Drilling in cyber safety

Pakenham Secondary College Principal Ray Squires with cyber safety expert Susan McLean and students Jarrod, Morgan and Daryl. 108375_14 Picture: DONNA OATES

By DANIELLE GALVIN

A CYBER safety expert visited Pakenham Secondary College on Monday to encourage students to be responsible digital citizens.
Susan McLean spoke to students about education and the implications of how they act online at two different sessions at the school.
“We focus on respect and responsibility, respect for your self and others and the responsible use of technology and what does that mean for a young person,” she said.
“We look at cyber bullying, sexting, we look at grooming by predators, digital reputation and the law, what are you risking and what are police doing, how can they help?
“Kids love technology, it’s their world they don’t want problems there.”
Ms McLean said there was a trend among parents to be fearful of technology and refuse to understand it.
It comes after another gossip site out of Kooweerup was shut down after parents complained about its content.
“If we can educate them (the students), not only can we prevent them from becoming victims, but getting themselves into trouble,” Ms McLean said.
“Most students want to use technology with no problems at all, they don’t want creepy paedophiles, they don’t want to be bombarded with sexual images, or bullied online.
“Many of them don’t know how to prevent it though, many of them think oh well this is what they have to do to be accepted, they think it’s just how it is – but it’s not, you have a decision to make.”
The former policewoman said cyber safety needs to be in the school curriculum and that parents needed to stop using technology as an excuse not to monitor their children online.
“Parents need to start parenting and not being best friends,” Ms McLean said.
“We don’t teach our kids the speed limit is 60 but mum says you can go to 80 – so why are there a proportion of parents who are turning a blind eye to kids misusing technology?
“Where are the parents of the cyber bully, why aren’t these kids properly supervised?”
Ms McLean said her message to parents was that it was hard – but not impossible – for parents to have a presence online.
“Kids can talk the talk – they are far better at using technology than parents, they will never beat kids at that – that is, using it,” she said.
“But they are not better at making good decisions, they are not better at cognitive development because they are kids.
“The fact that you don’t know how the phone works doesn’t mean you can’t parent in the digital space.
“If you are going to give your child one of these devices and you choose not to know how to use it, that is deficient parenting.”
Resources for parents include the Federal Government’s Bullying No Way website bullyingnoway.gov.au