LODDON MALLEE - Cyber Safe Kids

When asked if they knew how to get around any rules or internet blocks at home and how
frequently they did this, 124 (44.3%) grade 4-6, 74 (59.2%) year 7-10, and 8 (66.7%) year 11
students reported that they knew how to get around some or all of the rules or blocks to their
internet use. Further, 36 (12.9%) grade 4-6, 29 (23.2%) year 7-10, and 3 (25%) year 11
students reported that they got around these blocks either every time or most times they are on
the internet.
MONITORING AND CONTROL OF INTERNET USE AT SCHOOL
Two hundred and eighty three (99.7%) grade 4-6, 125 (96.9%) year 7-10, and 11 (100%) year
11 students reported that they had at least one rule about internet use at school. The most
common rule for each student group was the school has internet policy/rules and some sites are
blocked for grade 4-6, some sites are blocked for year 7-10, and school has internet policy/rules
for year 11 students.
When students were asked if they knew how to get around any rules or internet blocks at
school and how frequently they did this, 92 (32.5%) grade 4-6, 75 (58.9%) year 7-10, and 4
(33.3%) year 11 students reported being able to get around some or all of the rules or blocks.
Further, 24 (8.5%) grade 4-6, 21 (16.5%) year 7-10, and 2 (16.7%) year 11 students reported
that they got around these rules or blocks either every time or most times they were on the
internet.
UNWANTED EXPOSURE TO SOMETHING HORRIBLE, WORRYING OR
SCARY
Sixty seven (23.7%) grade 4-6, 29 (22.9%) year 7-10, and 6 (50%) year 11 students reported
that they had found something horrible, worrying or scary on the internet and that this occurred
in the last week or month for 20 (7.1%) grade 4-6, 13 (10.2%) year 7-10, and 3 (25%) year 11
students.
Students were asked an open ended question as to what the horrible, worrying or scary thing
was and answers fell into the following categories from most frequent to least: scary
images/movies or games (i.e. www.scarymaze.com), pornographic photos and videos, sexual
harassment or solicitation, images/videos of animal cruelty, being threatened or bullied,
grotesque images (i.e. www.rotten.com or physical insult/injury) and being offered drugs.
Most often this exposure came from the following sources: pop-up screen from website
(13.5%), searching for something else (12.7%), sent/recommended by someone I knew
(11.1%), and friend/someone they know showed it to them (7.9%).
This exposure made 26 (39.4%) grade 4-6, 6 (20.7%) year 7-10, and no year 11 students feel
pretty or very upset. In terms of reporting this exposure, 57 (87.7%) grade 4-6, 19 (65.5%)
year 7-10, and 4 (100%) year 11 students reported the exposure to someone, with the most
common person being a parent for grade 4-6, and a friend for year 7-11 students.
24 LMCP Bendigo Region Report