The Nazarene

Wellbeing Report 

Cyber Awareness Parent Engagement Evening

Last Wednesday night we held a Parent information evening around the issue of supporting our young people to be safe online, facilitated by myself and our two Deputy Principals, Claire Nailon and Justin Duckett. While we a do not profess to be experts in this field, we do have experience to share based on the work we do with young people each day. 

Past student Gabriella Brusco also joined us to give a very interesting perspective on the ways that young people are presently using the internet and social media.

While we acknowledge that using technology has many advantages and positive outcomes, we also understand the challenges that come with it. On the night, we discussed in some detail the impacts of technology use on our young people. These included:

  • Sleep
  • Sources of information – ‘Influencers, news sources, algorithms and feeds, self diagnosis
  • Peer relationships
  • Eating patterns
  • Body Image distortion
  • Self Esteem, comparison
  • Digital reputation
  • Cyberbullying
  • Privacy
  • Scams/Catfishing/Sextortion/Pornography
  • Identity theft
  • Addiction
  • Brain rewiring
  • Ability to learn

We also outlined how we see technology use impacting family life, including:

  • Withdrawal from family activities
  • Relationships within families – tension, conflict
  • Trust issues
  • Family Time
  • Family Rituals
  • Family Rhythm

Also discussed were the ways in which we see behaviour at school be impacted, including:

  • Engagement due to attendance/energy levels, lack of sleep
  • Distraction/Misuse during class time
  • Concentration
  • Cyberbullying
  • Peer issues
  • Privacy concerns
  • Organisation of materials
  • Use of AI, plagiarism, impact on thinking skills

Most importantly, we wanted to identify some strategies for families to use to deal with some of the issues raised. 

Some of these strategies included, but certainly is not limited to:

  • Keep ‘devices’ out of the bedroom, not just phones
  • Monitor APPs and sites being used, learn the lingo
  • Limit time on devices at night
  • Install filters
  • Use parental controls
  • Set clear boundaries and habits early

The most important strategy of all centres on being engaged with your child, and having those important conversations. 

  • Your response will be dependant on their age, strategies will change over time, be flexible
  • Communication is the key - Establish open communication
  • Listen non-judgementally
  • Look for opportunities for casual conversations
  • Modelling, set a good example

Teach your child to be A.W.A.R.E when sharing online:

Helpful Organisations

We are not alone – there are many experts and organisations set up to support young people AND parents to navigate the online world safely and positively.

If your child finds themselves in trouble or the victims of online crime, reach out to the appropriate authority, depending on the nature of the issue.

We really encourage you to have a look at some of the information prepared specifically for Parents by reputable organisations. These include:

You can watch a recording of the night here:

 

 video1753580315.mp4

 

 

Ms Jackie Kol

Director of Wellbeing