The eSafety Commissioner has collaborated with First Nations communities to launch two new online safety guides, 'Safer Together!' and 'Leaving Deadly Digital Footprints,' created to empower young mob and address the unique challenges First Nations children face online.

Released last month, the guides respond to growing concerns around online safety for First Nations youth - concerns backed by national data.

Research indicates 68 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have received harmful treatment online, compared to the national average of 45 per cent.

A 2023 report by eSafety stated: "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are more likely than the wider Australian population to have negative experiences online, such as being the target of hate speech and cyberbullying."

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are almost three times more likely to have experienced online hate speech, with nearly three in 10 reporting digital abuse compared to the national average of one in 10.

To help address these challenges, the new resources include guides, fact sheets, yarning cards and videos to initiate important conversations about online safety and appropriate digital behaviour.

'Safer Together!' is designed for families with children aged five to 12, while 'Leaving Deadly Digital Footprints!' targets young teenagers aged 13 to 16, offering age-appropriate support and tailored strategies to help keep them safe online.

Saltwater People is one of the participating organisations engaged in the process - a women-led creative agency based on Kuku Yalanji Country in Queensland.

Working alongside eSafety to produce 'Safer Together!', Saltwater People's creative team and community participants delivered a suite of print and digital resources, including a series of animations and yarning cards.

Bernie Singleton Jr, an Umpila, Djabugay / Yirrgay artist and CoLAB Facilitator, helped lead the creative CoLAB workshops with Lia Pa'apa'a, which informed the content and characters used in the final resources.

He explained creative, hands-on workshops, such as those delivered through Saltwater People's CoLABs, are the best way to get genuine engagement and co-designed work from their communities.

"We connect first through family, food or a simple yarn. We are visual people - the practice of capturing ideas onto paper is how we have passed on story and knowledge," Mr Singleton Jr said.

"It's the best way to engage with our young people, whether it is for fun, or for more serious yarns, or to connect on a deeper cultural level."

First Nations community members who participated in the co-design process also shared how meaningful it was, both personally and culturally.

"As a parent, online safety is just so important. You hear the horror stories and just worry about our kids so much navigating this increasingly complex digital world," said Johanna Maza, a CoLAB Community member, co-designer and voiceover artist for the animations.

"The co-design model for this project was really great and necessary when developing targeted resources for mob. The results speak for themselves - what great videos."

Echoing her sentiments is her young daughter, Sofia Drandic, who also contributed to the project.

"I think these videos are important because of how they show an understanding of a black fella's point of view on how to be cyber safe and to be aware of dangerous stuff online," she said.

"It's also enjoyable to do voiceovers with family, friends or people that I am familiar with… It gives a message to black fellas and builds a connection with them by watching eSafety videos.

"I really enjoyed doing the voiceover… I wish to do it again and keep promoting messages for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to be safe."

Saltwater People's creative team also worked closely with Gunggari artist and illustrator Desirai, who created all the artwork across the project.

She drew on her own childhood experiences online to shape fun and engaging visuals.

"I drew from my own early experiences online - back when there wasn't much awareness about online safety. As a kid, I just wanted to connect with friends, but I'd quickly encounter predators," she said.

For Desirai, the eSafety guides are an important step forward for online safety, especially when reflecing on how unfamiliar the internet was in her own youth.

"My older siblings taught me simple but vital lessons, like never using my real name or sharing personal details. It was a learning curve for all of us as the internet was still so new in our household," she said.

Speaking on the need for culturally-specific digital resources, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant highlighted both the risks and the opportunities for First Nations children online.

"First Nations children and teenagers are embracing the internet and technology in wonderful and creative ways; however, they are more likely to be exposed to a range of online harms, including hate speech, discrimination, and bullying," she said.

"These guides were built by and for First Nations people. They're about learning together, building trust, and giving children the tools to enjoy the digital world safely and confidently."

The Safer Together! and Leaving Deadly Digital Footprints! guides are available online.