The role of schools in addressing unwanted contact
Managing unwanted contact—rules for schools
The following simple rules may be discussed with students and parents, amended according to the school’s needs, and posted within classrooms to provide age-appropriate reminders of general rules of engagement when online.
Rules for students
As many students are still developing skills in terms of being able to make safe and responsible judgements online and offline, it is often useful to provide clear-cut rules for students to follow to minimise the likelihood of unwanted contact occurring.
Rules for primary students
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Do not communicate or share personal contact details with ‘strangers’—that is, someone you don’t know in real life. Don’t allow strangers into your contacts list on IM or email.
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Check with a parent when adding a new contact to your online social network.
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Ask a parent to assist with the setting up of a new account.
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Don’t agree to meet someone you have met online in real life, unless your parent agrees and goes with you.
Rules for secondary students
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Reflect on how this person was introduced. If, for example, they are the friend of a friend in a gaming site, how well do you really know them? Only agree to share your profile with them if you are very sure they are who they say they are.
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Monitor theperson’s online presence, including their profile, network and communications.
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Monitor the tone and content of communications.
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Seek your parents’ approval and meet in a public place if they ask you to meet offline.
Establishing a cybersafety team
Establishing a specific cybersafety team can greatly assist in implementing a holistic and consistent approach to cybersafety practices within the school. It can also assist students in understandig and managing appropriate use of personal information online.
The cybersafety team leads cybersafety issues in the school, auditing schools policies and procedures and establishing and embedding new policies and procedures to enhance school-wide cybersafety behaviours. This is explored further in Policies and procedures.
Establishing a cybersafety contact person
It may be useful for schools to establish a cybersafety contact person to whom students can report online concerns. This role should be promoted to staff, students and parents and ideally would provide non-judgemental guidance to students and liaise between students and parents on issues concerning student safety and wellbeing. The student welfare officer may fulfil this role. The contact person may be a member of the cybersafety team.
Educating students
The Teacher resources section provides links to comprehensive resources to assist schools to educate children and young people about the use of personal information online and how to recognise and manage unwanted contact online.
Educating parents
Encouraging a partnership between parents and the school is an important part of dealing holistically and effectively with problems involving unwanted contact. A newsletter article on the school’s unwanted contact policy and a link to supporting parent information, provided in the Parents section of this website, is a simple way to promote clear communication about dealing with unwanted contact.
Internet Safety Awareness Presentations
As part of its Cybersafety Outreach program, the ACMA offers free general internet safety awareness presentations for parents, students and teachers. Each presentation is approximately 60 minutes, excluding question time.
These presentations are easy to understand, thorough, non-technical and informative. They cover a range of issues including:
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the ways children use the internet and emerging technologies
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potential risks faced by children when online such as cyberbullying, identity theft, inappropriate contact and exposure to inappropriate content
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tips and strategies to help children stay safe online.
Book an internet safety awareness presentation.
Professional Development for Educators (PD)
In consultation with key stakeholders and education bodies, the ACMA has developed a free and accredited Cybersafety Outreach—Professional Development for Educators (PD) program. The program is available as a full-day workshop or as 3 x 2 hour sessions and provides teachers with a comprehensive understanding of a modern student’s technology profile, digital literacy, positive online behaviour, personal and peer safety and the school’s and teachers’ legal obligations to minimise and address risks.
Book teacher professional development.