A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Students of Airds High School, Campbelltown, held a protest against bullying today following a brawl on Monday which left three students injured, including one with a broken nose, and resulted in two suspensions. Only 12 students attended the protest today after teachers threatened to punish those who participated. Similar protests were held in Mullumbimby last [...]
Psychologist and author Steve Biddulph has slammed the early sexualisation of children, blaming the early exposure of children to sexualised material for the decline in the age of children becoming sexually active. He explains, "the maturity of children has grown in superficial ways - looking, acting and speaking like adults. But the deeper signs are [...]
• NEVER allow a computer in the BEDROOM! • Have a Family Online Contract! Set rules and consequences for breaches. • Filtering software is important but the most effective filter is Parental Supervision! • Social Networking Sites such as Facebook and Myspace MUST be set to PRIVATE! The top internet safety tips part 2 will [...]
The Australian government has announced a $3 million pilot project aimed at assessing and reducing cyber-bullying in Australian schools. The Australia-wide project is intended to educate students about cyber-bullying, monitor the prevalence and impact of cyber-bullying, and assess the effectiveness of current cyber-safety education programs. The project is being trialled in at least 150 schools [...]
We are still finding out the best way for parents to introduce alcohol to their children. At present, the results of research are often contradictory. On the one hand, there is research to suggest that parents can have a positive influence on their child’s drinking behaviour by allowing them small amounts of alcohol and trusting [...]
A third of children aged 8 to 12 use the internet on a daily basis and this figure rises to half for teenagers, while at least 90% of Australian homes with children have an internet connection. The top three most popular online activities for children are instant messaging, surfing, and email, and many children are [...]
Sexting has become a serious problem in our youth, with one study finding 69% of the teens they surveyed had sent a sext a girlfriend or boyfriend, so to help combat it the Australian Government has issued a fact sheet for parents to help their children avoid the dangers of sexting. The fact sheet contains [...]
A survey by the ACMA showed that kids appeared to be aware of online risks, with 75 per cent saying they knew not to give out their address or phone number online and were aware of the potential for online impostors. However, despite this knowledge, the survey showed that some young people were still engaging [...]
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has relaunched its Cybersmart website with an aim to educate kids, parents and teachers on how to safely use the internet. It features three sites for different age groups of children, as well as sites for parents, libraries and schools. "The world online is powerful and engaging for [...]
When I was a Police Officer, one of the most common conversations I had with parents went along the lines of, “someone has hacked into my daughter’s Hotmail account and........” In reality however, what had happened was that the daughter had shared her password with one of her friends, or had as a password something [...]
