Online help for kids
TOWNSVILLE students will get a lesson in the dangers of cyber-bullying, as part of a statewide program aimed at stamping out the insidious problem.
Ignatius Park College was one of 55 schools across Queensland to be awarded the Dolly’s Dream and the Alannah & Madeline Foundation funding to change the culture of bullying increasingly felt by young people.
Year 12 student Lachlan Ryan knows the effects of cyber-bullying all too well after being on the receiving end of it as a 12-year-old. As a senior, he said he asserted himself to junior students as someone they could come to.
“It really affected me and I had to get counselling at the time,” Lachlan said.
“It was mainly on Instagram and Snapchat with name calling and peer pressure and little things to put you down but it would snowball and more people would jump in because they knew it wouldn’t come back on them at school.
“I tend to look at people and observe their off days and lead them to people to talk to because the Year 12s really helped me and kind of made me feel like I had an older brother that would stick up for me.”
In the 12 months to June 2017, one in five young Australians reported being socially excluded, threatened or abused online, according to the esafety Commissioner.
Another 24 per cent of teens admitted behaving in a negative way to a peer online.
Principal Shaun Clarke said the funding would enable the school to offer a broad range of education tools to cope with a world that sees young people increasingly living their lives online.
“We wanted to establish an online toolbox to give our students more tools and strategies to respond,” Mr Clarke said.
“There’s really four parts to it for us and that is preparing our students for issues faced online, engaging a safe school environment, educating staff, students and parents … as well as teaching our students how to respond.
“Everything we say online needs to be what were prepared to say to a person faceto-face.”
With the initial State Government rollout worth $750,000, Education Minister Grace Grace said the partnership with Dolly’s Dream and the Alannah & Madeline Foundation was a key part of the Government’s $3.5 million ongoing commitment to implement the recommendations of the Anti-cyber-bullying Taskforce.
“As part of the new initiative, an officer from the Alannah & Madeline Foundation will be located in Queensland to ensure schools receive timely support, if and when they need it,” she said.
Other North Queensland schools to introduce the esmart program include Home Hill State High School, Ingham State High School, St Joseph’s Catholic School, Mundingburra and St Joseph’s Catholic School, The Strand.