Jackie Van Vugt Cyber Bullying Impact Interview

Jackie Van Vugt Cyber Bullying Impact Interview

Almost two in three parents surveyed believe children don't fully understand the implications of cyber bullying behaviour, according to Telstra Cyber-Safety research.

The Telstra research shows 62 per cent of parents surveyed with children aged between 10 and 17 years' believe children fail to connect cyber bullying with its repercussions. This is despite the vast majority (95 per cent) of those parents stating they have discussed internet safety issues with their children.

Jackie Van Vugt, General Manager Cybersafety at The Alannah and Madeline Foundation, said the results show parents need to talk to their children about how their online conduct might affect others and set clear expectations about what is appropriate.

"Cyber bullying can be quite traumatic for young people. Kids who are cyber bullied can feel angry, depressed, embarrassed and sometimes scared for their safety. They can often feel more alone than if the bullying was occurring in person and where there's a chance someone may hear or see something and intervene.

"Children often become involved in cyber bullying by passing on or commenting on damaging material, rather than creating it. And it can be hard for kids to understand that they are actually hurting someone online because they can't see the other person's face or sense the emotional impact," said Ms Van Vugt.

"A good way to help your child understand whether their online behaviour is acceptable is to ask them if they'd be willing to stand up at school assembly and share what they've done. If their answer is 'no', then they shouldn't be willing to do it online either," added Ms Van Vugt.

Darren Kane, Telstra's Officer of Internet Trust and Safety, said it was important for parents to involve themselves in their children's online lives, just as they would in their non-internet lives.

"An effective way to guard against cyber bullying is to be regularly involved in your children's use of the internet. That means keeping an eye on how they interact with others and regularly talking to them about what behaviour is acceptable. If you observe your kids passing on nasty comments online, ask them to stop and think about how they would feel if they were on the receiving end. It's important to reinforce your expectations and follow through with consequences if they are not met," Mr Kane said.

Telstra tips for preventing cyber bullying:
Set clear expectations about online activity. Provide guidelines around the use of internet and mobile phones, such as what information they should or shouldn't access, share or pass on. Give tangible examples about how to behave with technology.
Talk about what the consequences might be if you find kids breach these expectations.
Monitor their use of technology. Have regular conversations with your children about how they are interacting on the internet and how their online behaviour might impact others and how to protect themselves.

You can find more information to help people of all ages have a positive online experience on Telstra's Internet and Cyber-Safety page: www.telstra.com.au/cybersafety.This includes a video with advice on cyber bullying from Jackie Van Vugt.

Information about The Alannah and Madeline Foundation and its eSmart initiative, designed to assist schools to create a generation of young people who are smart, safe and responsible users of digital technology can be found at www.amf.org.au/cybersafety

Interview with Jackie Van Vugt

Jackie Van Vugt is the General Manager, Cybersafety for The Alannah and Madeline Foundation.

Question: Did it surprise you that almost two in three parents surveyed believe children don't fully understand the implications of cyber bullying behaviour?

Jackie Van Vugt: No it didn't surprise me. It is normal for children to need guidance and support over many years to grow up into good citizens, and in this case, good digital citizens.


Question: Do you think that these findings are due to the fact that cyber bullying is quite new and it's something parents haven't experienced before?

Jackie Van Vugt: Cyberbullying is bullying…it's just that it's done through digital technology. Parents understand the impact of bullying. They also understand that children need a lot of support to fully understand the implications of their actions…and this is true across many issues.


Question: Do you believe that cybersafety needs to be taught in schools, from a young age

Jackie Van Vugt: Yes, but not just taught. It needs to be embedded in the way schools have children use technology. For instance, having children and their parents sign 'Acceptable Use' agreements; ensuring children are prompted to back-up their computer files, and maintain anti-virus software; prompting children to change their passwords regularly (and reinforcing that they shouldn't share their passwords with anyone); being clear about what steps to take if a child is targeted by cyberbullies, etc.


Question: How can parents become better educated to inform their children about cyber bullying and cyber safety?

Jackie Van Vugt: ACMA has some great, accessible resources on their CyberSmart website, as does the Australian Federal Police on their ThinkUKnow site, and Telstra on their website www.telstra.com.au/cybersafety


Question: When talking about cyber safety what do parents need to focus on?

Jackie Van Vugt: Reinforcing the mantra 'Smart.Safe.Responsible', and explaining the digital footprint. Children need to understand that anything they do online leaves a permanent record and can be copied, passed on and used in ways they didn't intend. For many children, it takes a lot of explaining (and repeating of the messages) before they really understand this. For older children too, they think that if they set their Facebook privacy settings to 'Friends Only' that that protects them (and limits their exposure to a trusted circle). They don't really understand the implications of having 600 online 'friends', and the potential for whatever they post to be used in ways they hadn't intended.


Question: How should a parent approach their child if they believe they may be being cyberbullied?

Jackie Van Vugt: A child who is being cyberbullied will be feeling very vulnerable, and possibly ashamed. It's important to deal with the child's feelings and validate and support them in how they're feeling. It's important also not to take a domineering "right, I'll fix this" approach. Many children don't tell their parents because they're afraid the parents will escalate the problem, causing more bullying (for getting the 'bully' into trouble), or they'll be afraid the parents will take away the medium through which their child's been bullied (ie. the mobile phone or the computer), which ends up punishing the target not the perpetrator. It's important to offer to work with the child to plan what to do about the bullying - have the child be part of making the decisions about who to tell and what to do. Show the child how to block the bully, how to copy any evidence of the bullying, and how to report abuse. Be supportive, not directive.


Question: How should a parent approach their child if they believe they are bullying others, online?

Jackie Van Vugt: It's useful to frequently ask your child if they'd be happy to show you or a teacher, or another person they trust and admire what they're saying/posting online or on the phone. Whether you have evidence of your child bullying others or not, it's important to reinforce/repeat that what you do online is ultimately public/traceable. Sometimes, children aren't aware of the impact of what they're saying/doing online, so it's important to have those discussions. If you see your child has been involved in cyberbullying, discuss with them why they did/said the things they did; what impact they thought that would have on the recipient; how they would feel if the tables were turned on them. If the behaviour is wilful, you might consider sanctions, such as limiting their access or insisting that they are only online when you can observe what they're doing, and making them earn the right to have full access again.


Question: What affects are we seeing on children who are being cyberbullied?

Jackie Van Vugt: Just like traditional bullying, many children who are targeted in this way can have long-lasting issues of poor self-esteem, problems trusting others, withdrawal from their peers. It's traumatic. Parents should look for signs of distress, loss of appetite, problems sleeping or sleeping too much, acting out behaviours such as aggression with siblings, withdrawal from activities they usually enjoy.


Question: How is the The Alannah and Madeline Foundation helping parents and children in regards to Cybersafety?

Jackie Van Vugt: The Foundation has worked with RMIT School of Education to develop a whole-school system for managing cybersafety and for promoting the positive use of technology. eSmart equips everyone in the school community with the skills and knowledge they need for smart, safe and responsible use of technology so they become good digital citizens. It provides a roadmap to the best available cybersafety and wellbeing resources and curriculum. eSmart is a system for schools to track their implementation of policies, procedures and practice in relation to the promotion of smart, safe and responsible use of technology and report on their progress. Schools work towards achieving eSmart status.


Interview by Brooke Hunter