Advice for Parents
You may have recently heard or read about various online challenges aimed at children, young people, and other vulnerable members of the community. One of these challenges, called the 'Momo Challenge’, encourages viewers to self-harm, and it is embedded within otherwise innocuous YouTube videos, etc., with advice on ways to self-harm.
Below is some advice for parents from the eSafety Commissioner. Please read through it carefully, monitor your own child's access/usage of social media outside of school hours and let our Counselling and Wellbeing staff know if your child has been adversely affected or influenced by this online content.
Advice from the Office of the eSafety Commissioner (28 February 2019):
It is concerning when young people have been exposed to any content that scares them or plays on their emotions, like those reported via the Momo Challenge. Unfortunately, the Momo Challenge is not the first, nor will it be the last, harmful online ‘challenge’ or phenomenon to target our children.
Our research shows 81% of parents hand their child an internet-connected device by the age of four, so active parental engagement and oversight of a child’s online activities is critical from the start, to help ensure they are prepared for what they may encounter. As young people often do not have the maturity or judgement to cope with confronting content online, it’s important to guide and instil critical reasoning skills so they are aware that not everything they see or receive online is real.
We encourage parents to co-view, co-play, ask questions about the games and apps they are using, and let them know you are there to support them if they are upset or uncomfortable about anything they see online.
Five top tips to help limit your child’s exposure to harmful content online:
- Engage in your child’s online activities — ask what apps, sites and games they’re using and make sure they’re age-appropriate
- Use parental controls on devices to help limit what your child is exposed to
- Let them know not everything they see online is real or true
- Help them report and block upsetting content they see on social media sites or apps
- Let them know they can come to you about anything upsetting they see online, and to contact Kids Helpline (Phone: 1800 55 1800) if they need further support.
Parents concerned their child has been exposed to the Momo Challenge, or other upsetting content should:
- Ask their child if they have come across or heard about Momo
- If they have, ask how it made them feel
- Reassure them they are safe and do not have to participate in the ‘challenge’
- Let them know they can come to you about anything they see online that makes them feel upset or uncomfortable, and contact Kids Helpline if they need further support.
Parents who are concerned their child may be susceptible to self-harm should be aware of the signs to look out for and know where to go for help. Find further information HERE
We encourage parents to visit the eSafety website for information and advice on keeping your child safe online.
