A looming social media ban for under-16s won't be a silver bullet in addressing online safety for young people, the new head of the federal police warns.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said every family needed to discuss online and social media use ahead of the ban's implementation in December.

"The age verification and the age standards is a great initiative, but it's not going to solve the problem on its own," she told the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday.

"A big part of that is the ongoing prevention, the ongoing education and the ongoing reporting."

Ms Barrett said parents needed to be wary and vigilant.

In her speech, she said girls were hunted by young men online who were coercing vulnerable victims into carrying out "twisted" acts of violence

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