This week we were fortunate to have Susan McLean speak to all Year 7 – 10 students about cyber safety. Susan is an expert in this area and was a member of Victoria Police for 27 years, focusing on cyber safety and young people. Susan provided our girls with information regarding the risks of social media, engaging respectfully and responsibly online, and how to stay safe. She also talked through the legal ramifications of certain behaviours and suggested tips to tackle cyber bullying or inappropriate posts online. These topics are of upmost importance and relevance while we are all at home and connecting with family and friends through online mediums.

Digital reputation is something many students don’t initially think about. Many young people don’t realise that what you do and post online now, could impact your future opportunities, including job and university prospects. Due to the immediacy of social media and posts, things are often sent or uploaded with little thought or consideration. Nothing can be totally deleted online – things that are posted, are permanent.

Many forget that it is not just their individual reputation that can be affected by posting something inappropriate online, but that of their family, friends and school. A person’s actions and behaviour can reflect poorly on a community, club or school as a whole by calling into question the values of that organisation. It is so important to think about how their actions can affect those around them, and to consider if what is posted could be seen in a negative light. Susan suggested that students consider the Three Rs before posting or uploading online: Respect, Responsibility, Reputation. We often remind the students that if they wouldn’t be comfortable for a Grandparent, Principal or future boss seeing the image or comment, then don’t post it. Think before you post is the key message here.

Susan’s overall message was to look after yourself and others online. She emphasised to be kind to yourself and others, and if you can’t be kind then be quiet and don’t comment. Be part of the team by supporting one another, and be brave – if you see something that isn’t right, then have the confidence to speak up and tell someone.

To conclude, Susan provided 3 Top Tips for students to take home and implement today:

1. If you are not 13 years of age, delete the account (social media accounts).
2. Go through your account and delete, then block any person that you would not invite to your home for dinner.
3. Set all accounts to private and enable every security setting offered to you by the application.

For further information on Susan McLean or cyber safety resources in general, please follow the below links:

• Susan McLean – CyberSafety Solutions: https://www.cybersafetysolutions.com.au/
• eSafety commissioner resources: https://www.esafety.gov.au/

Reference: http://doug-sandler-3bnl.squarespace.com/nice-guy–