As local students return to classrooms this week for term three, parents are being told to stay alert over a worrying increase in the incidence of cyber bulling.
Recent figures from the eSafety Commissioner, Australia’s online safety regulator, show an 80 per cent increase in cyberbullying complaints between January and June compared to the same period last year.
A local MP says schools, parents and carers are encouraged to watch out for an increase in cyberbullying incidents, and to be aware of how to prevent and report cyberbullying.
Anne Stanley, the federal member for Werriwa, said parents and carers should be alert to the signs that children might be experiencing online bullying.
“As the school holidays end and children return to classrooms, we want everyone to think about the increased risk of cyber bullying,” Ms Stanley said.
“There is practical advice available about what to look out for and what to do to best support children experiencing cyberbullying through the eSafety website.”
Cyberbullying can take many forms including sending abusive messages, hurtful images or videos, nasty online gossip, excluding or humiliating others, or creating fake accounts in someone’s name to trick or humiliate them.
However, eSafety has a wide range of tailored resources for children and young people, parents, carers and educators to detect, prevent and respond to cyberbullying.
It also provides assistance for other online safety issues often faced by young people, such as image-based abuse (the non-consensual sharing of intimate images).
The eSafety Commissioner has developed a wide range of free online resources, including interactive webinars, that can equip parents, teachers and others who support children with the knowledge to recognise when cyberbullying is occurring, and what they can do.
For more information and resources, or to make a report, visit www.esafety.gov.au.
