PARENTING TOOLKIT!

Welcome to the Parenting Toolkit! Here we will be sharing evidence-based information for our school community in areas that impact our young people’s wellbeing and development. Today’s focus is Online Safety.

One in five young Australians aged 8 to 17 years say they have been socially excluded, threatened or abused online.

eSafety Commissioner

When used appropriately, technology provides a wide range of benefits to the student community from increasing social connection to improving academic engagement. However, the misuse of technology by our young people can lead to a number of issues including cyberbullying, internet addiction and participation in ‘online drama’.

The eSafety Commissioner has some easy to access, practical advice for parents/caregivers to support their young people to have a safer, more positive experience online. 

Some key takeaways:

• Regularly review settings in apps and on devices. Many apps such as TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram and Discord, provide a parent guide to help you understand the basic settings. (https://bit.ly/3Bln2HF)
• Download apps your child uses and create your own account to familiarise yourself with the app functions and privacy settings.
• Have regular conversations with your child about their online experience. Some helpful questions are: What do you do if you feel frustrated or angry about something happening online?  What would you do if you saw someone harassing a friend? What can you do if you feel like someone is trying to make you look bad online?

Video: Parents and caregivers can help children prevent and deal with online bullying by following these handy tips from the eSafety's experts. 

Other valuable reads: 

eSafety Commissioner Parent Site:  https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents

For a more extensive read on topics including Cyberbullying, Online Pornography, Sending nudes & sexting, Time online, Online gaming, Unwanted contact and grooming look at https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/online-safety-book .

School TV is a free evidence-based resources for parents and students. Please click on the link below to access information including articles, short videos and more (https://aphs.sa.schooltv.me/). 

You can also access School TV directly through our school website (http://intra.aphs.sa.edu.au/site/) by clicking on the logo.