by the Editor     Australian parents have spent up big, equipping their kids with the latest gadgets to take to school - but many have failed to equip them with the cyber-skills necessary to navigate safely through their digital world, new research has revealed. 

More than a third of Australian parents surveyed, with children aged 10 to 17, have sent a child to school this year with both a laptop computer and a mobile phone.  However, the research results, released by Telstra in February 2011, revealed that many of these parents haven’t set aside time to talk to their kids about cyber-safety issues such as protecting their privacy and managing approaches from cyber-bullies.

The research found:

• Mobiles and laptops top the list of school-bound gadgets. Seven in ten Aussie parents (74%) say their child will take a mobile phone to school this year while half (54%) say a child will take a laptop to school.
• New tech not being accompanied by new skills. Almost one in five parents admitted that they haven't spoken to their kids recently about how to protect themselves from approaches from cyber strangers, while a third say they haven't spoken to their kids recently about how to respond to cyber-bullies.
• Mobile safety essentials often forgotten. One quarter of the parents haven't spoken to their kids recently about who they should share their mobile number with and almost four in ten (38%) haven’t discussed how to keep access to their phone secure through the use of a PIN and password.
• Access can start young. The majority of parents (73%) believe kids should be able to access their own mobile when they become a teen or enter high school – while one in five parents think kids should be able to access their own mobile phone in primary school.  Two thirds of parents (65%) think their kids should be able to access a laptop as young as possible or at primary school.
• Parents are concerned by cyber safety risks. Parents biggest concern is unsolicited contact from strangers, followed by:  the publication of their child’s private content like photos or address details online; cyber-bullying; internet scams; and identity theft.

Despite all of this, parents are often relaxed about monitoring kids’ internet time. Only 33% of parents closely monitor their kid’s use of the internet.

“In this digital age, internet connected devices such as laptops, mobile phones and mobile tablets can be just as important to learning as paper, pens and text books,” said Darren Kane, Telstra’s Officer of Internet Trust and Safety. “They are a great way for kids to access online resources like news archives, virtual libraries, dictionaries and videos."

He adds: “But like any device connecting to the internet, mobiles and laptops present children with risks they don’t necessarily understand. Our research shows that while parents are equipping their kids with technology to assist their studies, some are forgetting to equip them with the skills required to use these tools safely – an essential part of a positive online experience."

“Teaching kids when it's appropriate to share personal information, explaining what to do if approached by a cyber bully or online stranger and how to apply social network privacy settings should be part of every parent’s back to school checklist,” Mr Kane said.

Similarly, research conducted by Microsoft in March 2010 found that while two thirds of Australian parents surveyed are concerned about  the safety of their kids online, more than 60 percent of parents allow their children to surf the net unsupervised and unrestricted at home.

Microsoft's "For Safety's Sake" research revealed that in spite of concerns for online safety we are still not doing enough to educate and help protect our children:  More than two thirds of Australian parents admit they know only a few of their children's online friends; another 11 percent admit they are totally in the dark, knowing none of their children's online friends.  Moreover, only half of all parents house the computer in a public area of the home.

Parental involvement is key to preventing cyberbullying and keeping kids safe online.  The good news is that kids actually want more parental involvement in their online lives, according to the Norton Online Family Report, 2010.  It reported that in addition to relying on their parents if something bad happened online, nearly nine kids in ten say they follow family rules for internet use.

Marsali Hancock, president and CEO of the Internet Keep Safe Coalition www.ikeepsafe.org, recommends the following tips for parents to keep their children safe online.

What parents can do:

• Keep current with technology. You don't have to be an expert, but a little understanding goes a long way towards keeping your child safe online. Get basic technical training and learn about new products as they are released.
• Keep communicating with your child about what he or she is experiencing on the Internet and with technology in general. Know their lingo, and ask when you don't understand something. Work to keep communication lines open.
• Keep checking your child's Internet activity. Know where they go online. Let them know that you will keep checking because you want them to understand that the Internet is a public forum and never truly private.
• Keep participating with your child's online activities. They are the experts, so you can ask them to help you. Not only will your knowledge of the digital world be strengthened -- so will your relationship with your children.

Following are some tips from Telstra...

Online safety tips for kids

• Protect yourself by keeping private information such as your birthday, school, home address or phone number private.
• If you get harassed by a cyber-bully speak to a trusted adult so they can help. Try not to respond to a bully and block them so you can't receive their emails, instant messages or texts.
• When using social media sites, don't become 'friends' with people you don't know in the real world and make sure you use the privacy settings to manage your privacy and the content you share.

Mobile safety tips for kids

• Be careful who you provide your mobile phone number to and respect your friends’ privacy by not giving away their details.
• Ensure your mobile phone is PIN locked. If you use a smartphone, also set up a password to protect your email and social networking accounts when your phone is switched on.
• Think before you send. The person who you send text, picture or video to may not be the only one who will see them.

Links:

• You can find more information to help people of all ages have a positive online experience on Telstra’s Internet and Cyber-Safety page.
• Microsoft supports online education through its partnership with The Australian Federal Police – through the school-based cyber safety program, ThinkUKnow. The program aims to educate children throughout Australia about cyber-safety and security, and encourage them to think before they act online.  ThinkUKnow Website
• YourKidsEd Cyber-Safety page.

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