Leading Senior Constable Derek and Senior Constable Emily shared the acronym (AWARE) that helped the students consider what to do ‘before they share anything online’.
Appropriate: Is it appropriate?
Who : Who could see it?
Accurate : Is it accurate?
Respectful : Is it respectful to others?
Environment : What could the environment of the post reveal?
A key message was that posting or commenting on a post that may be considered cyber-bullying (by law) may lead to law-enforcement involvement.
The AWARE acronym assists students to stop and think before posting or commenting material that may be harmful to others.
The police officers also discussed how students can protect their personal information. This included:
Do a privacy check – who can see your information?
The public can see your accounts if they are public.
Think before you share your location or check-in
Use strong passwords.
Derek and Emily also relayed a number of helpful organisations may be useful for students and parents alike when seeking further support in relation to safety on-line. These included Kids Helpline; Beyond Blue; eSafety Commissioner; Headspace and Lifeline.
