LODDON MALLEE - Cyber Safe Kids

TEACHERS CONCERNS AND NEEDS REGARDING KEEPING YOUNG
PEOPLE SAFE ONLINE
Overall the teachers who completed the survey were positive about children and young
people‟s engagement in online activities, were proficient at finding information on the internet
and protecting their personal information, and readily used ICT in education. The teachers
surveyed appeared to be more in touch with young people‟s experiences of the online world
than the surveyed parents and rated cyber bullying as the greatest threat, followed by sexual
predators and theft of personal information (which can be used in cyber bullying). In addition,
88% of teachers were concerned about their students cyber bullying others and posting
inappropriate content online (84%).
ONLINE SAFETY INTERVENTIONS AND METHODS OF DELIVERY –
TEACHERS‟ PERSPECTIVE
The majority of teachers surveyed (over 80%) reported that in school education and easy
procedures for reporting to the police were likely to be effective strategies in keeping children
and young people safe in their online activities. Interestingly, the data suggest that teachers also
felt that parents should be involved, as 70% reported that guidelines/ information for parents,
filter software and stronger rules set by parents would be effective strategies for keeping
children and young people safe online. Almost 90% of teachers felt that schools and parents
were likely to be effective in delivering interventions around cybersafety to children, and
interestingly only 69% of teachers felt that “teachers” would be effective.
For both parents and teachers there was a focus on individual, local and a community approach
to keep children safe in their online activities, and few reported that international organisations
or indeed government should be involved in implementing interventions.
69 LMCP Bendigo Region Report