Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697633910670.pdf (Australia)
Inquiry into Social Media and Online SafetySubmission 55 5) Expedite the urgent implementation of The National Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy in response to the pandemic’s impact on children.

6) Increase the number of mental health professionals in schools, including psychologists, and fund and implement evidence-based whole-of-school wellbeing approaches and resilience programs.
Knowledge Acceleration Hub In May 2020, ARACY partnered with UNICEF Australia to establish the Knowledge Acceleration Hub – an initiative designed to disseminate credible information to support evidence-based and informed decision-making about Australia’s children and young people in response to the effects of COVID-19.
This involved collating and sharing innovative practices, and the release of monthly digests (from June 2020 to October 2021) summarising data and research on the impacts of the pandemic on children and young people.

A report Kids at the Crossroads, provides a summative response to the impacts highlighted throughout 2020 and a series of recommendations.
A follow-up report reflecting new research and the changing circumstances during 2021 will be jointly released by ARACY and UNICEF Australia early this year.

As outlined below, the information and recommendations from this submission draw from this research.
COVID-19 and the use of online technology The COVID-19 pandemic has understandably increased the extent children, young people and their families rely on online spaces and technology - exacerbating pre-existing risks, but also enhancing the opportunities these platforms provide.
ARACY and UNICEF Australia’s regular collation of up-to- date data, research and information highlighted the negative and positive experiences children and young people had with social media and online technology, specifically over the last two years.

This knowledge has informed our response to the key areas highlighted in the Inquiry’s terms of reference, as follows.
(a) the range of online harms that may be faced by Australians on social media and other online platforms, including harmful content or harmful conduct The digital divide As outlined in the Discussion Paper for the Indigenous Digital Inclusion Plan, familiarity with and accessibility to digital technology is an important factor for enhancing online safety (NIAA, 2021).

Digital literacy is an important protective factor against online harms.
This cannot be gained without the consistent and safe use of digital devices.

The Kids at the Crossroads Report emphasises the stark digital divide among students across the country as one of the existing disadvantages that was exacerbated as a result of the pandemic.

The proportion of public school students without internet access from low income families was nine 2 Inquiry into Social Media and Online SafetySubmission 55 times higher than those from high income families (1% cf.

9%) (Preston, 2020).


Further, the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander public school students without internet access was four times the national proportion (21% cf.

5%).

The development of an Indigenous Digital Inclusion Plan by the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) is a welcomed step to addressing some of these inequities.
Increases in access to digital technology must also be balanced with mechanisms that inform and empower children, young people and their families to safely engage online - mechanisms and resources that are culturally responsive, child friendly and developmentally appropriate.
Recommendation Introduce measures to increase the affordability of and accessibility to the internet, including exploring partnerships with the private sector and the community in securing the resources to provide devices and digital connectivity for children and young people experiencing disadvantage.

Online bullying The internet is an integral part of the lives of many young people in Australia, and during lockdowns has been their sole platform for socialising and learning.
Consultations held by the Victorian Commission for Children and Young People showed most children and young people felt safe in the online environments they were using during lockdown (Commission for Children and Young People, 2020b).

However, recent Australian research has also highlighted an alarming level of cyberbullying.
• Just over 4 in 10 teens had at least one negative online experience in the six months to September 2020 with this increasing to over 50% of those aged 14 to 17 (eSafety Commissioner, 2021) • More teenagers are seeking help online over sexting and cyberbullying, with online searches on these topics increasing by 55% and 39% on the KidsHelpline website respectively since the pandemic began (O’Flaherty, 2021) In a survey conducted directly prior to the pandemic (October 2019 - January 2020), almost 2 out of every 5 young people (38%) said that at some time in their life someone had used social media, the internet, or mobile phone to bully, threaten, or humiliate them, and 20% had been the victim of cyber bullying in the last year (Higginson & Morgan, 2020).
The vast majority experienced cyberbullying from someone they knew (75%).

A substantial group reported their most recent cyberbullying experience involved reference to an aspect of their identity, with approximately 1 in 7 victims (14%) reporting reference to their religion, language, skin colour, or ethnicity, and 2 out of 5 victims (41%) said reporting references to their gender or sexuality (Higginson & Morgan, 2020).
The Australian Curriculum includes topics related to the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to create and communicate ideas and problem solve.

The curriculum could be enhanced by the inclusion of digital citizenship to improve safe personal online engagement.

3 Inquiry into Social Media and Online SafetySubmission 55 Recommendation Use the Australian Curriculum to promote learning in digital citizenship, not just digital use.
(b) evidence of (i) the potential impacts of online harms on the mental health and wellbeing of Australians.

Mental health of children and young people in Australia Australian-based longitudinal data has shown increased use of social networking sites, and/or experiences of cyberbullying, associated with an increased risk of experiencing elevated symptoms of depression and anxiety (Rioseco & Vassallo, 2021).
It is important to note, however, the well documented deterioration of the mental health of young people in Australia over the last two years, more strikingly during periods of lockdown — extends well beyond exposure to harmful online content and conduct.

Consultations with and surveys of young people (Commission for Children and Young People, 2020a; Fogarty et al., 2021) show concerns for loved ones and feelings of isolation and loneliness were primary drivers of negative mental health experiences.
Certain groups appeared to be particularly vulnerable, including: • Females • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people • Young people with disability • Young people with pre-existing mental health issues • Young people self-identifying as gender diverse • Young people identifying as LGBTIQA+ Young people were increasingly self-aware of the impact of lockdown on their mental health, with surveys and consultations with young people consistently highlighting it as salient issue in their lives (Brennan et al, 2021; Commission for Children and Young People, 2021; Tiller et al., 2021).
This demonstrates young people’s mental health literacy and the extent they value its importance.

Social media and online spaces as sources of information and support While social media and online platforms can be spaces where harmful conduct occurs, in can also be a place of support and connection.

Mission Australia’s most recent Youth Survey identified social media as one of the top five sources of help for those experiencing psychological distress.
Young people with psychological distress were also more likely to use mobile apps or go to social media for support than young people without psychological distress (Brennan et al., 2021).

While the extent and quality of support received could not be ascertained from this survey, there exists a range of innovative online resources for young people and their family to access and use for mental health concerns.
4 Inquiry into Social Media and Online SafetySubmission 55 Online supports include Australia's e-safety Commissioner's website esafety.gov.au which provides important information and resources around cyber-safety.

UNICEF also have important tips for parents to maintain their child's safety online in the context of the pandemic, and a report on broader methods of mitigating risks.
Initiatives and organisations such as Digii Social, Kids Helpline, ReachOut, BeyondBlue/BeYou and Blackdog Institute also provide a range of online resources.

An example of an online app that helps to monitor children and young people’s wellbeing in real- time, and provide avenues to receive support, is Educator Impact’s ei Pulse.

It is an online tool providing weekly check-ins with students, enabling them to ask for help if they need it.
It operationalises ARACY’s wellbeing framework ‘The Nest’ (Goodhue et al.2021), utilising questions and methodology based on ARACY’s Common Approach©.

A report analysing the data from the first year of implementation was released last year (Barker et al., 2021).

Recommendations • Bridge the urgent access gap across Australia for children and young people, including through the use of digital interventions, mobile/pop-up services, and peer-to-peer supports.
• Expedite the urgent implementation of The National Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy in response to the pandemic’s impact on children.

• Increase the number of mental health professionals in schools, including psychologists, and fund and implement evidence-based whole-of-school wellbeing approaches and resilience programs.
—ENDS— January 2022 Submission prepared by L. Renshaw For further information please contact Roslyn Dundas – Lead, 5 Inquiry into Social Media and Online SafetySubmission 55 References Barker, B., Thurbon, J., & Goodhue, R. (2021).

Taking the Pulse of Australian Students: ei Pulse results March 2020 to March 2021.

Canberra: ARACY.

Brennan, N., Bearnes, J. R., Kos, A., Reily, N., Connell, C., Hall, S., .

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Christie, R. (2021).


Psychological Distress in Young People in Australia Fifth Biennial Youth Mental Health Report: 2012-2020.

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(2020a).

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(2020b).
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Retrieved 11 January, 2022, from https://www.esafety.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021- 02/The%20digital%20lives%20of%20Aussie%20teens.pdf Goodhue, R., Dakin, P., & Noble, K. (2021).
What's in the Nest?

Exploring Australia's Wellbeing Framework for Children and Young People.

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Retrieved from https://www.aracy.org.au/the-nest-in-action/the-nest-overview Higginson, A., & Morgan, M. (2020).

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Retrieved 11 January, 2022, from https://research.qut.edu.au/centre-for-justice/wp- content/uploads/sites/304/2020/12/HIGGINSON-Research-Report-2020.pdf National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA).

(2021).

Indigenous Digital Inclusion Plan: Discussion paper - September 2021.

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Retrieved from https://www.niaa.gov.au/sites/default/files/publications/indigenous-digital-inclusion-plan- discussion-paper.pdf O'Flaherty, A.

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Surge in teens seeking online help over sexting, cyberbullying during COVID lockdown.

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Retrieved 11 January, 2022, from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-08/surge-in-teens-seeking-sexting-cyberbullying- help-during-covid/13126214 Preston, B.

(2020).

Digital inclusion for all public school students: A report prepared for the Australian Education Union.

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Retrieved 14 December, 2021, from 6 Inquiry into Social Media and Online SafetySubmission 55 http://www.barbaraprestonresearch.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020-BPreston-Digital- inclusion-for-all-public-school-students.pdf Rioseco, P., & Vassallo, S. (2021).

Adolescents online (Growing Up in Australia Snapshot Series - Issue 5).

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Retrieved 12 January, 2022, from https://growingupinaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/publication-documents/lsac- snapshot-5-adolescents-online.pdf Tiller, E., Greenland, N., Christie, R., Kos, A., Brennan, N., & Di Nicola, K. (2021).

Youth Survey Report 2021.

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7 Inquiry into Social Media and Online SafetySubmission 55