Are your children using their devices safely?

When your child shares information like their phone number, personal email address, the name of their school, or home address online, they are at risk it could be used in ways they may not have thought about.

Personal information gathered online can be misused and result in things like spam, scams, fraud, unwanted contact and grooming or even identity theft.

Photos of your child that are posted online or shared through social networks might end up travelling more widely than intended or they could be ‘harvested’ from social media or other websites and used for unintended purposes.

It is important that your child is aware of where and how information that identifies them is available online. They should also think about who can access it, what others may be doing with their information and the impression they are leaving for others to find.

For younger children, ensure their social media accounts are not publicly available and establish rules around what types of content they should share online.

For older children, suggest they make their social media accounts private, or revise their privacy settings so they can control who can look at their photos and posts. By adjusting their privacy settings, they can stay in control of who sees what they post online and who can contact them directly

We know that many parents are allowing children to use such apps as TIK TOK, Snapchat, Instagram, ..... so in order to ensure the safety of your children we encourage you to reflect on the following:

• What privacy settings do you have in place?
• Who can comment on your child’s videos?
• Who can see and download your child’s content?
• Has your child created private videos?
• Have your child controlled what people can see on their profile
• What is your child saying on Social media?
• Do you know how to block an account?

The TIK TOK Terms of Service page outlines that TikTok is intended for users age 13 years and over and they request that you do not allow a child under the age of 13 to use the app. Other service also have similar guides.

Supporting your child’s use of social media (e:safety.com.au)

The following information provides you with strategies to support your child with their use of social media.

The school stresses to parents the importance of supporting their child with their use of social media at home. Primary aged children are young, and some social media presents them with scenarios and interactions that young children do not have the maturity to manage.

It can also impact on their learning and engagement at school.

Whilst the school can continue to teach expected behaviours and discuss the appropriate use of social media, we cannot be in each child’s home to monitor and assist the use of it.

We are at times asked by parents how to assist their children with social media so recommend the following information:

The e Safety Guide is a great resource for parents and students. (esafety.com.au).

The guide will keep you informed of the latest games, apps and social media, including how to protect your information and report inappropriate content.

What to do if your child is engaging inappropriately in social media or being cyberbullied.

(This information is from the e safety site)

Try to resist immediately taking away their device

 Removing your child’s phone or computer could be really unhelpful. Cutting off their online access does not teach them about online safety or help build resilience. It could alienate them from their peers, and it also removes a tool for them to communicate and connect with friends.

Stay calm and open — don’t panic

 You want your child to feel confident that you’re not immediately going to get upset, angry or anxious if they tell you about the situation. You want them to know they can talk to you and feel heard.

 The best way to do this is make sure you have an open dialogue from the beginning. Talk to them without being judgemental or angry and make them feel like they can come to you with anything, without fear of being punished

Listen, think, pause
Gauge the scale of the problem. Does it exist in a peer group or is it more widespread? Is it a few remarks here and there? Or is it more serious? Empathise with your child and let them know that you understand how they feel.

How badly is it affecting your child personally? If the bullying itself is not very intense, but your child seems quite seriously affected, this could be a symptom of something larger. In this case you may need to seek help, from a school counsellor, a helpline, or an external professional.

Try not to respond immediately. Take some time to consider the best course of action. Reassure your child you are working on it and will come together again very soon to talk through some options. Let them know you are there if they feel like they need to talk in the meantime.

Act to protect your child if necessary

 If your child is being threatened, or if they indicate a wish to harm themselves, you should get professional help.

 Call Triple Zero (000) immediately, if their physical safety is at risk. Contact a counselling and support service like Kids Helpline.

Empower your child

 Wherever possible, try to build your child’s confidence and help them make wise decisions for themselves, rather than telling them what to do.

 If you feel they may be struggling to open up to you, connect them with other trusted adults or with professional support.

Collect evidence

Before you or your child block someone or delete posts or other bullying material, take screenshots and collect evidence including dates and times.

The evidence may be useful if the inappropriate behaviour continues and you need a record of how long it has been going on. You may also need evidence if you want to report it.

However, if the bullying material involves sexualised images, be aware that possessing or sharing such images of people under 18 may be a crime, even if you have just taken a screenshot for evidence purposes. For information about relevant laws in Australia, visit Youth Law Australia. You can also read our advice about sharing intimate images in sending nudes and sexting.

Manage contact with others

 Advise your child not to retaliate or respond to bullying messages, as sometimes people say hurtful things just to get a response and it could make things worse. If they have already responded, encourage them not to respond further.

 Help your child to block or unfriend the person sending the messages to limit contact with them.

 Help your child change their privacy settings to restrict who can see their posts and profile page. Advice on privacy settings is available in The eSafety Guide.

 Encourage your child to ask their friends whether mean content is still being posted and if so, ask them to report it.

Report

 Many social media services, games, apps and websites make it easy to report content posted by other people. The eSafety Guide has links to report abusive content and online safety information.

 If serious cyberbullying is affecting your child and you need help to get the material removed from a social media service or other platform, we can help.

 You can make a cyberbullying report to eSafety on your child’s behalf if they are under 18 years of age. It may be useful for you to read the frequently asked questions about making a report and information about how we handle cyberbullying reports

Consider seeking support from your child’s school

 Your child’s school may have a policy in place to address cyberbullying and may be able to provide support, whether or not the bullying is from a student at your child’s school.

 With your child’s agreement, talk to their teacher or the school counsellor.

 If evidence is provided to the school through screen shots etc, we will contact the relevant parents to advise them of what is occurring.

Encourage positive connections and coping strategies

 Try to keep your child engaged with interests like sports or dance that connect them with other young people outside school, or with activities that involve extended family. These things will also remind your child that they are loved and lovable.

 Help your child identify tools they can use to work through the current situation, as well as help build resilience for any future challenges. Check out good habits start young for some tips.

Stay aware

 Check in with your child from time-to-time about how they are feeling. Keep an eye on their eating and sleeping habits, their ability to concentrate and make decisions and their overall mood.

 If you notice any changes that concern you, get help for your child through a counselling or online support services.

Grovedale West Primary School CCTV

The school has CCTV cameras placed around the external buildings of the school. A CCTV camera is also placed in the foyer of the school providing security for our school.