POSH

Reporting Online Safety Concerns (Australia)

Act early. Stay calm. Report properly.
The right first steps can protect a child, preserve evidence, and move you into the right reporting lane in Australia.

AUSTRALIA REPORTING HUB
000
Police
ACCCE
eSafety

If you are here because something feels serious, the most important thing is not to panic and not to lose evidence. This page is designed to help parents in Australia move from fear into the right reporting lane quickly, clearly, and in the correct order.

Which situation sounds most like you right now?

A child is in immediate danger This involves grooming or sexual risk This is platform harm or abusive content I’m not fully sure yet
You do not need every answer first. You need the right reporting lane based on what you know now.

If a child is in immediate danger

Call 000 immediately

If there is immediate risk, a real-world threat, stalking, an attempt to meet, a known offender nearby, or danger happening now, emergency services always come first.

First 24 Hours Save Evidence First All Reporting Options What To Do Now
Child Safety First:
Protect the child → stop contact if safe → preserve evidence → choose the right reporting lane → keep supporting the child.

What parents usually search

If those are the questions bringing you here, focus on this order: protect, preserve, then report properly.

Simple reporting order

Protect the child
↓
Stop contact if safe
↓
Save evidence
↓
Choose reporting lane
↓
Keep records
↓
Support the child
This order helps parents act without accidentally making the situation harder.

When to treat it as serious

If it feels serious, act early. Do not wait for perfect proof.
First 24 Hours Evidence & Reporting Sextortion Help Signs of Grooming

Need the fastest action path?

If the risk feels active, stay calm, protect the child, preserve evidence, then move into the right reporting lane.

Do not start by confronting the person or deleting chats.

Safety first. Evidence second. Reporting next.
Act Now Save Evidence What To Say Red Flags

Lane 1 — ACCCE / AFP

Use this path for grooming, exploitation, and serious child sexual safety risks.

Report to ACCCE ThinkUKnow Sextortion Help Signs of Grooming
If sexual risk, exploitation, grooming, or blackmail is involved, this is one of the main reporting paths in Australia.

Lane 2 — eSafety Commissioner

Use eSafety for platform-based harm, abuse, image-based abuse, cyberbullying, and harmful online content.

Report to eSafety Evidence Guide All Reporting Options Red Flags
Use eSafety when the issue is harmful content, cyberbullying, harassment, or platform-based abuse.

Lane 3 — Police

Use police when risk may move into the real world, when harm is immediate, or when the person may be identifiable locally.

If online risk could become real-world danger, include police early.
First 24 Hours Preserve Evidence All Reporting Paths What To Do Now

If you are not fully sure which lane fits

Many parents know something feels serious before they know exactly what category it fits into.

Sexual contact, grooming, blackmail, or exploitation → ACCCE / AFP

Cyberbullying, image-based abuse, harassment, harmful content → eSafety

Immediate danger, local risk, known person, or meeting risk → police / 000

If still unsure, preserve evidence first and start with the strongest risk lane rather than waiting too long.
Save Evidence First First 24 Hours Match a Real Scenario What To Do Now

Evidence collection

Save information before confronting anyone or deleting anything.

Do not confront the person before preserving evidence.

Full Evidence Guide First 24 Hours Check a Device Calmly Device Safety
Small details can make a big difference later.

How to respond to your child

If a child feels safe, they are more likely to keep talking.
Parent Scripts First 24 Hours When Your Child Won’t Talk If Your Child Opens Up

What not to do

Rushed reactions can destroy evidence or stop your child from opening up.

Report on the platform too

Platform reporting can help stop contact quickly, but it does not replace formal reporting where risk is serious.

Discord Snapchat Instagram TikTok

What parents should remember

Most serious situations start small and escalate over time.

Acting early, saving evidence, and choosing the right reporting path can change the outcome.

Acting early protects children better than waiting for certainty.
Act Now Red Flags What To Do Safety Check

Parent action pathway

Protect
↓
Preserve
↓
Report
↓
Support
↓
Monitor ongoing risk
Reporting is not the end. Ongoing support and monitoring still matter.

Not sure how serious this is?

Take the Safety Check Start Here Parent Questions Real Scenarios
If unsure, use the safety check to identify risk level and next steps.

Understand the full pattern

How Online Relationships Change Behaviour Emotional Dependency Manipulative Groups Attention Shapes Behaviour
These pages help explain the wider pattern around grooming, dependency, manipulation, and behaviour change.

Choose your next path

Go where the situation fits best after this page.

I Need Evidence Help Take Me Back to First 24 Hours All Reporting Options This Is Sextortion
I Need Grooming Signs Match a Real Scenario This Feels More Serious Take Me Back to Main Lanes

Help another parent know what to do

Many parents freeze because they do not know the next step.

Clear guidance early can protect a child sooner.

Knowing what to do reduces panic and speeds up action.
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