Cyber+Awareness

Cyber Awareness
The resources on this page are aimed at assisting teachers to understand and teach some of the issues around cyber safety, cyber bullying and 'living online'.

This video is from the 'Think before you post' series on You tube and Teacher Tube about the dangers of posting information online. media type="youtube" key="rbpKawqA6VQ" height="368" width="488"

It is important to remember that having an online presence is not all doom and gloom in fact it can have a very positive impact on young people's lives if it is managed in the right way. Many people have found instant fame through social networking sites. (See this page from Wikipedia on the [|Social impact of You Tube]or this one on [|obscure people who have become stars through You Tube]for example) or affected postive influence around charitable or enviromental causes through promotion on socila media sites, blogs or other web sites.

Positive stories that come from having an online presence
[|Yiying Lu's success through the creation of the Twitter Fail whale image]. [|Mrs Magoo Reads] a book review website run by teenager Sophie Epstein [|Humane Teen] a website for youth who care about animal welfare also profile many teenagers doing positive things to affect change in thier communities. [|Priscilla Renea] gained fame and a record deal through posting her original songs to You Tube [|Stephen Yellin] has gained fame through writing a political blog in the US

**Discussion starters for your classroom or staffroom**
[|Making kids googlable] Will Richardson contemplates what might happen to the careers of kids who post content online without forethought. [|Venomfangx's Ethics lesson]Venomfangx, teenage, visibly chastened, apologises in detail (4 minutes) under court instruction for misusing DMCA takedown notices and making other false allegations against Thunderf00t online. Good discussion starter for older students.

**Fiction Text resources**
[|Destroying Avalon] by Kate McCaffrey A list of bullying fiction can be found [|here]

**Non Fiction Text resources**
[|Real Wired Child: What parents need to know about kids online] by Dr Michael Carr-Gregg [|Cyberbullying and cyberthreats : responding to the challenge of online social aggression, threats, and distress] by Nancy E. Willard. A Girl's Life Online (formerly [|Katie.com]) is the true story of Katherine Tarbox who was lured as a teenager to a meeting with a 40 yrd old man.

**Australian Websites**
[|National Centre Against Bullying] Links to an extensive list of papers and presentations [|Cyber Safe Kids] Contains many useful links to web resources, current news and research. [|Bullying. No Way!] Locate all cyberbullying resources on this site. [|The Cybersafe classroom](Learning with the Internet) A site put together by the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development [|Cybersmart kids online] A young person's guide to smart 'net surfing, chatting and emailing. An Australian government site (Australian Communications and Media Authority) Click a technology guide for parents by NSW DET Budd:e aims to help students (years 3 and 9 particularly) adopt secure online practices and behaviours. It is a key component of the Australian Government’s commitment to raising the e-security awareness of all Australian internet users.

**International websites**
[|digizen.org] Focusses on Cyberbullying providing resources to aid in understanding and preventing and responding to cyberbullying. It includes links to current resources. [|CSIRU - Cyberbullying] Information and resources for educators, parents and students. Resources, including the CyberbullyNOT poster are available for download. [|Stoptextbully.com] This site includes downloadable resources and useful links for parents and teachers. [|Kandersteg Declaration] Joint Efforts Against Victimization Conference in Kandersteg, Switzerland, June 2007 [|Web Wise Kids] is about empowering today's youth to make wise choices online. Through state-of–the-art Internet Safety computer games (based on real-life scenarios) as well as Internet Safety tips for kids, teenagers and parents.

Mental Health Sites
These sites may assist people who have been victims of cyberbullying. [|MoodGym] The five interactive modules in this web program are designed to help young people come to grips with their own feelings and the 'warpy' thoughts that might accompany them. Requires free registration. [|ReachOut] A web-based service that inspires young people to help themselves through tough times. The aim of the service is to improve young people’s mental health and well being by providing su pport information an d referrals in a format that appeals to young people. The [|Reach Out! Teachers' Network] will introduce secondary teachers to the Reach Out! service and provide them with tools for the classroom and wider school community to address mental health issues and build resiliency. Requires free registration. [|beyondblue] This site is aimed at preventing depression at different ages in a young person's life, at school, home or in the community. Secondary school curriculum materials are available from the [|beyondblue Schools Research Initiative] page. Primary school materials are being developed. [|Kids Help Line] Australia's only free, confidential and anonymous, telephone and online counselling service specifically for young people aged between 5 and 25

**Interactive sites for students**
[|Hector's World] These animated episodes are free to view online. Lesson plans and information is available from [|The Internet Safety Group] website. Suitable for primary age students. [|Netty's World] Netty's World is a website which helps young children learn about Internet safety through a range of interactive activities. It has been developed by [|NetAlert].www.cyberquoll.com.au [|CyberQuoll] is an Internet safety program for primary schools and contains six computer-based activities. Each activity focuses on an Internet safety issue [|Wise up to IT] Aims to confront existing attitudes to and behaviours in Internet use by young people [|Surf Swell Island] Part of the Walt Disney Internet Safety Group. Surf Swell Island is most suited to junior primary students. [|Think U Know] Information on this site is organised by age categories and includes resources for parents, carers, teachers and trainers. [|NetSmartzKids] and [|NetSmartzTeens] are part of the NetSmartz website, an interactive, educational safety resource from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) for children aged 5 to 17, parents, guardians, educators, and law enforcement that uses age-appropriate, 3-D activities to teach children how to stay safer on the Internet. [|Internet Super Heroes - Cyberbullying, Flaming and Stalking] Use the drop down menu boxes to choose subjects [|Cybersmart Detectives] is an innovative online game that teaches children key internet safety messages in a safe environment [] is an American site that argues they provide 21st Century skills for education. ([|It has a great section on Evaluating websites for authenticity)] Text ED aims to teach children and teenagers about the importance of healthy and safe choices when texting

**Campaigns and Program**
[|YouTube Beatbullying channel] [|I delete bullies] Girlfriend campaign

Professional Reading
[|In 2007, the NSW Commission for Children and Young People with the University of Sydney and the University of Technology Sydney,]surveyed and spoke with more than 1,500 children and young people in Years 6 and 9 across NSW to learn more about how mobile phones fit into their lives. [|Why parents need not panic about stranger danger online] An article from the Brisbane Times [|The Wood Verdict] Blog from Tom Wood a.k.a 'The Porn Cracker', recording his journey toward his goal of implementing the best, most effective Cyber-Safety measures. [|Cyberbullying: a Virtual Menace] Sheri Bauman. Paper presented at the National Coalition Against Bullying National Conference. Melbourne November 2007. [|Cyber bullying: An old problem in a new guise?] Marilyn A. Campbell Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling (2005) [|Cyber-Bullying] Dr Anne Bamford AHISA Pastoral Care National Conference. Melbourne 2004 [|An Investigation into Cyberbullying, its forms, awareness and impact, and the relationship between age and gender in cyberbullying]. P Smith. J Mahdavi. M Carvalho. N Tippett University of London 2007 [|Confronting the Pedagogical Challenge of Cyber Safety] by Ria Hanewald, University of Melbourne, June 2008

Cyberbullying
An educational support site against cyberbullying [|dontcyberbully.com] [|Text bullying] [|Cyberbullying Lessons & Activities] [|Stop cyberbullying] [|National crime protection council] [|Bullying No Way!]

This Youtube video simply explains what cyberbullying is and gives some great basic advice Stop, block and tell! media type="youtube" key="AIgtD6hgwMI" height="344" width="425"

Cyberbullying in the news [|MySpace cyber bullying educaton and intervention] Theres are lots of people tweeting about cyberbullying on [|Twitter], see [|nocyberbullies], [|cyberbullying] and [|onlinebullying] for links to current research, articles and for someone to discuss your thoughts with.

Newspaper Articles
[|'Child Larrikins' on criminal path, The Border Mail (Australia) 25/7/2009] [|Blogging Do's and Don'ts New Straits Times - Niexter (Malyasia) 23/7/2009] [|My Favourite Blogs: New Straits Times - Niexter (Malyasia) 23/7/2009] [|Perspectives: Blogs good way to influence, New Straits Times - Niexter (Malyasia) 23/7/2009] [|Perspectives: When all can go wrong, New Straits Times - Niexter (Malyasia) 23/7/2009] [|Confessions of a Teen Blogger, New Straits Times - Niexter (Malaysia) 23/7/2009] [|More Byte to fight cybercrime, New Straits Times - Tech & U (Malaysia) 20/7/2009] [|Coroner probes cyber attacks after teens take own lives, Herlad Sun (Australia) 22/7/2009]