Does your child know what personal information is?
Does your child understand the importance of keeping information private? Are they aware that by uploading a video or photo online, they may actually be sharing private information without realising? For example, have they (or even you) ever uploaded a photo or video with the following in it:

• Wearing their school uniform or wearing a local club shirt?
• Showing their local area in the background, perhaps inadvertently including street names, shop names or house numbers?
• Celebrating their birthday?

Talk to your children, do they realise the potential consequences of posting their personal information? Do they truly know all of their online ‘friends’? By sharing photos described above, a follower might be able to work out what school or clubs they attend, where they live and their date of birth. Do you want people knowing this information about your child?

Online Chatting

What are your children saying online?
Most games now include some form of chat facility; this can be via a headset or via a messaging feature within the game. It is very easy within these chats to behave in a way that children wouldn’t if they were face to face with each other e.g. it is easier to call another child a nasty name via a screen than to say it to their face. These type of incidents can quickly escalate as online environments are often unsupervised, whereas an incident of name calling on the playground is brought to the attention of a teacher.

Talk to your children about how they are speaking to their friends online. Sit with them while they are playing the game to see how your child chats with others. Is it always appropriate? Explain to them what to do if they are called a nasty name, how they should respond or what to do if it escalates.

Fortnite Battle Royale – Fact Sheet

13+  Minimum age according to Fortnite

What is Fortnite?
Fortnite is a third-person shooter game where up to 100 players compete to be the last person or team standing. You can compete alone or join a team of up to four. You progress through the game by exploring the island, collecting weapons, building fortifications and engaging in combat with other players. You can make purchases for access to the full game or for bonus weapons. Players communicate with other players through online messaging or voice chat. Fortnite Battle Royale is a free version of the Fortnite game. 

Fortnite Battle Royale is used for: gaming, in-app purchasing, messaging/online chat, online relationships and voice chat. 

What are the concerns?
You may have heard concerns about:

• Communication between players: a chat function allows players to talk to each other, either over a headset and microphone, or using messaging. Children could use it to speak to strangers, or it could put them at risk of cyberbullying.
• In-app purchases: players can build up large bills on their parents’ accounts by buying cosmetic items like outfits for your character and better looking weapons (otherwise known as ‘skins’).
• Addictive nature of the game: anecdotal stories tell of children staying up all night to play, or falling asleep in lessons after playing for too long. Some commentators attribute this to the communal feel of the game – you can play with your friends – and the game is different every time you play, keeping it fresh.

What safety options are available to parents?

Use the parental controls on the gaming device.

• Most devices allow you to set time limits on game play, set age limits for content, and restrict in-app purchases.
• Turn off the voice chat feature
  Speak to your child to make sure they know this feature exists, and encourage them to use the options below if they encounter someone who is offensive or inappropriate. You can disable the voice chat function in the game if you: 
  
  - Open the settings menu (the 3 lines on the right-hand-side of the screen), then choose the ‘cog’ icon 

        - Select the audio tab

        - You should be able to turn off ‘voice chat’ by tapping the arrow next to it.

• You can also ‘mute’ players in the game by:

        - Pausing the game

        - Hovering over the player you wish to mute

        - Selecting the mute button (a loudspeaker icon)

Make sure your child knows how to report inappropriate behaviour 
You or your child can report players who make them uncomfortable using the in-game feedback tool (located in the main menu). 

You can also use the ‘support’ section of the Epic Games site (the makers of Fortnite). You’re asked to select the platform you play the game on, the game mode you’re playing, and then you can select ‘report player’. You can provide more detail such as the player’s name and attach a screenshot.

Where can I get further information about online gaming?
https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/big-issues/gaming#grooming-and-bullying-through-in-game-chat