Prevention is better than cure

We educate our young people about online safety. This includes:

• Our respectful relationships program

• Bullying/cyber-safety plays

• Special speakers

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We encourage all parents to monitor what apps there kids are using, and consider whether the apps are age-appropriate, or expose them to stalking, cyber-bullying or leaking of private information.

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There is emerging research demonstrating a link between online and social media use and poor mental health of young people.

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We advise parents to remove devices from children during the night-time, when they are more vulnerable. 

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SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH SOCIAL MEDIA FOR CHILDREN?
You may not be fully aware of the legal and safety issues regarding social media and children, and therefore allow your children to use them. In fact all of the commonly used platforms DO NOT PERMIT access for children under the age of 13 for many legal and safety issues.

 

This includes :

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Instagram

• Tik Tok

• Snapchat

• Discord

• Threads

The e-safety commission notes however that about 25% of children between the ages of 7-13 are on these platforms, with the other 75% of children not been allowed access.

I strongly urge all parents in our community to consider the following risks and determine whether they want to continue to allow their children access the internet on their phones, particularly at night when they can not be monitored.

* Exposure to inappropriate content (explicit material, violence, cyberbullying)

* Sextortion - young people are encouraged to share online nude or suggestive 'selfies' and then threatened for money. A number of young people have committed suicide due to this.
* Potential targeting by online predators
* Negative impact on mental health (feelings of inadequacy, lowself-esteem, unhealthy comparison)
* Privacy and data security risks (sharing personal information)
* Potential for addiction and excessive screen time
* Distraction from real-life relationships and responsibilities
* Spread of misinformation and fake news
* Lack of control over personal information and digital footprint
* Online harassment and trolling
* Potential for reputational damage through sharing ofinappropriate or compromising content

Be assured that for many good reasons, the majority of parents in Australia have set firm boundaries and delayed access to social media until high school for their children. I would encourage all parents to consider carefully their own family rules and to take a stand with their children on this issue.

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As a school we take cyberbullying very seriously and will follow up regarding matters posted online -even after school hours posts and messages that are impacting students at school.