Community
26 August, 2023
Cyber safety begins at home
KEEPING children and teens safe in today’s ever-advancing cyber world has become a full-time job, and a great concern, for Warrnambool’s youth resource officers.
Leading senior constables John Keats and Brooke Pollock spend their days educating children and teenagers across the western district about how to stay safe on the web.
While today’s technological advances allow tech-savvy (and those not so tech-savvy) the opportunity to tap into a world of games, challenges and conversation, it can also pose a serious risk to users’ safety and well-being.
“While the internet can certainly offer a world of opportunities for us all and can be a very exciting and good space, it also has it’s dark side and that is something that should concern us all,” Ldg Snr Const Keats said.
“Parents need to be vigilant. They need to be aware of what sites their children are on, who they are communicating with and how they are behaving.
“Cyber safety begins at home and we are encouraging all parents and guardians to take an active interest in how their children are using the internet.”
With incidents of cyber bullying and sextortion becoming more and more prevalent there is a heightened need for vigilance and prevention.
“Sadly, cyber bullying and sextortion (demanding money from people who have shared a nude image of themselves on the internet) is on the rise and we’re seeing more and more cases of this every week,” Ldg Snr Const Keats said.
“We spend our days holding cyber safety sessions in schools and we welcome parents and guardians to take part because they really do play a big role in helping to keep our children safe.”
The youth resource officers at Warrnambool police believe parents are the ‘missing link’ when it comes to cyber safety for some of our youngest residents.
“Children and young teens need guidance, they need responsible role models and they need discipline and rules when it comes to internet use,” Ldg Snr Const Keats said.
“Bullying is not okay in any shape or form; cyber bullying is heightened because the sender has no idea how his or her message will be received by the recipient as they can’t see their reaction to the message in person.”
Cyber bullying in schools has reached alarming levels, with children as young as eight being subjected to on-line taunts and harassment.
“All too often we see adults posing as children on-line; they befriend a child, entice them to send a nude on the promise to get them to the next level in a game or manipulate them in other ways,” Ldg Snr Const Keats said.
“They then say they’ll tell their friends or family about the photo if they don’t send money or a gift card; something along those lines.”
Through the cyber safety program in schools, the youth resource team encourages children to not only be aware of the dangers but to also speak out if they feel uncomfortable or sense that “something isn’t right.”
“We encourage children to make good choices, to not bully or harass others and to always speak to an adult if they’re being bullied,’ Ldg Snr Const Keats said.
“The cyber world can be a good place but we all need to work harder to keep everyone safe.”
During the school visits, discussions centre around the simple strategies that students can use to help keep themselves, their friends and family members ‘cyber safe.’
This includes: block unwanted players/comments, tell a trusted adult when they have an issue, only play/connect with people they know, be role models online, don’t share or store inappropriate images online, and online bullying is against the law.
They also spread the CYBER acronym relating to how to stay safe online:
C –\tcommunicate (tell a trusted adult when something isn’t right)
Y – \tyou (it’s your cyber world, don’t let it control you)
B – \tbalance (balance in life, sleep, exercise, good nutrition, other hobbies)
E – \teducation (keep your cyber knowledge up-to-date)
R – \trespect (yourself and others)
R – \treputation (your online activity can become what people think of you)
R – \tresume (your online activity leaves a digital footprint that can be seen by everyone).
The youth resource team at Warrnambool police station is always happy to visit schools to spread the cyber safety message, and encourages parents and guardians to also get on board.
Young people and their parents can also get online to learn more about safety; visit www.esafety.gov.au
For more information about the program contact the team on 5560 1133.
