Chichester College

The internet is part of daily life for the majority of students at Chichester College, who we know adapt quickly to new technology and use it to communicate, socialise, research and create.

And we have a responsibility to ensure we, as a college, are doing all we can address the topic of online safety with our students.

One way we do this is through our unique ACES (Attitude, Choices, Employability and Skills) programme.

As part of this, our experienced team of student tutors run weekly workshops, designed to cultivate our students’ development and encourage topical discussions on a range of subjects including environmental issues, relationships, respect, wellbeing and social media.

Through these workshops, we address their safety by discussing signs of bullying, grooming, radicalisation, fake news and ‘catfishing’ as well as the implications that these can have.

We give them tools to help them protect themselves and offer a safe space for them to seek support.

Of course, there’s more to online safety.

Our ACES sessions also shine a light on the impact social media and online activity can have on students’ lives, their health and the people around them – starting by considering just how much time they spend online.

Put into context, would you believe just two hours a day adds up to a month a year?

We know regular use of multiple social media sites often has a negative impact on our mental health, with research showing that young people who use 7-11 platforms were 3.1 times more likely to report higher levels of depression than young people who used 0 to 2 platforms.

Social media isn’t going away and it is almost impossible to prevent young people from going online whenever or wherever they want.

What we can do is help them make responsible decisions.

Through encouraging open discussion, we can equip our students to ask more questions and make healthier choices.