Safe On Social Media

Hopefully, our community is aware that during Term 2 all staff participated in training around the use of social media; that all students from Year 4 to Academy II participated in learning sessions and that we hosted an information evening for our parents and community. Since these events we have established an ongoing relationship with Kirra Pendergast at Safe On Social Media and we will now regularly place information and alerts in our newsletter around safe social media use. As always if you have any questions please contact the school.

Don't say anything online that you wouldn't want plastered on a billboard with your face on it.

Erin Bury

How to report Cyber-Bullying

Statistics say that one in five Australian children aged 8 to 17yrs have been the target of cyber-bullying in the last year. Most social media networks have rules banning cyber-bullying and have complaints tools for reporting.

Firstly, take screenshots so you have evidence.

Then report and block the bully on whatever social media app is being used. Some social media sites can take up to 48hrs to remove the reported post but you MUST report through these channels before reporting to to The Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner.

Report it to The Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner by filling in the online complaints form at esafety.gov.au if the site does not act in 48hrs.

If the bullying is threatening someone’s life or involves child pornography immediately contact your local police station.

Everything you post on social media impacts your personal brand. How do you want to be known?

The Publicity Gal

Mango - A timely reminder of what is or isn't appropriate

This week has seen news reports of some spectacularly poorly judged behaviours from a group of Year 12 HSC students. The furor in the news is focused on a question in the opening English HSC paper, which asked for an analysis of the poem “Mango” by the multi-award winning Indigenous poet Ellen van Neerven.

Rather than being self-aware enough to realise their difficulties with “Mango” had little to do with the author of the poem, these students have taken themselves online. Particularly to the Facebook HSC discussion page where they have chosen to abuse Ms van Neerven and her poem, altered her Wikipedia page, made false profiles to continue posting offensive comments, designed gifs representing van Neerven as a chimpanzee and simply put, piled abuse upon the author. The Facebook page is a public one with over 65,000 members. Other than the odd fake profile, there is no subterfuge, it’s been there for all to see.

Some examples of posts: -

“We were asked to analyse your mango ****** poem - and I’m asking what the **** was the point of your mango ********,” wrote one student.

Compounding the situation, the poet was not informed in advance by the NSW Educations Standard Authority that her works would appear in the HSC paper, so the attacks on her - came out of the blue. Some of the comments are racist. Most are bullying, and all are rude.Those students who seek to defend the poet from their peers have found themselves harassed online.

There are people asking for the students involved to automatically fail the HSC. There are people sending the students death threats, and even in the face of that, and the media coverage, a few members of the student Facebook group are persisting with the posts.

They have forgotten a few things that, in all likelihood will be to their detriment.

Under the Commonwealth Criminal Code, it is considered illegal to use a carriage service (internet) to menace, harass and offend another person. There is the potential for them to be charged as adults. As most are easily identified, they should be concerned with carrying a criminal record with them for the rest of their lives.

A digital footprint is the forever history of your actions online. Future employers and recruiters regularly conduct Google and other searches about those they are considering for work. These students will now have their charming, abusive, racist comments permanently attached to their names online.

They are cyber bullying. This is a crime under NSW law when an individual uses the internet in a harassing or threatening way, uses threats, or when a person’s reputation is damaged. Add in the combination of racist memes, and complaints can be made additionally to the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board or the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Defamation. This occurs when a person intentionally states or spreads information about another person to cause others to think less of that person. Some examples include making someone

the butt of jokes, or damaging their reputation which fits in these circumstances. This is a crime that attracts compensation as a recompense under civil law. The posts need to be taken down as soon as possible by all involved, and if the students are wise, they would do well to apologize to Ms Van Neerven.

Damaging their reputation which fits in these circumstances. This is a crime that attracts compensation as a recompense under civil law. The posts need to be taken down as soon as possible by all involved, and if the students are wise, they would do well to apologize to Ms Van Neerven.

What you post online is forever. This kind of behaviour is criminal, and could be very easily prosecuted, should Ms. Van Neerven choose to do so.