From Schools to Screens: Collaborative Solutions for Online Child Protection

From Schools to Screens: Collaborative Solutions for Online Child Protection

In an era where online threats are evolving at an unprecedented pace, safeguarding children and young people in digital spaces has become a critical priority for law enforcement—an issue that remains front of mind for both police and the wider public. 

The ANZPAA Police Conference 2025 brought together leading voices to address the challenges of online child safety. The discussion, presented by Kristy Thomson of Australian Federal Police-led the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) and Scott Peel, Law Enforcement Outreach Manager at TikTok, underscored the critical importance of education, multi-sector collaboration and proactive prevention strategies in safeguarding children and young people in digital environments. 

Education: Empowering Communities and Building Resilience

Education emerged as a central pillar in the fight against online child sexual exploitation. Kristy Thomson highlighted the ACCCE’s commitment to reducing the incidence and impact of crimes against children through collaborative prevention and education initiatives. The ThinkuKnow program, a nationally delivered, AFP-led online safety initiative, exemplifies this approach. It leverages partnerships with the AFP, Microsoft Australia, Datacom, Commonwealth Bank, Neighbourhood Watch Australasia and all state and territory police to deliver age-appropriate, evidence-based content in schools and to parents, carers and teachers.

Ms Thomson emphasised the importance of engaging students directly: “We’ll often go out to schools and talk to them about what they’re doing online, what they want to know, how they’re dealing with challenges and making sure that we’re putting that student voice in the program.”

The program’s dual model—student presentations and parent/carer presentations—ensures that both young people and their support networks are equipped to recognise risks and seek help. The initiative adapts its content to address emerging threats, such as self-generated child abuse material and financial sextortion, which are increasingly prevalent among younger age groups.

Collaboration: Public and Private Sectors Joining Forces

The session underscored the necessity of collaboration between law enforcement, industry, educators and support services. Scott Peel described TikTok’s trust and safety team’s work. TikTok’s approach combines technology and human moderation to detect and prevent harmful content, including child sexual exploitation material. Peel detailed the platform’s use of AI, hash lists and partnerships with organisations like the Internet Watch Foundation and Microsoft to proactively remove and report abusive material. He also highlighted the importance of open dialogue and established escalation pathways between law enforcement and industry, stating, “Prevention isn’t just technology alone. It’s communication, it’s transparency, it’s having escalation pathways in place. And that’s a shared mission between law enforcement and the private sector.”

Prevention: Adapting to Evolving Threats

Both speakers addressed the evolving nature of online threats. Ms Thomson discussed the rise of financial sextortion and sadistic online exploitation, noting the use of AI by offenders to create abusive material from innocent images. She stressed the need for strategic, evidence-based prevention and education, targeting sectors most likely to interact with victims and equipping frontline workers to recognise warning signs.

 Mr Peel shared TikTok’s proactive measures, including banning organised crime groups from the platform and responding swiftly to reports of imminent harm. The session made clear that while technology is vital, it must be complemented by robust partnerships and ongoing adaptation to new risks. Building safer online spaces requires a united front - education that empowers, collaboration that bridges sectors and prevention strategies that evolve with the digital landscape.

This editorial draws directly from the ANZPAA Police Conference 2025 presentation Safer Online Spaces: Collaboration and Prevention by Scott Peel (Law Enforcement Outreach Manager, TikTok) Kristy Thomson (Online Child Safety Team, AFP/ACCCE)

BACK TO BLOG