Chaplain's Corner
Hi Everyone,
It has been good to hear that so many of you were able to get away over the break – the students really enjoyed their family holidays and APPRECIATED them!
This week Tuesday, February 8th was INTERNATIONAL CYBER SAFETY DAY. According to the safety Commissioner research shows that Australians are learning and caring more about online safety than ever before.
https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/whats-on/safer-internet-day-2022
Online spaces are an important part of our everyday lives, especially for young people. They provide connection with others, access to new information and the ability for people to express themselves. While online environments can offer many benefits to young people, they also present a number of challenges like content that can reduce a young person’s self-esteem, cyberbullying and trolling, and disconnection from the real world.
Our children need our support. REACH OUT, a well-known youth support organisation has a fantastic website covering numerous topics, including friendship, loneliness, depression, etc.. This week I’d like to focus on their useful websites targeting CYBERBULLYING. Their topics use useful information, strategies and life stories from young people via video links. SAFE & Engaging APPS are also suggested.
https://au.reachout.com/search?q=Cyberbullying&page=1
Working together with your child on an action plan as both a preventative and proactive strategy will give your child some skills. Check out REACH OUT’s strategy ideas below:
https://au.reachout.com/articles/5-strategies-for-dealing-with-cyberbullying
https://au.reachout.com/bullying/cyberbullying#action-plan-anchor
The eSafety Commissioner website gives extensive information and advise and investigates serious online abuse (see below):
You can access the revised ONLINE SAFETY ACT (see below):
https://www.esafety.gov.au/whats-on/online-safety-act
Emerging Minds is also a very useful website for improving the Mental Health of our young people. There are also very useful online courses for parents.https://emergingminds.com.au/
Yes, ‘it takes a village to raise (and guide) a child’ and anyone who has tried to do it alone knows how difficult it is. OUR CHILDREN NEEDS THIS VILLAGE; PARENTS NEED THIS VILLAGE - A VILLAGE THAT CONSISTS OF supportive family, relatives, friends, education and professional specialists, support organisations such as mentioned above. NO ONE NEEDS TO GO IT ALONE.
I encourage you to find out all you can about CYBERBULLYING AND HOW BEST YOU CAN HELP; EXPLORE IT TOGETHER so that BOTH you and your child are better equipped to navigate this growing problem within our society.
Take care & stay well
Robyn Mulholland (School Chaplain)