Safer Internet Day (8th Feb 2022) brings together families, schools, organisations and governments from 170 countries to raise awareness about online safety.

Today’s children are growing up digitally, and one of the biggest risks they face is the threat of online sexual abuse.

Online sexual abuse of children is the fastest growing crime. A study from WeProtect found that 2 in 3 young Australians and New Zealanders experience online sexual harm by the age of 18, most of which first occurs between the ages of 12 and 13.

One of the best ways to help children be safe online is to understand the issue.

The Australian documentary The Children in the Pictures is currently available to watch via SBS On Demand. The film exposes the enormous scale of online child sexual abuse through the eyes of Task Force Argos – a globally renown Queensland police investigative team dedicated to infiltrating online child sexual abuse networks.

Featuring former Queenslander of the Year, Jon Rouse, the national release of The Children in the Pictures, along with expert panels hosted by Peter Fitzsimons, Jennifer Byrne, and Derryn Hinch, is having an incredible impact in raising community awareness, reducing stigma for victims, and protecting children from abuse.

The film has been met with critical success. 400,000 Australians have already tuned in to watch the documentary and it has been endorsed by global child protection experts and organisations including Kids Helpline, Save the Children, and International Justice Mission (IJM).

“This brave documentary is the ‘inconvenient truth’ moment for the battle against the horrific and fast growing online sexual exploitation of children… a must see on a topic we simply cannot ignore”, says Steve Baird, CEO of IJM Australia.

To host a screening, seek help or find out how to get involved, visit: https://childreninthepictures.org/