Cyber-Safety in Schools

The Ministars Media Centre http://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_090803_074909.aspx released the following

The Hon Julia Gillard MP
Minister for Education. Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Minister for Social Inclusion
Deputy Prime Minister

2 August, 2009 Joint Media Release

$3 million for National Pilot to increase Cyber-Safety in Schools

Joint Media Release with The Hon Kate Ellis MP, Minister for Early Childhood Education, Child Care and Youth, Minister for Sport. The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard and Minister for Youth, Kate Ellis today announced a $3 million national pilot project aimed at addressing cyber-bullying in Australian schools. The Rudd Government is deeply concerned at the emergence of cyber-bullying in our schools and the impact it is having on students.

At least 150 schools across Australia will be involved in the pilot program which will be developed and conducted by the Alannah and Madeline Foundation (AMF). It will help confront safety issues in e-communications, including cyber-bullying and examine the effectiveness of existing cyber-safety programs in schools. Government and non-government schools in urban, rural and remote Australia will participate in the pilot which will run until 30 April 2010.

Research recently released by the Government shows that the prevalence and impact of covert bullying in Australian schools is under-reported and there has been a concerning increase in cyber-bullying. The Rudd Government takes bullying and violence very seriously and believes student wellbeing and safety are essential for academic and social development.

The Australian Covert Bullying Prevalence Study and Behind the Scenes: Insights into the Human Dimension of Covert Bullying, provide valuable insights into the changing nature of bullying. This research shows that with the emergence of new technologies, cyber bullying after school has 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 two studies. Working in partnership with students, parents and schools the Rudd Government is committed to generating better outcomes for all students in a safe school environment free from any form of bullying or harassment. 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.

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, has also recently announced a new Youth Advisory Group made up of 305 young Australians to advise Government on online issues such as cyber-bullying. The group is part of the Rudd Government's $125.8 million cyber-safety plan. The Rudd Government also funds initiatives to promote a positive whole-school culture that focuses on the academic needs of students, as well as their social and emotional learning. These initiatives include promoting safe school initiatives to address bullying and violence in schools and boosting parental engagement in education through the Family School Partnerships Framework.

Following the pilot, the AMF will provide a report to the Government on the findings and put forward recommendations. The pilot’s outcomes will also be assessed as part of an independent evaluation and taken into account in the Government’s review of the National Safe Schools Framework (NSSF), which is scheduled for completion in June 2010.

Further information about the current NSSF and the review is at www.safeschools.deewr.gov.au