Cyber bullying within social media – an increasing problem with today's youth
Download our Cyberbullying and cybersafety guide (PDF, 1.2MB).
Download our Social media and the school community document (PDF, 1.1MB).
From time to time parents raise concerns in relation to their children’s use of the internet. It is very likely if your child has been actively socializing online, he / she has been involved in some kind of online bullying. While it is fairly easy to figure out how much text messaging your child is involved in by the size of the phone bill, it is much harder to keep tabs on instant messaging on sites like MySpace and MSN.
While the research advantages of the internet are enormous, chat rooms and web pages are less positive. Some students are seriously upset by the messages they receive. Parents should urge their children not to “fight back” by sending similar messages. Your child should ignore the bully’s emails and text messages, which communicate to the bully that your child doesn’t care.
All students (and their parents) are reminded that anything sent electronically can be stored and traced. Students need to realise that the internet world is not a toy or a playground. Rather it can be a serious domain where serious problems can occur.
Parents have the responsibility to ensure children are using the internet provided at home in a safe and lawful manner. Allowing children to spend too much time in chat rooms or emailing friends is fraught with danger.
Parents are advised to monitor their child / children’s internet use, especially if they spend large amounts of time ‘chatting’ to others online. Parents are encouraged to be aware of the sites their children are accessing. Occasional checks of your child’s internet use are advisable. Parents are advised to have consequences for inappropriate use of the internet in the home.
Education Queensland uses a very thorough word scanning program to stop any offensive language being sent using school email accounts. The Education Queensland Users Agreement, which all students and parents are asked to sign clearly outlines expectations and consequences for inappropriate use of the internet at school. The school receives copies of any offending email sent from the school account and these are dealt with immediately and consequences put in place.