FACEBOOK, YouTube, MySpace, MSN – we’ve all heard of them.
All are social networking sites that allow people to connect easily worldwide.
However, the ease of connection can hold potential risk in the form of cyber bullying and other negative consequences.
During Term 2 more than 100 school student protection contacts (SPCs) attended workshops titled “Cyber Safety – Issues for Schools”, to learn how to better deal with cyber safety issues for students.
Also attending the workshops facilitated by Brisbane Catholic Education’s Student Protection Services personnel and supported by area supervisors were representatives from Employee Relations, Curriculum Services, Communications and Marketing, ICT services and other student wellbeing areas.
Workshops began with a presentation from Detective Senior Constable Cory Schmidt from Task Force Argos on the dangers to students from online predators.
Later participants widened the discussion and talked about general issues of concern to schools associated with cyber technology and made suggestions about possible responses from school communities and BCEC.
Top of the list was the priority of schools to teach students appropriate use of Internet tools from primary onwards, with safety an important component.
Safety issues included students learning skills and knowledge relating to the legal and public nature of the Internet and how to deal with online bullying or pop-ups for inappropriate sites.
Other issues discussed was on-going regular professional development to keep schools up-to-date on the advances in the online tools and the new ways students may be circumventing filters and more contact with other schools to share knowledge and ways to improve their response to future Internet challenges.
It was also suggested parents needed more information on safety aspects of internet use and their responsibilities and how they can act on them.
The idea was put forward of “acceptable use” policies for mobile phones and the internet to be agreed to by parents and students as part of a “code of conduct” for students which schools already had in place.
Student protection officer Neville Eckersley said workshop participants were positive and recognised the workshops were a good start to the necessary future discussions on the issues the internet and other technology will continue to raise for schools.
