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Please note: This is from an assignment from my undergraduate degree at Flinders University. It was originally posted elsewhere on the 21st of September 2017. I am, Nikita Mickan, a Pre-Service Teacher at Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia. I am completing a Bachelor of Education (Middle and Secondary Schooling)/Bachelor of Arts; majoring in Legal Studies and English. I graduated from a Northern Suburbs high school in 2014, where I was involved in many community activities and groups; a big one being centred around cyberbullying and remaining safe while using the Information and Communications Technology that we have today. Information and Communications Technology, commonly shortened to ICT, is technology that allows students to access information and communicate through technology. It includes the Internet, computers/tablets, mobile phones and other forms of communication, including text messaging and social media ("ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) Definition", 2017). The use of ICT is huge in the 21st century – there is no denying it. While ICT can have many positive benefits, there is one glaring negative: cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is bullying someone using technology – in a nutshell. It involves using technology such as the Internet, mobile phones, laptops, and social media to hurt, embarrass and intimidate others. Cyberbullying, unlike stereotypical schoolyard bullying, is often anonymous as the perpetrators can hide behind false identities, can remain online for a good period of time before being removed (if at all), can leave the victim feeling like there is no escape, can be duplicated or searched for easily ("Cyberbullying, Human rights and bystanders | Bullying", 2017). Cyberbullying can be receiving mean and/or abusive messages (that can be anonymous); sending messages that are threatening, sending photos or videos with the intent of embarrassment, spreading rumours, intimidation or harassment, attempting to stop contact with others, and hacking into or stealing passwords to online accounts (especially social media) ("Cyberbullying, Human rights and bystanders | Bullying", 2017). ‘Sexting’ (where inappropriate images of a sexual nature are sent to others) has become a big issue with the sharing of these images becoming a catalyst for cyberbullying ("Talking To Kids About Sexting | Kids Helpline | 1800 55 1800", 2017). "Cyberbullying happens at least every few weeks to about one in 10 young people" ("Bullying and Cyberbullying", 2017). The effects on students can be life changing. Victims can begin to withdrawn from family and friends, have excuses to stay away from school or work, losing weight or dramatic change of appearance, injuries or major changes in clothing that could indicate self-harm, and a change in personality ("Effects of cyberbullying - Family Lives", 2017). In the worst case, students can attempt suicide due to the level or effect of cyberbullying that they endure. Taking all of this into account; how can parents aid students to be safe online and to help prevent their students from becoming victims of cyberbullying? Parents can talk to their student about being safe online, educate themselves about being cybersafe and talk to their students’ about the same issue. They can also provide access to the Internet and other ICT forms in a safe and supervised environment. Having anti-virus software and firewalls installed, reporting spam (junk content which can embed virus’s on to the device), as well as age-appropriate parental controls enabled which can help to keep your student safe and restrict access to inappropriate content online. Monitoring your student’s use of technology and keeping up to date with their social media posts can help identify anything that could indicate, or be the start of, cyberbullying. Observing for any sudden or unusual changes in your students behaviour and then asking if they are alright could stop any problems from escalating. Seeking support for either yourself or your student can be invaluable as then no one is feeling isolated and as if they must go through it on your own ("Cyberbullying, e-crime and the protection of children and young people", 2017). Contacting the school if your student is being cyberbullied can help teachers to provide support within the classroom, and this can help the student have a sense of normalcy within their life. Parents can encourage students to have strong privacy settings on all social media accounts and to only ‘friend’ people they know and have met. They can also report inappropriate comments or unfamiliar accounts that attempt to make content on social media sites in order to attempt to stop the cyberbullying from occurring. Encouraging their student to change their passwords and not to put their mobile numbers online, on their social media accounts regularly can help them keep themselves safe. In terms of more general ICT use, parents can encourage their student to keep a backup of all documents (both personal and school related), photos and music. They can also discuss the differences between workplace, school and personal ICT and what is appropriate for each. Having discussions about the future implications of ICT, can help students to realise the permeance of what they can create using various forms of ICT. As a Pre-Service Teacher (and once I graduate), I am required to have an understanding of how to implement teaching strategies for using ICT (AITSL Standard 2.6) and demonstrating knowledge of resources, including ICT, in order to engage students (AITSL Standard 3.4). I am also required to demonstrate an understanding of the relevant issues and strategies to support the safe use of ICT in teaching and learning (AITSL Standard 4.5) ("Teacher Standards", 2017). I will address these standards by having engaging strategies through use of online quizzes such as Kahoot! and smaller research types tasks that can help the students to learn and reinforce the learning of appropriate referencing for assessments; which can enable students to understand academic integrity and plagiarism. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and the Australian Curriculum have highlighted learning capabilities (ICT being one of them) that students should be able to highlight ("Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability", 2017). By reinforcing correct referencing of ideas and concepts when completing assessments and modelling that when delivering content, students should be able to recognise the appropriate measures to take when intellectual property is identified. Students should also be able to apply personal and digital security practices by changing passwords on school related accounts regularly, encouraging the backing up of all school work and I would also have a social media policy for my classroom (on top of the school policy) as well as a zero tolerance on cyberbullying. If a case of cyberbullying is reported to me, I would take appropriate measures including speaking to parents, referrals to school counsellors or chaplains and, if it is needed, contacting the authorities. Hopefully, this gives you an outline of one of the biggest issues that students can face in this age of ICT and that it gives you some tips to help keep your student safe online, as well as what my own practice is in the classroom and how I will be approaching the topic of ICT and cyber safety. I have included a list of further resources that you or your student could access for further information. "Cyber bullies can hide behind a mask of anonymity online, and do not need direct physical access to their victims to do unimaginable harm." - Anna Maria Chavez For more information:
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