QFCC Australia #DoIKnowU campaign warns against online predators

With hard-hitting texts and a mousetrap being used a metaphor, QFCC Australia's campaign raises awareness about online predators.

The Queensland Family and Child Commission in Australia has released a video-led digital campaign to make people aware of the dangers of interacting with persons who might be masked online predators. The film begins with a note that it is based on a true story and features texts between an online predator and a 14-year-old. It shows their conversation over two weeks, the trust growing despite clouds of doubts, concluding with the child sending over a sexually explicit image — falling into the trap.

The campaign includes resources for parents to understand the issue better and help their kids be safe. Downloaded resources on the website include posters, information on helplines, tips and tricks to stay safe and ways to report if someone has suffered such an incident and a social media kit.

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One of the interesting points put forth in the campaign video is how the child is aware of the risks when she mentions that something wrong had happened to her friend. However, the predator was able to tackle it and convince her that in this case, she can feel safe about sending a sexual picture. That it will not be misused.

The portrayal of this aspect helped establish that children are not unaware of the risks. However, they are still falling into such traps and it is something that deserves attention.

Some of the pointers highlighted in the campaign include the need to know someone in real life before accepting their friend request, limit the amount of personal information being shared and explicitly expressing when someone is making you feel uncomfortable.