Online safety
It's important to remember that the digital world, just like the real one, comes with its own set of challenges.
When you're online, you have the power to build an awesome community by being kind, fair and respectful to everyone you engage with.
Just like you would look out for your mates in person, do the same online.
Stand against cyberbullying, think before you share and respect others' privacy – you know, be the legend you are in real life (IRL).
If you are looking for tips, tools, or just a bit of advice on how to navigate the online world responsibly, then check out some of our information below.
You can also head to the eSafety Commissioner website, which is the Australian Government's independent online safety regulator.
We highly recommend hitting up this site as they have a stack of information, with resources on a range of topics for young people to stay safe online, including:
- how to navigate difficult situations
- how to protect yourself online
- bullying
- dating and relationships.
Understanding your rights online and what to do if things get complicated, scary or dangerous is really important. If this happens, you can report abuse via the eSafety Commissioner website.
Before you post, stop and take a moment to remember that the internet stores and retains everything, forever. Your digital footprint is your permanent digital shadow and you want it to be a good one, trust us!
Stay smart, stay safe and stay connected!
Social media
When you upload photos or video to social media, you run the risk of not knowing where it may end up – this doesn't just relate to sexting, either.
Don’t let a photo or video ruin a future; what can start out as a bit of fun may end up being viewed by a wider audience than originally anticipated, including:
- your family
- the media
- future employers.
Yeah, in terms of social media at Schoolies, it was um, one of the things you sort of had to watch out for. We’d been told in school what to watch out for, what photos we take and what we put on social media.
So, we obviously put up photos of just us and our friends but, and anything we took of people who didn’t really want to have that online, we’d be kind of careful not to put that up but, obviously there were times when you saw people putting up photos probably they weren’t too happy with.
I know a couple of my friends, they took some little risky kind of photos and I know one of them like, she ended up ending a relationship over it. So that was one of the down sides of it I guess, just over something stupid as well.
My group of friends were really respectful of each other just because like, you are going in to a new chapter of your life next year and there could be like, companies looking at your profile and you just need to respect that because they are taking a massive step in to their lives so yeah, you should talk to them before you go posting anything. So yeah we all did that and there was, yeah, no dramas.
But yeah, just making sure that, yeah you’re not posting too much like, inappropriate stuff even. Because I know like start losing their inhibitions and think they can post anything because it’s Schoolies but yeah, just be a little thoughtful about it all.
Before Schoolies, make sure you:
- set your profiles to ‘private’ or ‘friends only’ and only accept friend requests from people you know and trust
- tell your friends to ask for your permission before uploading and/or tagging a photo or video of you (and do the same for them)
- set privacy settings to allow you to review photo tags before they appear on your profile and your friends’ newsfeeds.
During Schoolies:
- think before you share – would you be happy if your parents saw the photo or would you be okay with a future employer seeing it?
- be a good mate and don’t share embarrassing photos of your friends online; if your friend is in an embarrassing situation, a real friend would help their friend, rather than posting it online
- remember that you may be filmed or photographed at any time; Schoolies have been charged after their stupid behaviour was caught on camera, so be responsible and aware.
- don’t film crimes or assaults to promote them online, as you could be charged and face heavy fines or a criminal conviction.
If a friend has tagged you in an inappropriate photo, ask them to remove the image from social media. A real friend would respect your wishes.
Visit the following websites for more information:
Sexting
Sexting is the sending of provocative or sexual photos, messages, or videos. They are generally sent using a mobile phone but can also include posting online.
While sharing suggestive images or text messages may seem like innocent flirting or be considered funny, sexting can have serious social and legal consequences.
- Sending a sext to a child (17 and under – Federal law) is an offence.
- Downloading an application and agreeing to the conditions means that company own everything you do, post, share and view on their platform. They can collect your information and can use it against you.
- You cannot take a naked photo of yourself if you are under 17 years old. This is creating child exploitation material and it is a serious offence. This could result in your name being included on the sex offender register.
- You cannot have naked photos on your devices of children. This is possessing child exploitation material and it is a serious offence, which could result in your name being included on the sex offender register.
- You cannot share, show or distribute naked photographs of children. This is distributing child exploitation material and is a serious offence, which could result in your name being included on the sex offender register.
- Being charged with any of the above offences, which can be easily traced, will affect the rest of your life, including
- passport applications
- employment opportunities
- Blue Card applications
- community reputation.
- Online images can be shared with a very large audience, quickly.
- Employers often conduct social media and Google searches on prospective employees – future partners may also do the same.
What to do if you receive an unwanted sext
- Never forward this content to anyone else. If the picture is of someone underage this is an offence and is seen as distributing child exploitation material.
- If you know the person is underage and you receive a photograph, report it to the police.
- If the sext makes you feel uncomfortable, report it via the eSafety Commissioner website.
Think before you sext
- Have you considered how the receiver will feel or are you breaking the law?
- How would you feel if your sext was shown to someone else or leaked online?
- Are you about to make a good choice or does it fall in line with your family’s morals and expectations?
- In general, taking some time to think about it will often help put things into perspective.
Find more information about sexting on eSafety Commissioner.
Image-based abuse
Image-based abuse occurs when intimate, nude or sexual images are shared without the consent of the person in the image or video. This includes:
- real photos
- altered, drawn pictures
- videos.
It is also image-based abuse if someone threatens to share an intimate image or video of you.
Examples of image-based abuse include:
- an ex-partner sharing intimate images of you on Instagram or Facebook without your consent
- someone photoshopping an image to make you look naked and then emailing to others
- a stranger taking intimate images of you without your consent.
Image-based abuse (revenge porn) occurs when intimate, nude or sexual images are distributed without the consent of those pictured. This includes real, altered (e.g. Photoshopped) and drawn pictures and videos.
For more information on image based abuse including reporting and available support, head to eSafety Commissioner website.