By 10, They’ve Already Seen It
By the time they’re 10, many Australian children have already come across adult content online. Not long after, they’re forming firm beliefs about love, respect and relationships, often influenced more by peer conversations and digital culture than trusted adults.
This is a signal for action. Because if we don’t lead these conversations with care and clarity, someone else, somewhere online, will.
Understanding the Landscape
Here’s what we know:
- 1 in 5 girls aged 15 to 19 in Australia has experienced sexual violence during adolescence (AIHW, 2023)
- 67 per cent of Australian schools are reporting that students aged 11 to 13 are involved in the sharing of explicit content and CSAM (Qoria, 2024)
- 1 in 5 young people believe tracking a partner is a sign of care (eSafety, 2025)
While these stats are sobering, they also tell us something useful. We know where the gaps are, and we can close them.
It Starts with Connection
I was privileged to be part of a fantastic panel at MLC School recently. At the end, a parent came up to thank us for the session and shared how helpful it had been to hear the explicit strategies and practicalities that can help with parenting in 2025, “I just want to get it right, she said, but I’ve never been sure how.” That honesty is powerful. Because the truth is, our kids don’t need perfect parents or flawless teachers. They need us to be present, curious, consistent and willing to grow alongside them.
And here’s the good news. Connection is more protective than control. Consistent, open and shame free conversations about relationships are the foundation for everything from consent to confidence.
As educators and as parents, sometimes, it’s enough to be the steady shoreline, the one a child or teen knows they can return to again and again.
What Schools Can Do Now
Make Respect Part of Every Conversation
Respect shouldn’t be confined to a single lesson or subject. Whether in English, Digital Technologies or Pastoral Care, every educator can help students unpack what dignity, kindness and responsibility look like in real life and online.
Support Students to Navigate Digital Relationships
Today’s digital relationships can feel intense and confusing. Helping students identify when care crosses into control, like pressure to share passwords or track locations, equips them to set healthy boundaries.
Offer practical tools like exit scripts or role-playing, and teach the language of agency. Confidence grows when students know and practice how to respond, not just react.
Empower Parents as Partners
We know schools are already making enormous efforts to engage parents through information nights, newsletters, and online safety resources. But we also know that attendance can be a difficult pill to swallow, and not every family feels equipped or confident enough to step into these conversations.
So, the challenge becomes not just offering support, but offering it in ways that feel accessible, relevant and non-judgmental.
I encourage schools to take a creative, strengths-based approach, like MLC has, by meeting families where they are. That could be bite-sized videos in school apps, translated explainers on trending tech, or sending key messages home via year group communication channels.
Let’s also acknowledge something important. Parents don’t need to be digital experts to be effective. What matters most is showing up consistently, staying curious and creating space for honest conversations at home.
When schools and parents work side by side, the result is a stronger safety net connected through understanding, rather than shame.
Champion Help Seeking Behaviour
Whether it’s a trusted teacher, coach, aunt or neighbour, every child deserves a lighthouse adult they can turn to. But trust doesn’t just appear. It’s earned.
When students feel heard and understood, help seeking becomes second nature. Schools can develop this by modelling compassionate responses, normalising the idea that asking for help is a strength, not a weakness, and determining early what a good outcome of a problem situation looks like for that student.
Get Ahead of Emerging Digital Risks with Purpose, Not Panic
From deepfakes to AI-enabled nudification, the digital world is a huge contributor to the respectful relationships discussion. But so are the tools, insights and strategies at our disposal. The schools that are stepping forward with purpose are those investing in:
- Staff professional development that equips educators to spot the signs of digital harm early and respond with confidence
- Whole-school digital resilience strategies that strengthen safety and wellbeing across every layer of the community
- Next-generation safeguarding technologies that provide real-time visibility and faster intervention
- Student-informed digital literacy and leadership programs that empower young people to be not just safe, but strong and resilient online
This last one matters deeply. When students are part of shaping the solutions, they are more likely to own them, trust them and lead their peers toward safer digital spaces and choices.
Trust is the Currency of Safety
We don’t need to have all the answers. We don’t have to know every app or anticipate every trend. What young people need most is for us to show up consistently, with curiosity and without judgment.
Trust is built through presence. It’s built when children and teens see us walking alongside them, not rushing ahead or watching from a distance. When they know we’re listening, really listening, they’re more likely to speak up before harm occurs, not just after.
Together, we can raise a generation that recognises what respect truly feels like. In how we speak to one another. In how we set boundaries. In how we show care, online, in love and in life.