Child rights organisation ChildFund have joined forces with The Girls and Boys Brigade to launch ChildFund’s global online safety app – Swipe Safe. ChildFund acknowledge the rapidly changing digital landscape and build an app that puts the power back in the hands of children and their parents.
(Sydney, Australia). In the countries in which ChildFund Australia works, the digital transformation of children’s lives has presented acute risks such as scams, cyberbullying, online grooming, and sexual, sexist, racist, or violent content. ChildFund has responded with the creation of the Swipe Safe program and app. The app serves to immediately strengthen children’s knowledge, skills and behaviours keeping them safe online.
Swipe Safe has been beta tested in five separate phases, directly involving face-to-face training and app testing with tens of thousands of children in Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Fiji and the Solomon Islands. The organisation has now teamed up with the Boys and Girls Brigade to launch the app in Australia.
They have also been testing the app with families at the Girls and Boys Brigade who have provided local insights into the app. Stephanie Fett the Family Support Coordinator at the Boys and Girls Brigade spoke about how technology is transforming the lives of families the centre supports.
“We’re seeing young people using phones from about eight years on and they haven’t developed that rational thinking until they reach 24 or even 25 [years of age]. So they are really unaware of the risks online, the natural reaction of parents is to take the phone away. This however struggles to build trust and openness with the parent making it exceedingly more difficult for them to protect their children online.”
Stephanie elaborated that the app helped build greater trust between parents, carers and children, which is key to helping keep children safer online.
“Parents need to work to build an open online relationship with children so they are comfortable with talking about their experiences online. The Swipe Safe app is a great tool to help facilitate this communication” [Click here for more on Swipe Safe].”
ChildFund Chief Development Officer Corinne Habel was thrilled to launch the app in Australia and bring the insights that they have learned in overseas to home soil.
“The Swipe Safe app is a unique online safety app that has been developed by global child protection specialists. Reports indicate that the volume of child sexual abuse material has increased by 87% in the last 5 years.
SwipeSafe helps parents, caregivers, children and young people navigate an increasingly risky online space. The online world is an exciting place for children to learn, play and connect, and we need to give them the tools to stay safe and understand and feel comfortable reporting harmful situations.
ChildFund Australia
ChildFund Australia is an independent international development organisation that works to reduce poverty for children in many of the world’s most disadvantaged communities.
We partner to create community and systems change which enables vulnerable children and young people, in all their diversity, to assert and realise their rights.
ChildFund Australia is a member of the ChildFund Alliance – one of the world’s oldest and most experienced child-focused development agencies. With a global network of 11 organisations, the ChildFund Alliance assists nearly 32million children and families in 70 countries.
As a member of the Australian Council for International Development, and a signatory to the ACFID Code of Conduct and the ACFID Fundraising Charter, ChildFund Australia must meet high standards of corporate governance, public accountability and financial management.
In addition, ChildFund Australia is fully accredited by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade which manages the Australian Government’s overseas aid program. Accreditation is a stringent process in which all operational activities – financial, managerial, fundraising and program – are analysed. This not only requires that ChildFund demonstrate that funds are distributed to community projects, but that they are spent effectively in those communities for the benefit of children.
About Corinne Habel
Corinne is a highly experienced director and executive with diverse expertise across a variety of not-for-profit sectors including humanitarian, hospitals, education, environmental, the arts and faith-based. Originally from the US, Corinne brings over 20 years’ experience in implementing effective global strategies. Her diplomatic approach is key in her ability to negotiate and influence effectively at all levels of corporate, foundation, government and the community.
The Girls and Boys Brigade
Since 1882, The Girls and Boys Brigade have provided a welcoming, safe place for children and youth, aged 5-18, who need a helping hand. Based in Surry Hills, our programs are open to children, youth and their families living within the City of Sydney local government area. The families who access our services experience a wide range of financial, social, educational and housing challenges.
About Stephanie Fett
Stephanie has 38 years of frontline experience in the community sector as well as a Masters in International Social Work and Community Development.
Stephanie’s experience has taken her to NSW regional areas, remote Aboriginal communities, Victoria Queensland, as well as urban Sydney – city and west. She has worked in disability, addiction, mental health homelessness, youth, children and family, Out of Home Care, Juvenile Justice, unemployment, assessment and projects to increase access to services and decolonise systems.
She believes the key to her work is relationship building which builds trust, working alongside people in a trauma informed way.