Naked selfies used to bully kids

North Shore school kids are at high risk of cyber-bullying with abuse of naked selfies on the rise.

The Youth Cyber Safety multisector working group addresses cyber safety issues in the area, with police, youth workers and school representatives part of the group.

Chair Deb Humphries said one of the biggest issues was school kids taking naked pictures of themselves and ‘‘sexting’’ them to other children.

Those images could then be shared, with young people perpetrating child pornography without realising.

‘‘Sexting is a normal thing for a relationship now,’’ she said.

‘‘It has a huge influence on how young people relate to one another.’’

Heart for Youth Trust codirector Ross McCook runs programmes on cyber safety in North Shore schools.

He said better education was needed to combat the problem.

‘‘Most parents would be shocked to the core if they knew the full extent to what young people are engaging in on line.

‘‘The threat to young people as soon as they are connected is there immediately whether you’re five or 15.’’

He said cyber bullying was likely to be seen more in higher income families.

‘‘Kids from families better off generally have multiple devices across all social media platforms ... Often parents are very busy so the online world is a constant as kids are literally left to their own devices.’’

Humphries said cyber abuses against young people were a growing issue, but one that wasn’t adequately being addressed.

A lack of significant data and research on the problem, and little funding available to help, was putting kids at risk.

Earlier this year, Takapuna’s Ministry of Vulnerable Children Oranga Tamariki office reported an increase in both the incidences and severity of cyber bullying.

A worker cited three cases to Humphries, involving 20 children between the ages of 11 to 14 at three different school, where inappropriate social media behaviour had caused harm.

Internet safety group Netsafe has been appointed by the Government to help with online harassment and investigate complaints.

You can contact Netsafe by calling 0508 638 723 or emailing help@netsafe.org.nz.

123RF The number of cyber-bulling incidents involving North Shore school children, and their severity, is on the rise.