Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

These bills before us are a demonstration of this government's election commitment to enhance online safety for children, including: appointing a Children's e-Safety Commissioner to take a national leadership role in online safety; and implementing a complaints system, backed by legislation, that will get cyberbullying material aimed at our children taken down quickly from large social media sites.

The legislation was developed following considerable public and stakeholder consultation, and took account of more than 80 submissions in response to the discussion paper Enhancing online safety for children, which was released in January 2014. In addition to the commissioner and complaints system, the online safety bill: provides for the Commissioner to make a cyberbully remove material and to stop posting further material; provides for the cyberbully to apologise to the child; provides for some enforcement mechanisms for the commissioner; provides an account to fund the commissioner's activities; and, importantly, enables the commissioner to disclose information in certain circumstances.

Clearly, cyberbullying and online safety are important community issues—whether you are in the city or the bush, these issues are important to all individuals and families. Cyberbullying affects all of us, particularly younger people who are more vulnerable. But what do we mean by cyber-bullying?

Cyberbullying is when someone is tormented through any form of technology. This is a modern-day problem. New research commissioned by the Abbott government last year showed that one in five Australian children aged eight to 17 experiences cyberbullying each year. The successful passage of this legislation will be a powerful deterrent for cyberbullies and will help keep our children safe, providing some security and protection. The findings show that cyberbullying is widespread and that there is substantial community distress about whether there are adequate response mechanisms available.

I was pleased that our government announced funding of $10 million in the May budget for a policy of enhancing online safety for children, which includes: $7.5 million to assist schools to purchase accredited online safety programs; $2.4 million to establish and operate the Office of the Children's e-Safety Commissioner; support for Australian based research and information campaigns on online safety.

Parents in my electorate of Durack periodically speak with me about their alarm and apprehension for their children and the online safety issue. We ask ourselves: 'Do I know where my children are, who they are with and what they are doing?' It should be no different when they are online. Because of my concern, I organised some cybersafety workshops in Durack. We had around 500 students and teachers in Geraldton, thanks to the good grace and skill of my very talented colleague, the member for Forrest. The workshop presentation addressed the risks associated with social media like Facebook and Twitter; cyberbullying; your child's digital footprint; what it means to be groomed online; your mobile phone and its security weaknesses, such as location services; and, of course, scams.

Students from Allendale Primary School, St Lawrence's Primary School and Geraldton Senior College participated in five workshops to learn of the dangers and management strategies for using technology. A further 50 teachers from Geraldton Senior College attended a workshop, many of whom are also parents. The workshops addressed unwanted contact, online friends, rude messages and online gaming; as well as how to recognise the associated dangers, and strategies for managing them.

If children are being cyberbullied, they need to 'block' or 'ignore' the contact, and tell a parent or responsible adult. The presentations were adapted by the member for Forrest, to be age-appropriate—that was where the skill came in—but the message was the same. The children at the workshops learnt to be smart, safe and responsible when using technology, and the teachers learnt to be vigilant.

The feedback from the schoolchildren, parents and teachers was quite overpowering. Many teachers and principals talked about the 'new' workload that had been created for them. This real and new workload emanated: from online bullying; from the endeavours of teachers and principals to protect their students; and from trying to manage new and distracting student behaviours related to bullying—sulking, feeling humiliated, not wanting to attend class, being on the outer of friendship groups, having poor attendance, and being unable to concentrate in class. As if the teachers do not have enough to do. This is obviously adding to their considerable workload.

Cybersafety is a dark issue; many of us, of course, do not understand it. It is a case of what you do not know will not hurt you. But, as we have heard in this debate, for many people, it can hurt. Ignorance is your enemy when it comes to online safety. This is not helped by the fact that many of our children are provided mobile and internet services at very young ages. They are phoning, emailing, texting and accessing sites from early primary school. It means they and others have direct access to all sorts of things, much of which can be harmful.

For youngsters, the 10- to 15-year-old age group in particular, it is the posting of humiliating or down-right harmful photos, videos, rumours, gossip and confidences which are then exacerbated by features that share and broadcast the damaging content that sees our children often get very upset. There can be awful consequences associated with online issues and bullying, as we have heard many speak about in this debate. A child can experience extreme anxiety; they do not want to go to school; they lose friends; they cannot face certain people. No-one wants rumours and damaging content broadcast for all the world to see, especially if it is gossip or untrue.

The following quotes are a taste from my electorate, from concerned citizens about cyber bullying, which I have taken from the Geraldton Guardian website. Vivien of Geraldton says:

Of course it is a growing problem. Ask any of the kids in Geraldton and they will probably tell you. It is not just limited to Facebook either; it is nasty messages, emails, photos being sent around. It is a serious problem and the law does not deal with it. Most of the problem is that people are so unaware of it—in terms of kids—because some parents don't know how to use a computer. Guess the first step is to ignore it, but it won't just stop.

This particular person is studying education and so has a particular interest in this from a research perspective. Lisa Marie from Geraldton said:

It's not just kids.... on the radio today I heard about parents slandering a school principal on Facebook. Many people who comment on Geraldton Guardian page, Sunrise page et cetera bully others and say hurtful things just cause they have a different opinion to them.    when the adults stop doing it, the kids may follow.

Jenny from Geraldton said:

Most bullies are basically cowards, so internet is perfect for them. They are nothing but keyboard warriors.

I think we here in this House today would agree with many of those comments. As I said, these issues are most prevalent amongst the 10- to 15-year-old very sensitive age group; fortunately, the incidence of online bullying does start to decrease around age 16 to 17. As parents, some of us have seen behaviours that are problematic. Sadly, we have heard of severe cases that have led to depression and suicidal thoughts, and the ultimate taking of a young person's life.

Let us not forget the crime side of online safety. It is right that the new newly appointed commissioner, through the successful passage of this bill, will work closely with police, government agencies, the internet industry, child protection agencies and parent and teacher associations. And for those who break the law, if a provider of social media service fails to comply, it will be liable to pay a penalty, potentially $17,000 per day for each day it fails to respond. There are also enforcement provisions, court injunctions, et cetera which are welcome.

I reiterate my support for the online safety bill and its amendments. And know that I can speak confidently on behalf of the constituents of Durack, who would throw their support behind this bill as well.

They have asked me, in my role as their local member, to do what I can in the parliament to fight cyberbullying, to protect and keep their children safe. On that basis, I commend the bill to the House.

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