Principal's Message
Dear Parents and Carers,
Emails, mobile phones, the internet and social media – online technology is becoming a part of every child’s and teenager’s life. Unfortunately around 20 percent of young Australians aged between 8 to 17 report experiencing cyberbullying. Here are some tips on the signs to look out for and what you can do if you think your child is being cyberbullied.
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying is the use of technology to bully an individual or group with the intent to cause harm – social, psychological or, in extreme cases, physical.
Cyberbullying can be abusive texts or emails, hurtful messages, images or videos. Other forms of cyberbullying include excluding others online, imitating others online or nasty online gossip.
What to look out for
If your child is experiencing cyberbullying, you may notice they don’t want to go online or use their mobile. They may get upset when they get a text or an email. You may notice changes in their school work and friends. They may also be withdrawn or appear lonely, sad or angry or not sleep well. They may try to avoid going to places like school.
What you can do
If you think your child is being cyberbullied, try not to overreact—reassure them that you won’t block their access to the internet. There are some really useful resources for parents on the eSafety website, and here’s a few more things you can do:
- Help them stay connected to supportive family and friends both online and offline.
- Advise them not to reply to any messages from a bully. Often if bullies don’t receive a response they will give up.
- Help them to collect evidence of the cyberbullying material.
- Report the cyberbullying material to the website administrator or social media service. If the site or app does not remove the content within 48 hours, report it to the eSafety Commissioner—they will work with the service to get the content removed.
- Encourage them to ‘block’ the bully.
- Talk to your child’s school if another student is involved.
If your child doesn’t feel comfortable talking to you or someone they know, encourage them to contact Kids Helpline, for free and confidential online and phone counselling 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Remember social media is a pretty broad term that refers to websites and applications that enable people to create and share content, or participate in social networking. The big ones such as Facebook and Instagram are widely known, but did you realise that many children have social media accounts associated with online games, or online learning communities? If your child has a username and can post comments or chat online, they have a social media account. I encourage you to monitor your child’s social media use and be aware of the age limits that apply to the various networking sites. Some of them, whilst they appear harmless, may open them up further through advertisements to sites that are not as harmless and have children chatting to strangers. Here is a link to the esafety’s online safety guide;
Definitely worth reading!
Thank you for your ongoing care and partnership in your child’s learning.
God bless.
Rachel Smith
Principal