Praneeta Mahajan
Hamilton, August 2, 2024
In a significant milestone for online safety in New Zealand, the government’s dedicated website for children and young people, “Keep It Real Online,” has reached an impressive one million page views. The announcement was made by Minister of Internal Affairs, Brooke van Velden, who highlighted the growing importance of digital safety for the younger population.
Enhanced Resources
“It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online and manage any potential digital harms. It has advice and resources for parents, teachers, and young people on a range of topics from online bullying to digital scams to privacy. I have heard from many parents how these topics affect young people every day,” says Ms Van Velden.
The website, managed by the Department of Internal Affairs, offers comprehensive resources designed to help navigate the complex digital landscape. It addresses critical issues such as online bullying, digital scams, and privacy, aiming to equip families with the tools needed to foster a safer online environment.
Children are going online at a younger age, and it is never too early to begin having good conversations about how to stay safe online. Parents and caregivers can find online safety tools and advice to help support their children and teenagers to develop good online safety habits.
Ms Van Velden noted the recent enhancements to the site, stating, “Both the parents and youth sections have recently had additional information added following feedback from the community. More new content is being added to the educators’ section over the coming months.”
Recognising the concerns of parents, Ms Van Velden emphasised the practical advice available on the site, “I understand many parents have concerns about what their children are seeing online and want to know what they can do to keep them safe. The Keep It Real Online website has plenty of advice on how to talk to your kids about these issues as well as information on third-party controls available to families, such as filters on search engines and social media.”
Accessibility and Inclusivity
In addition to its English and Māori content, the website also provides information in Chinese, Hindi, and Samoan, ensuring wider accessibility for New Zealand’s diverse population.
The Keep It Real Online initiative reflects the Government’s commitment to safeguarding children and young people in the digital age. As the website continues to evolve, it remains a vital resource for parents, teachers, and young people seeking to navigate the online world safely.
Some groups are more vulnerable than others, for example, rainbow youth or youth with neurodevelopmental disorders. For these communities, the Internet can be a vital resource to connect with like-minded individuals, explore their identities and reduce feelings of isolation. It is, therefore, important that educators and parents are aware of the increased risks that young people and vulnerable communities may be exposed to online.
Cyber safety is an increasingly critical issue as the digital landscape expands. It involves protecting users, especially young people, from online risks such as cyberbullying, digital scams, and exploitation. Effective cyber safety practices include educating users about potential dangers, promoting responsible online behaviour, and implementing protective measures such as parental controls and privacy settings. Governments, educators, and parents all play a crucial role in fostering a safe and secure online environment.
An appeal from the Police
Now that students have headed back to school, the Police have a message for our young people: Kia whakaute…respect your mates, do not share their nudes.
“We are seeing an increase in reports of young people sharing nudes online of their friends, other young people from their schools or teens they do not even know,” says Detective Senior Sergeant Kepal Richards from the NZ Police Online Child Exploitation Across New Zealand team.
These images, when shared on many of the social media platforms, get reported to the United States-based National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) as they are identified on these platforms as child exploitation material, which is illegal to produce, possess, or distribute.
NCMEC provides that information as a Cyber tip notification to the New Zealand Police, Department of Internal Affairs, or New Zealand Customs Service to investigate.
“While we advocate young people do not share naked images of themselves, we know it happens,” said Detective Senior Sergeant Richards. “If you receive a nude of another young person, do not be part of the cycle and post it somewhere else. Delete the message, be kind, and think about how you would feel if the image was of you.”
“We know that when a young person discovers a naked image of themselves has been sent to often large numbers of their peers, it can have a significant detrimental effect on their mental health.”
The OCEANZ team receives multiple NCMEC Cyber tips each week related to this scenario. These are reviewed by investigators and appropriate action is taken on a case-by-case basis. The action taken by Police can range from a welfare visit to the young people involved, discussions with school staff, or in some cases, charges may be considered depending on the type of material and the circumstances in which they were produced or distributed online.
For more information, visit the Keep It Real Online website at keepitrealonline.govt.nz.
Praneeta Mahajan is an Indian Newslink reporter based in Hamilton.
