Cyber safety high on the agenda

Parents are being warned about the dangers of strangers and bullying on the internet.

Palmerston North Girls' High School held an information evening recently for about 40 parents on the pitfalls and benefits of the cyber world.

Held by InspireNet service support manager Dan Ruck, the classes aimed to teach parents about the potential perils of Facebook by setting up a fake account on the social networking site.

The privacy of photos and cyber bullying was the biggest concern from parents because if someone could view a photo online, they could save it, use it or send it, he said. Teenage students should also be careful about posting pictures online of them or their friends wearing bikinis because they could attract the unwanted attention of paedophiles.

"There are some people out there [who are] really nasty and clever, so photos can be a can of worms," he said.

Mr Ruck said embarrassing photos on social networking sites could also hamper students' future job prospects. "As an employer, when I get a CV the first thing I do is look them up on the internet."

The information evening came the same week as police issued a warning after a Hastings-based Facebook user befriended more than 50 Invercargill school girls. The girls were misled into believing the older man was a 17-year-old male in Invercargill.

Palmerston North Girls' High head of computing Nicola Blackler said that although stranger danger had moved into the digital age, the same warnings applied. "Don't give out your phone number and address and only let people you know be your friends," she said.

Students also needed to be aware of privacy issues surrounding social networking sites.

"We tell [students] they are dealing with the public arena, but they don't think that the stuff posted on there is available forever," she said.

She encouraged parents to talk to their children about internet use.

Manawatu Primary Principals' Association acting president Doug Drysdale said that while Facebook was restricted to users 13-years or older, children were getting around the rules by faking their birthdates.

"You can't rock up with your ID and get verified by a supervisor like the supermarket," he said. Cyber bullying was also causing concerns among parents and teachers, with bullies posting nasty or threatening comments anonymously on a social networking profile or via text messages. Mr Drysdale said schools must work with parents to combat bullying, as it was no longer confined to the school yards.

- © Fairfax NZ News