From text bullying to sexting, student cybersafety issues are popular stories for mass media.  At a time when schools are increasingly embracing ICT in learning, such negative perceptions of ICT can hinder schools’ ability to develop 21st Century learners.

The NetSafe Kit helps schools to address student cybersafety and support digital citizenship. Following expert consultation, the NetSafe Kit details seven steps required to produce a cybersafe learning environment with digital citizenship at its core.

Digital Citizenship can be understood as the skills, knowledge, and values required to be an effective, ethical and safe user of ICT.

The deregulated and complex environment produced by the internet means that we can no longer effectively “protect” young people from online challenges.  Instead we now know we need to focus on preparing young people to face these challenges well.  We also need to ensure that they have the knowledge and capacity to achieve and participate in this environment ethically.

Children and young people are never too young or old to start developing digital citizenship skills. The NetSafe Kit supports all schools from Primary through to Secondary, including Area and Composite schools to cultivate a learning environment that supports students’ safety and citizenship in cyberspace.

Fit the Kit at www.netsafe.org.nz/the-kit. Updated staff and student use agreement templates can also be found online.

These documents can be used alongside our NetSafe Kit for ECE which provides a cybersafety model based on internationally recognised principles.

ECE managers can choose between downloading a simple cybersafety policy document in Word format for tailoring to their own needs or they can explore a combined staff use agreement and cybersafety policy which will establish best practice amongst your staff.

We also offer a use agreement template for parents and caregivers. Please note: these documents date from 2006 and are we are currently in the process of revising them.

Adapt the templates to your needs

We recommend you modify these documents to suit your centre and where necessary consult a lawyer if you choose to undertake an audit of equipment and staff owned devices.

• ECE Cybersafety Policy
• ECE Cybersafety Policy and Staff Use Agreement
• ECE Cybersafety Use Agreement for Parents and Caregivers

The Kit was distributed free to registered ECE services in April 2008 and NetSafe are currently reviewing the contents.

We do not have any hard copies of the document in stock – you can however download the Kit in PDF format (1.4MB).

If you have comments on the Kit and would like to provide feedback for the revised document please send an email to queries@netsafe.org.nz.

Establishing a cybersafety framework

Every organisation that uses information and communication technologies like the internet and mobile phones needs to have a robust cybersafety framework in place. As with other safety policies and procedures, such infrastructure can help protect your staff, volunteers and the community you serve from harm.

There are several aspects to implementing a cybersafety framework:

• establishing a safe environment for members of the public that may use your group’s communication systems
• establishing a safe internet workplace environment for employees and volunteers
• educating staff, volunteers and clients about their role in the maintenance of a cybersafe environment.

The 2007 NetSafe Kit for Schools provides an excellent starting point for community organisations who are just starting to consider cybersafety issues.

This step-by-step guide outlines the process of establishing a cybersafety framework, and components of the kit (such as the sample policy and protocol for handling an incident of misuse) can be adapted and utilised by your group.

Contact NetSafe if you have any questions about using the kit, or would like to confidentially discuss your particular cybersafety requirements.

Cybersafety Use Agreements for community groups

NetSafe encourages every organisation that makes use of today’s information and communication technologies (such as the internet, email and mobile phones) to adopt our cybersafety use agreement template (MS Word, 67Kb).

The agreement has been specially modified for community and not-for-profit organisations, and defines staff obligations, responsibilities, and the nature of possible consequences associated with cybersafety breaches and behaviour which might undermine the safety of the workplace environment.

As your specific details and requirements will differ, the use agreement is able to be customised to suit your organisation. Contact NetSafe on 0508 NETSAFE (638 723) or queries@netsafe.org.nz for assistance or more information.

This use agreement is designed to be read, discussed and then signed by every staff member. It defines obligations, responsibilities, and the nature of possible consequences associated with breaches and behaviour deemed to undermine the safety and professionalism of the work environment.

The use agreement is able to be customised to suit individual organisations as details and requirements will differ.

The Whatsit is the answer!

NetSafe has also created a website to help small businesses take control of their technology. The Whatsit (www.thewhatsit.org.nz) provides business owners with simple tools to:

• help write ICT policies and use agreements for the workplace – building a cybersafety culture for your company
• give staff access to free and comprehensive education resources presented in 15 short, fun videos

Visit the Whatsit today and register for free to set up your company training room online. You can move through a series of multiple choice forms to create your own tailored cybersafety policy that fits with your business and employees.

It’s this reliance on nimble organisations that makes Kiwis so resourceful and keen to tackle any challenge and invent products and services that will do well in the global market.

But many SMEs struggle with the ever changing pace of technology, for example:

• creating an ecommerce website to sell products securely online
• managing staff who use their own laptops and smartphones over the corporate network
• improving time management when employees want to be bidding on auctions and updating their Facebook friends

The Whatsit is the answer!

NetSafe has created a website to help small business bosses take control of their technology.

The Whatsit (www.thewhatsit.org.nz) provides business owners with simple tools to:

• help write ICT policies and use agreements for the workplace – building a cybersafety culture for your company
• give staff access to free and comprehensive education resources in short, fun videos

Visit the Whatsit today and register for free to set up your company training room online.

*Massey University, New Zealand Centre for SME research (sme-centre.massey.ac.nz)