Wellbeing - Whole School

Wellbeing Overall

Over the years, I have encountered a range of issues linked to social media. The College has taken its responsibility seriously for helping to educate our boys and young men about the potential dangers of interacting with others on social media.

In 2023 I was shocked and saddened to read media reports about a young man who took his own life due to a sextortion scam. It highlighted the depths of despair that our youth can experience after making a mistake, being manipulated, and not feeling empowered to speak with others.

On Monday morning I was heartened by the announcement that two men had been arrested in Nigeria for their role in the scam that led to the teenager’s death. I was proud of the fact that our law enforcement officers had been able to locate and prosecute these individuals.

I echo the message offered by Commander of State Crime Command’s Cybercrime Squad, Detective Superintendent Matthew Craft, who has said the message to young people everywhere is that ‘you don’t need to suffer in silence.’ 

“We’ve seen a huge spike in sextortion cases, which are up nearly 400% in the last 18 months – but the good news is people are reporting it and there are steps we can take to help you before it goes too far.

 

“We want young people to continue to report these cases, and to never be embarrassed to talk to police. Sextortion is a very real crime that we can take serious action against,” Detective Superintendent Craft said.

I encourage the young men of our community to find their voice and be prepared to seek assistance from family, friends, and staff if they are exposed to these scams, knowing that they have an understanding of how to avoid being ‘trapped’ and that they will be supported.

Similarly, I received an email from Kirra Pendergast at Safe on Social providing some sample conversation starters for parents when speaking to their children. These can be found at: Script for Discussing Sextortion with Tweens/Teens (safeonsocial.com).

For more information on sextortion, head to the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) website or www.esafety.gov.au. 

Source: 8.4.24_ Latest News - NSW Police Public Site.

Robert Simpson

Director of Senior School