Kids Help Line and Cybersmart
Kids Helpline is a free 24 hour counselling service for Australian kids and young people aged 5 to 25 years. You can get help over the phone, web or via email.
Teachers, students and parents can use the Cybersmart Helpline: 1800 880 176. There are interpreters available.
Phone counselling
At times there may be a wait time for web counselling. If you want to talk to someone straight away, call Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.
Web counselling
If you have been online and something has happened that makes you feel uncomfortable, scared or sad then go to Cybersmart, through Kids Helpline. Here you will be provided with free and private advice online by a counsellor.
Email counselling
Email counselling can be very popular so sometimes it can take us a while to respond. If you need to talk to someone straight away, call Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800. To send an email to a counsellor, copy and paste the below email address into a new email: counsellor@kidshelp.com.au
For more information about wait times, privacy and confidentiality visit the Kids Helpline website.
Community contacts
The support of students and teachers who have had experiences such as cyberbullying, privacy breaches or other online issues is essential. The appropriate Support in schools services are available to support victims of online abuse.
Australian Psychological Society (APS)
For information about psychological issues such as internet addiction disorder.
Website: Australian Psychological Society (APS)
Phone: 1800 333 497
Human Rights Equal Opportunities Commission (HREOC)
Report cases of racial hatred or sex discrimination.
Website: Human Rights Equal Opportunities Commission (HREOC)
Phone: 1300 656 419
Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)
Report inappropriate or illegal online content, or problems with a telecommunications service or provider.
Website: Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)
Phone: 1800 226 667
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
For help and advice about online privacy issues.
Website: Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Phone: 1300 363 992
Australian Government Classification Website
Complain about inappropriate content in computer games, video and DVD programs.
Website: Australian Government Classification Website
Phone: 02 9289 7100
Website contacts
Office of the eSafety Commissioner
To report cyberbullying or illegal material, or to review online safety information available through the Office of the eSafety Commissioner, see Office of the eSafety Commissioner.
Facebook is a social media tool that helps people communicate with their friends, family and co-workers.
Facebook does not provide a phone number, postal address or email address to contact them directly.
- Reporting a Violation – outlines procedures for inappropriate content, imposter profiles, abusive users, underage users, video takedowns and privacy issues.
- Facebook Basics – straightforward information about Facebook functionality, account and privacy settings, popular features and a glossary of terms. Useful for users who are unfamiliar with Facebook.
- Reporting a Violation (without having a Facebook account) – provides a form that can be completed for users who would like to report inappropriate content including imposter profiles.
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website. It is a place to discover, watch, upload and share videos, including movie clips, TV clips, and music videos, as well as amateur content such as video blogging and short original videos.
- YouTube ‘Help’ – outlines procedures for inappropriate content, abusive users, underage users, video takedowns and privacy issues.
- YouTube Community Guidelines – straightforward information about defining what breaches their user conditions.
- Contact Us – steps you through questions and procedures before you can contact YouTube directly.
- Information for Educational Authorities: ‘I'm a school representative reporting a video’
- YouTube state: "In order to process abuse claims, we must receive notification directly from the individual in the video, or their legal guardians. If the individual involved is a co-worker, spouse, sibling, or friend, please have them contact us directly. Please do not continue to fill out the privacy form if you are not within the video or are the legal guardian of the person within the video. This could have severe legal consequences for you in your country, and will not be investigated by the YouTube staff.
- If you feel the content in the video is inappropriate based on our Terms of Use, you can report it to us for review by clicking the 'flag as inappropriate' link under the video".
X (formerly Twitter)
X is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters.
- Rules and Best Practice – contains X's comprehensive list of account behaviours that could land you in hot water, this page is a basic introduction to Twitter's rules and best practices.
- How to Report Violations – outlines the procedure necessary for reporting potential violations of Twitter rules and terms of service.
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