Involving Parents/Caregivers

Parents and caregivers can be a school's most powerful ally in educating about cybersafety. If parents replicate what schools are doing by establishing a cybersafe environment at home, they reinforce the message of the importance of this fundamental child safety education. This is how we establish a 'culture' of cybersafety within a school, and society in general.

The majority of parents who contact NetSafe feel too insecure about their own understanding of ICT to be effective monitors of their children at home. How can we ask them to be involved in their children's exploration of cyberspace if they have no basic understanding of the technologies?

The 2007 NetSafe Kit for Schools includes sample handouts for caregivers of students at all levels that explain the importance of use agreements and ongoing cybersafety education. Schools can photocopy these handouts and distribute them within the school community. The handouts can be modified and personalised to meet the needs of each individual school.

Parent Information Evenings where parents can come into the school, ask elementary questions, and be shown on the school's computers how to check things like the history of sites visited are extremely important. This can also help schools inform their parents of the steps the school is taking to ensure students' safety in this regard.

One other thing schools can do is publicise the NetSafe website address (www.netsafe.org.nz) and the free NetSafe email newsletter in school bulletins or newsletters. A number of parents who have visited the NetSafe website first heard about it from their children's school - well done!