Away From Keyboard Inc. (AFK) is a not-for-profit organisation based in Seymour, Victoria, working to prevent and reduce technology-facilitated harm through trauma-informed support, safeguarding education, community prevention, and ethical technology advocacy.

AFK was established in response to growing concerns that many forms of exploitation, coercive control, online abuse, scams, grooming, and digital harm are escalating through online environments long before families, schools, and communities are equipped to recognise or respond to them effectively.

Our work focuses on strengthening protective environments around children, young people, carers, and vulnerable communities through prevention-first approaches that reduce vulnerability before harm escalates into victimisation, isolation, emotional distress, or crisis.

AFK combines direct relief with upstream prevention initiatives designed to improve safeguarding awareness, strengthen community resilience, and encourage earlier recognition of digital risks and unsafe online behaviours.

We recognise that digital harm is increasingly connected to:

• child safeguarding
• coercive control
• technology-facilitated abuse
• social isolation
• exploitation and manipulation
• emotional and psychological distress
• unsafe AI-enabled environments

Our prevention approach supports both individuals already experiencing harm and communities seeking to reduce vulnerability before serious harm occurs.

Through our Unsafe by Design initiative, AFK promotes prevention-focused approaches that encourage safer systems, stronger safeguards, relational safety, and community awareness around emerging digital harms.

AFK delivers prevention-focused initiatives that support safer digital participation and strengthen community protection through:

Community education activities, workshops, and discussions designed to strengthen awareness of online exploitation, coercive control, scams, grooming, manipulation, and technology-facilitated abuse.

Support activities for children, young people, carers, and vulnerable individuals experiencing emotional distress, online harm, digital overstimulation, or social isolation.

Programs and conversations that strengthen belonging, trusted relationships, face-to-face connection, and relational safety as protective factors against exploitation and isolation.

Advocacy promoting safer digital systems, ethical technology practices, upstream safeguarding, and prevention-focused approaches to emerging technologies and AI-enabled harms.

Support, education, and referral assistance for individuals affected by technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), image-based abuse, online exploitation, scams, and coercive digital behaviours.

AFK works with communities experiencing heightened vulnerability to digital harm, including:

• children and young people
• women and girls
• neurodivergent individuals
• carers and families
• rural and regional communities
• individuals experiencing social isolation or limited access to support services

Our work is particularly focused on helping communities identify and respond to emerging risks earlier, before harm escalates into long-term emotional distress, exploitation, or victimisation.

AFK believes prevention is strongest when communities are equipped with knowledge, support, safeguarding awareness, and trusted human connection before harm occurs.

As digital environments continue to evolve rapidly, AFK remains committed to strengthening community safety, reducing vulnerability, and promoting prevention-focused approaches that protect people, particularly children and vulnerable communities, from emerging forms of digital harm and exploitation.