Kylie Armstrong, right, with Yarra Ranges Council Youth Services staff Lauren Eudey and Amanda Youngs.
By Kath Gannaway
AUSTRALIAN Federal Police officer Cameron Rodger shed light the parent/child relationship with the on-line world.
Hosted by Yarra Ranges Council Youth Services and delivered by the AFP, Cyber Safety for Parents aimed to inform about potential online dangers and provide strategies for keeping young people safe on the internet.
Senior Constable Rodger spoke to a small but keen group of parents and grandparents on the evening of Tuesday 23 August at the Upper Yarra Family Centre.
The presentation covered topics from cyber bullying to sexting, security, supervision, reputation management, Facebook etiquette and pitfalls, scams, identity theft and the constantly evolving technology behind it all.
“This technology is second nature to kids,” Sen Const Rodger said.
“They are growing up with it – proficient by the age of six and can set up a Facebook account by the age of eight.
“This is not about getting your kids off-line, it’s about embracing the technology and ensuring it is used safely and responsibly,” he said.
Upper Yarra parent of three Kylie Armstrong said she felt a need to keep one step ahead of her children, six-months, four and six, to know how best to direct them and protect them in the future.
It is the second cyber safety night she has attended.
“As a parent I feel you have to keep abreast of all the issues because it (technology) is evolving all the time,” she said.
“I look at it and see the bigger picture. I don’t want my kids being cyber bullied or in other sticky situations and, from the other side, I don’t want them bullying either.
“I think parents need to know what the dangers are and get the ground work in while the kids are more easily influenced by their parents, rather than their peers,” she said.
“I have wondered how do these people make contact; what do they actually say, and I can see a kid being lured into something by the offer of more credits on a game,” she said in reference to one of the most disturbing cases mentioned.
“With Facebook, you can’t expect a young child to be thinking about what their reputation may be when they are 20 and going for a job either,” she said.
Ms Armstrong said she learnt something new from each of the sessions she had attended and planned to attend others as they became available.
Sen Const Rodger had another word of advice which struck a chord.
“Your dog’s name is not a password,” he said in a lighter moment during which he revealed that despite warnings to the contrary, pets names are high on the list of bad security choices.
For details of further Cyber Safety nights contact Yarra Ranges Council’s School Focused Youth Services on 9294 6716.
