While there may be a digital divide between students and their parents, it is important to note that parents/carers can still help their children use technology safely and responsibly. A willingness to communicate rather than an I.T degree is the key to gaining an understanding of the issues around technology use and misuse. By making time to discuss their children’s use of the web, parents can help their children become more aware of ways to minimise the risks associated with technologies.

Schools can also play a part in supporting parents support their children in the online world. To this end, schools could consider the following  as part of their preparation to build school-home links:

• Do parents contribute to the formation and review of e-safety policies?
• Does the school send updates to parents regarding technology use in school?
• Does the school provide advice and support on using technology in the home?

By encouraging parents to be involved in the development and review of e-safety policies, inviting them to information sessions or distributing handouts on school expectations of acceptable use, schools can give parents useful information about existing and emerging technologies.

For more information for parents, see the following sections: 

• Parent information evenings
• Bridging the gap between home and school
• Why is Web.2.0 an issue?
• What parents need to know
• What parents can do
• Parent Support Links

Parent information evenings

Schools can use information evenings to raise parent awareness about school e-safety and in so doing give parents ideas about possible measures that could be taken at home. While school and home environments may not be exactly alike in their set up of technology, schools can still promote general safety strategies and in so doing help ease parental concerns.

Schools can also help empower parents by reinforcing the point that they don’t need advanced ICT skills to support their children’s safe use of technology. Parent information sessions should focus on the safety and well being implications of online environments rather than the technical details. To this end, schools might find their Acceptable Use Policy and/or the information below a useful starting place for discussion.

Bridging the gap between home and school

At school, student Internet use is monitored by teachers and controlled by Internet filters and tracking tools. In reality this level of monitoring does not take place when students use the Internet at home.

While students may use the Internet at home to research and complete homework, it is quite likely that they will have many more opportunities to interact online with others than they have at school. It isn’t uncommon for students to be ‘doing their homework’ with six or seven screens open for different tasks and activities. They might be chatting, sending real time messages, listening to or downloading music, contributing to social networking spaces like MySpace or even gaming or sharing videos from their mobile phones.

Why is Web.2.0 an issue?

With the emergence of Web.2.0, social networking and user interactive services have become increasingly popular and this has changed the way students interact with the web.

Before Web.2.0 major concerns regarding student Internet use centred on the possible availability of inappropriate content and the potential for inappropriate people to make contact through chat rooms and/or email. These issues still exist, but Web.2.0 tools and social networking spaces now allow students to create their own content and share it with others a lot more easily. So now there are concerns about what students are actually contributing; where they are posting; and who they are sharing the information with.

What parents need to know

Using the Internet at home can be an appropriate leisure activity that is enjoyable and fun. Visiting this online space is virtually no different to any night out your child may have. Most parents want to know:  

• Where their child is going and why
• Who their child is with
• What are they doing
• When they should be home

 These questions when applied to an online space change very little.

Parents can ask about where their child is going online and ask whether these places are safe.

Parents can ask who their child is with online and are they real life friends or ‘online friends’ who they have never met.

Parents can ask what their child is doing and saying. Are they revealing information that may make them unsafe or writing or receiving information which is harmful or hurtful?

Parents can ask if their child is spending too much time online. The availability for this as a 24/7 activity can affect students time offline and needs to be appropriate so it is reasonable to question how much time is being spent online.

What parents can do

How do you find out about all of this and how can you support your child in this online world, which may seem new and mysterious?

Communication with your child is critical to get an understanding of their issues and the new technologies. This need not involve a degree in Information Technology.

Ask your child to show you the tools and spaces they use. Many of these technologies can be understood in non-technical ways. For example, Messenger can be thought of as a phone line that connects users from all over the world. Many people can type at once and send all sorts of packages down the phone line with files being shared. Possible concerns with this include: the potential for someone who has not been invited or who is not known to join in the conversation; the potential for packages and files shared to contain viruses; and the potential for many people to share whatever information is being said.

How far your child will take you into their online spaces will depend on what they are willing to reveal, but you can still get a general idea of how it works and remember it does not have to be like reading their diary.

Get them to explain to you the risks and benefits they can identify with the technologies. You may well be able to expand upon these as you begin to understand how the technology works.

Ask them about any bullying they have seen online. What did they do? What did they feel they could do? Were they able to contact someone who could help the victim? Perhaps provide some strategies and contact details.

Ask them how they protect their content, images and personal information. A public MySpace space may let you see all the details of a teenage weekend party and it can also leave information such as names, addresses and dates available for anyone. Stalking can occur with stalkers sourcing bits of information posted on the web in public spaces.

Bullying can take place in a playground, a party or via text message on a mobile phone. Gossip can be spread by conversations in the corridor or published on a blog.

Just as we prepare our children for the real world of fun, play and learning, we need to prepare children for the online world. The Internet after all is just is a virtual expansion of that world.

Parent Support Links

Bridging the gap between home and school is a resource provided by the Department to help parents gain a better understanding of the online environments inhabited by their children. 

• Netalert (http://www.netalert.gov.au/) - part of the Australian Government's ongoing commitment to providing a safe online environment for all families, especially children. It provides practical information and advice about online safety. 
• Childnet International (http://www.childnet-int.org/safety/parents.aspx) - provides resources on e-safety information for parents and carers
• NetSafe - (http://www.netsafe.org.nz/) - provides cybersafety education for all New Zealanders, but its information also holds relevance for Australian parents