Teacher offers advice on online safety

In the March 15 school newsletter, head of secondary school Caroline Parnham cautioned parents and students to rethink posting their videos online.

‘The kids get a buzz out of posting their videos online, but they don’t realise they can be setting themselves up in dangerous situations,’ Mrs Parnham said.

She encouraged parents to have a conversation about online safety, and respect ing other people’s privacy and safety.

Mrs Parnham said parents should also consider whether they wanted their teenagers to reveal personal information, such as names and addresses online.

‘Watch your video, or your child’s video, with a keen eye for any information that you would be uncomfortable making public,’ she said.

Mrs Parnham said the online warning was not the result of any specific incidents at the school.

‘It’s concerning because it happens outside of school, which makes it harder to monitor,’ she said.

‘I do think it is important to make the students aware of the dangers.’

Some of the issues raised in the newsletter included cyber bullying, online predators, identity theft and exposure to inappropriate content.