eSafety is consulting with peak bodies that support children, young people and families; and researchers and other experts with expertise in specific aspects of child development and online safety, to better understand and communicate about child development in the digital age. Building on this foundation, we will develop resources for families and practitioners to support effective digital parenting strategies and age-appropriate conversations with children and young people.

Members of the panel will be selected to provide expertise and specialist perspectives, and may include representation from:

• Peak bodies that support practitioners focused on the wellbeing of children, young people, and families, including those with a focus on child protection and domestic violence prevention

• Individuals and/or organisations that represent diverse families' voices, including those caring for children with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, and culturally and linguistically diverse families

• Individuals and/or organisations providing direct mental health support for children, young people and families

• Individuals and/or organisations with a lived experience of child sexual abuse, or online violence against children.

Members of the panel will have a strong existing knowledge of the broader literature/evidence base surrounding sex and relationships education, child protection, and child sexual abuse, such as:

• The UNESCO International technical guidance on sexuality education.

• The World Health Organisation’s What works to prevent violence against children online?

• The Government of Western Australia Department of Health’s Talk soon. Talk often. A guide for parents talking to their kids about sex.

Expertise in the above matters specifically within an online/digital context will be highly regarded.

Members should also have a strong understanding of the context in which eSafety’s Families Capacity Building project is taking place, such as the outcomes of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

eSafety will determine the final composition of the panel, including the number of experts, based on the supplier submissions received. It is expected that the panel will consist of between three and seven individuals.

A key project the panel will be required to provide advice on will be a developmental framework describing children’s and young people’s developmentally expected digital engagement and activities. Members will attend a workshop to identify domains and stages of child development that are impacted by children’s and young people’s technology use. This may include overall wellbeing, physical, social, emotional, communication and sexual development. As an outcome of this workshop, eSafety will develop a cohesive framework to enable parents and carers and practitioners to better understand the impact of children’s and young people’s technology use on their development and wellbeing. The draft framework will be provided to the panel for review.