"Cyber bullying is a particularly insidious type of bullying as it can follow people wherever they go and the anonymity that it seemingly affords to the perpetrator can make it even more stressful for victim." - EdballsGlenn Milne
August 02, 2009 12:00am
THE Federal Government will today announce a massive $3 million education campaign to try to curb cyber bullying of teenagers in schools around the country.
The pilot program, involving 150 schools nationally, will help confront safety issues in e-communications, including cyber-bullying and will also examine the effectiveness of existing cyber-safety programs in schools.
Youth Affairs Minister Kate Ellis told The Sunday Mail yesterday that the prevalence and impact of covert bullying in Australian schools was under-reported and there had been “a concerning increase in cyber bullying.”
She said recent research showed that with the emergence of new technologies, cyber bullying after school had become a serious issue for many young people.
“The need to incorporate guidance for schools to respond to cyber bullying, other forms of covert bullying and aggression has been identified with the help of these studies,” she said.
“The Rudd Government believes there is a real need for parents and teachers to establish effective relationships to ensure a seamless transition from school to home in the hope of eliminating young people’s anxiety about being bullied in either setting,” Ms Ellis said.
One hundred and fifty schools will be involved in the pilot program that will be developed by the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, named after Alannah and Madeline Mikac the two young sisters gunned down during the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
A recent study of 900 students by the Sunrise Foundation found 80 were at risk of self harm from cyber bullying.
Research shows 90 per cent of parents know about cyber bullying, but 83 per cent would not know what to do if their child was a victim.
That’s all set to change with the national rollout of a cyber safety program aimed at parents, carers and teachers.
The ThinkUKnow program, co-ordinated by the Australian Federal Police and Microsoft, aims to protect kids from sex predators, online bullies and identity frauds.
It was announced as part of National E-Security Awareness Week.