Unwanted contact
Download: Common cybersafety issues - unwanted contact (word 224kb)
Helping students stay safe online
The internet enables children and young people to learn, communicate, research, collaborate and create communities with other people. While research and learning are very valid and popular internet uses, there is often more appeal for young people in the many online applications that enable them to communicate with existing friends and expand their social networks by making new friends with shared interests.
Students interact online with others through their use of:
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social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook
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chat programs such as MSN
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special interest websites where interactions occur through blogs and wikis
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virtual worlds such as Habbo Hotel and Club Penguin
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content creation and sharing sites such as YouTube and Flickr
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gaming sites, such as World of Warcraft and Second Life, that allow the users to establish teams or guilds with other online players as they follow quests.
Detailed information about these technologies is available within the Technology guides section of this website. The What are students doing online? section of the website provides videos of children and young people explaining how they use technologies at different ages and the importance of technology within their lives.
Children and young people can interact online with people they know in real life, as well as people they don’t know or have not met, such as a ‘friend of a friend’. While online social interactions with both known individuals and strangers can be enriching for children and young people, presenting them with different perspectives and providing a breadth of communication experiences, unfortunately not everyone online behaves responsibly or ethically.
It is possible for individuals to be deceptive about their true identity online. For example, adults can pretend to be young people and communicate with young people in chat rooms or discussion groups. Young people can also imitate each other online, potentially misrepresenting each other for malicious purposes including cyberbullying.
Educating children and young people about the potential threats posed by unscrupulous individuals online will assist them to identify warning signs and protect themselves from unwanted online contact.