A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
The complex and emerging field of problematic internet use (PIU), commonly dubbed ‘internet addiction’, requires a comprehensive, empathic and culturally-sensitive approach to assessment, before one can commence treatment, or therapy. As indicated in my earlier article for Generation Next (January 2012), a few key points must be borne in mind during the assessment process: First, [...]
ALMOST one in two Australian children are being bullied, a survey shows. The Queensland University of Technology study, involving 3112 students from grades 6 to 12 in nearly 30 schools around the country, found "traditional" face-to-face bullying was twice as prevalent as cyber-bullying.About 30 per cent of students reported being bullied in person, while 15 [...]
What is Cybersmart? Cybersmart is a national cybersafety and cybersecurity education program managed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), as part of the Australian Government’s commitment to cybersafety. The program is specifically designed to meet the needs of its target audiences of children, young people, parents, teachers and library staff. Cybersmart aims to: [...]
Three key gaps underlie the challenges we face in keeping our kids safe in cyberspace: a knowledge gap, a mentoring gap and an expert gap. The knowledge gap: “It’s a new area, a new addition to our culture and we adults need to rapidly catch up.” Said Dr Ramesh Manocha, medico and researcher at Sydney Uni's Dept of Psyhciatry. The [...]
Modesty is no longer a virtue in contemporary society - in the news or in real life. Despite the risks of sharing intimate details online, internet and phone technology continues to feature strongly in women's romantic relationships, according to a survey of 18-40 year old women in the USA. Is it any wonder that our young people are [...]
Here's a great list of useful tips to keep teenagers safe online. Useful for teachers, parents or anyone who works with young people. 1-Reinforce the public nature of the Internet and let your adolescent know you will supervise online activity. 2-Adolescents are more likely follow the rules when you let them know you will be monitoring [...]
According to a study conducted last year by researchers at the University of Cambridge, one in five people in Britain admitted that they did not always feel in control of their use of communication technologies and one in three felt overwhelmed to the point of needing to escape from them. via Are you addicted to [...]
Here is a great Canadian website that features age specific tips and advice that parents or professionals can use to guide their supervision of young people online..... Cybertip.ca - Age Specific Tips. Seats are going fast at our inaugural "Kids in Cyberspace" seminar, Friday, March 16, 2012. We have all the leading experts in one [...]
It finally happened; in a passing conversation my principal mentioned Facebook and one of our students. Curious I jumped onto my account typed in the name and there it was; his profile for the whole world to see. No protection, no privacy, but all the information you could want about this 10 year old kid. [...]
In Australia one in six children are bullied at school each week. 90% of school children report witnessing others being bullied at school. Teachers rarely see bullying, and are often not told of what has happened. Produced by Wired Safety. Ken Rigby, author, research professor and a leading educational expert based at the University of [...]
