This week the Pastoral Care Team have been told about a number of social media incidents that occurred online during the lock-down period.

These include students disturbing others by making unsolicited FaceTime calls in the early hours of the morning, circulating videos with false information about who is in the video, unkind and inappropriate comments, verbal or physical threats, discriminatory comments linked to race or gender identity and other derogatory comments. The ill-feeling that such posts and messages have created has spilled over into our face to face teaching environment. Such online behaviours breach many of the principles of the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015. 

Netsafe offers advice to parents about how they can establish some safety rules around device use at home. Netsafe also provides a free and confidential service for people of all ages in New Zealand who are experiencing an online incident and there is a place to make a complaint about online incidents. Online Incident Report

We would encourage parents to use this avenue or pursue issues with the Police. The misuse of a device at home in the evening or in the early hours of the morning cannot be monitored by the school. We do have a role in educating our students about what is appropriate behaviour online, however, we cannot control their access to, or use of their devices outside of school hours. Having regular discussions with your daughter about their online life, can be as helpful as asking them about their day at school. Here is the link to the Netsafe  and below are the 10 Principles of the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015.

Principle 1

A digital communication should not disclose sensitive personal facts about an individual.

Principle 2

A digital communication should not be threatening, intimidating, or menacing.

Principle 3

A digital communication should not be grossly offensive to a reasonable person in the position of the affected individual.

Principle 4

A digital communication should not be indecent or obscene.

Principle 5

A digital communication should not be used to harass an individual.

Principle 6

A digital communication should not make a false allegation.

Principle 7

A digital communication should not contain a matter that is published in breach of confidence.

Principle 8

A digital communication should not incite or encourage anyone to send a message to an individual for the purpose of causing harm to the individual.

Principle 9

A digital communication should not incite or encourage an individual to commit suicide.

Principle 10

A digital communication should not denigrate an individual by reason of his or her colour, race, ethnic or national origins, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.