Cyber Safety at Matangi School

Being a Positive Digital Citizen

The Internet can be a scary place for parents. There are many well-publicised incidents in the media where children have been misguided, misled and deceived.

While the simple answer may appear to be to ban children from any contact with the Internet, this will not help our children live in the digital age that surrounds us. As we spend more time online due to changes in our global climate, we need to be aware of the potential risks that are out there for our children.

Education and awareness of the possible risks provide children with the necessary skills to negotiate the vast wealth of information on the world wide web.

Below are some guidelines you may like to discuss with your children to help keep themselves safe on the Internet.

• I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parent’s work address/telephone number, or the name and location of my school without my parents’ permission.
• I will tell my parents immediately if I come across any information that makes me uncomfortable.
• I will never agree to get together with someone I “meet” online without first checking with my parents. If my parents agree to the meeting, I will ensure it is in a public place and bring a parent along.
• I will only send a person my picture or something else after first checking with my parents.
• I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable. It is not my fault if I get a message like that. If I do, I will tell my parents right away.
• I will talk with my parents to set up rules for going online and using a mobile phone. We will decide upon the time of day I can be online, the length of time I can be online and appropriate areas for me to visit. I will not access other areas or break these rules without their permission.
• I will not give out my passwords to anyone (even my best friends) other than my parents.
• I will check with my parents before downloading or installing software or doing anything that could hurt our computer or mobile device or jeopardise my family’s privacy.
• I will be a good online citizen and not do anything that hurts other people or is against the law. I will give positive comments and critiques to other learners.
• I will help my parents understand how to have fun, learn things online, and teach them about the Internet, computers and other technology.

This link provides information that may help you and your children. Please ensure that we keep ourselves safe at all times and report anything that we deem unsafe or at risk to the well-being of our children.