone."A child plays on a smart phone on a mat on the floor. (ABC Alice Springs: Victoria Ellis)Ms Malbunka said she would like to see the books made in more Aboriginal languages for other communities around Australia."We hope we get more communities involved, sharing our knowledge," she said."I am so proud and happy for what I have done for the community."Digital versions of the books are available on the ACCCE website, along with additional learning resources.