Theme: Secure
Dimension: Living peacefully and feeling safe
Metric
Proportion of people who have experienced online harm or negative content in the last 12 months
Why does this matter
Operating in an online space is the norm for most people and affects many aspects of people’s lives. In 2016–17, 97 per cent of households with children aged under 15 years had access to the internet – making online safety increasingly important.1
Has there been progress
Negative online experiences can come in a variety of forms, including being sent unwanted content, scams, impersonation, and offensive communication.
The proportion of adults (aged 18 to 65) with negative online experiences have increased from 58 per cent in 2019 to 75 per cent in 2022.
How does this differ across cohorts
Australian adults who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual or other sexually or gender diverse people (LGBTQIA+), culturally and linguistically diverse Australians, and those living with disability, and First Nations people, are more likely to have negative experiences online.2
1 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2016–17) Household use of information technology, accessed 28 June 2023.
2 eSafety Research (2020) Adults’ negative online experiences, eSafety Commissioner.