During June, our Year 7–10 students, along with students from the New Arrivals Program, participated in ThinkUKnow Cyber Safety presentations delivered by Senior Constables Deb and Jane, and Probationary Constable Aiden from SAPOL’s Limestone Coast Crime Prevention Section.
The engaging sessions focused on helping students navigate the online world safely, responsibly and confidently. Students explored important topics including responsible online behaviour, sharing content safely, legal and ethical responsibilities, online grooming, sextortion, and strategies for protecting themselves and seeking support when needed.
A key message from the presentations was to Be Share A.W.A.R.E. when using social media and online platforms:
· Appropriate
· Who
· Accurate
· Respectful
· Environment
Students were reminded their safety and wellbeing should always come first. They learnt the importance of protecting personal information by setting accounts to private or friends only, recognising that not everyone online is who they claim to be, and knowing what to do if an online interaction makes them feel uncomfortable. Practical advice included stopping communication, taking screenshots, blocking and reporting the person, and seeking support from a trusted adult. Students also learnt about support services and the importance of reporting online grooming and sextortion.
The sessions made a lasting impression on students.
One Year 7 student shared, “I learned not to share photos that show where I am because people could work out my location.” Another commented, “It isn’t a good idea for children under 13 to have a phone, and I’m happy because my parents don’t let me have one yet.”
A Year 10 student reflected, “The presentation showed me the importance of thinking before posting or sharing information online.”
Senior Constable Deb also presented an informative session for parents and caregivers, highlighting that while technology provides incredible opportunities for learning, communication and connection, it also presents challenges that families need to navigate together. The session covered online gaming, social media, messaging, image sharing, privacy, online grooming and sexual extortion.
A powerful message from the evening was, “It’s not the technology to blame—it’s the people using it. Technology has made young people more accessible.”
Parents were encouraged to build safe online habits through open communication, learning about the technology their children use, making use of parental controls where appropriate, and accessing trusted resources such as the 7-Day Family Online Safety Challenge and the Family Online Safety Contract (available for downloading).
We sincerely thank the Limestone Coast Crime Prevention Team for sharing their expertise with our students, families and staff. Their ongoing partnership helps empower our young people to become safe, responsible and informed digital citizens, and we look forward to welcoming them back to Mount Gambier High School in the future.
Attachments
- 7 day family online safety challenge PDF, 723.8 KB
- Family online safety contract (blank) PDF, 121.2 KB