Almost half of Australia’s school children attempted to access pornography during the 2018-19 Christmas school holidays, according to data collected by Family Zone.

The data shows that children would have been exposed to pornography either deliberately or inadvertently – before being blocked by Family Zone - as they spent up to 28+ hours a week online during the holiday period.

Family Zone data shows that our students are facing unprecedented dangers online, even if they are only viewing seemingly harmless content.

Younger children aren’t generally searching for inappropriate material on the internet; their first exposure usually comes innocently, while they are watching or interacting with sites and apps that parents think are safe.

Being a good digital citizen needs a holistic solution

We know students will be spending more time online over the holidays, and this may then expose them to a greater potential for online harm. While the duty of care for children online during the school holidays falls firmly on parents and carers, it is education at home and at school that is critical.  As students head into the summer break, this is a good opportunity to discuss internet habits and help promote a healthy lifestyle over the summer break and review those lessons again in the new year. 

Related blog post: Digital citizenship starts with safety - but it doesn’t end there

Bully prevention policies, student engagement practices and acceptable use agreements are some of the ways schools are learning to protect their students in the digital age. More broadly, raising the awareness of student and parent communities through ongoing education - and encouraging open and open-ended conversations - are among the most effective strategies schools can employ to keep students safe.

Related white paper: What is the best approach to addressing cyberbullying in today’s
rapidly changing social media landscape?

In support of those educational objectives should be advanced and robust technology to help both schools and parents shape acceptable online behaviour of students. Family Zone Education Solutions combine both educational and technology into a powerful holistic solution;

• Delivering detailed visibility of students’ online activity
• Monitoring usage and downloads
• Blocking and filtering inappropriate content
• Allowing age- and year-appropriate settings
• Protecting all student devices - school-mandated and personal - in the classroom, the family room and everywhere in between

To discuss the Family Zone solution for your school, please click on the button below to book a free consultation.