Cybersafety is an issue that all schools must be able to identify and address. Children can be victims of cyberbullying or attract the attention of predators on the internet.
Bullying is a form of abuse that can seriously affect the health, wellbeing and educational outcomes of children. This includes those being bullied, those bullying others, families and the whole school community. The impact of bullying can be tracked to adulthood for many individuals.
The internet is one of the main sources of communication for young people today with the popularity of chat rooms, discussion groups, and playing interactive games. Unfortunately it is also a very attractive place for predators to go as they can remain virtually anonymous whilst participating in a range of paedophilic activity.
The Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia can provide comprehensive information to member schools to ensure that the school has an approach that addresses all aspects of cybersafety.
Member schools can log on to the AISWA member section of the website and access the following documents in the Policy and Procedures section:
- "Use of Technology within the School" addresses the issue of having a code of conduct or acceptable use policy for mobile phones and the internet.
- "Preventing and Managing Bullying" discusses all bullying issues scools need to consider, including cyberbullying, and provides a wide range of resources available to schools.
Information on the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and relevent international sites are provided in the public section of the AISWA website.
