National Day of Action: Parents, educators equipped with tools to combat cyberbullying

Friday marks the National Day of Action against bullying and violence, and parents are encouraged to get in touch with their children about how they engage online. The eSafety Office provides resources to ensure that educators, young people and their parents are armed with practical tools and strategies to help combat cyberbullying.

These tools include virtual classrooms that will be hosted for schools around Australia to explore strategies and prevent cyberbullying. There is also an updated complaint form so it will be easier and faster for young people to report cases of cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying is common on social media platforms and can happen when kids are playing multi-player games online. New gaming research by the eSafety Office reflects that 17 percent of young people experienced bullying while playing multi-player games.

“Today is an important opportunity for us all to focus on the issue of bullying, both in the classroom and at home,” eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said in a statement. She added that they have no doubt that the incidence of cyberbullying could grow as social media and technology become increasingly entrenched in the lives of young people.

Grant noted that cyberbullying is often an extension of bullying in the schoolyard. She said that the eSafety Office continues to encourage social media sites as well as app providers to innovate and perk up user safety tools. Parents can play a significant part in encouraging their kids to seek help. Grant assured that the eSafety Office will assist with their cyberbullying reporting function.

“We know from experience that prevention, active parental engagement, followed by early intervention by reporting and having the cyber bullying material removed helps limit issues from escalating further,” she added, encouraging parents to have a conversation with their kids, know the sites and apps they visit, set guidelines around tech use at home and check their privacy settings.

Grant also advised parents to assure kids that they will support and guide them if they encounter online abuse. A letter by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Education Minister Simon Birmingham said that schools, parents and families all have a role to end bullying.

Information and advice for parents to better understand cyberbullying, as well as the steps they can take, are available online. Visit www.esafety.gov.au. for additional information and advice on cyberbullying.