Goulburn PCYC is joining in a statewide campaign to combat unsafe internet usage by and against young people.
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PCYC NSW, in partnership with the NSW Police Force Youth and Crime Prevention Command, will conduct public education forums throughout the state using the network and reach of 64 PCYC clubs.
The Goulburn forum will be held on Tuesday, February 6 between 7pm and 8pm at the PCYC’s premises on the corner of Avoca and Derwent Streets.
Manager Robert Scott noted from a recent survey of the city’s youth that bullying was a major concern.
“Unfortunately cyber bullying is tied into that,” he said.
“Anyone can be a victim of cyber-bullying because it doesn’t discriminate and the anonymous nature of the online environment makes it easy to target people and we want to give people the tools to safeguard themselves and their loved ones.
“Goulburn’s a tight knit community so anything we can do to help them feel safer online is well worth the effort.”
The police school liaison police officer will present the session, which is free.
The public forums will coincide with the Office of the eSafety Commissioner’s 2018 Safer Internet Day campaign.
PCYC NSW CEO Dominic Teakle and Youth and Crime Prevention Commander Superintendent David Roptell said the start of the school year and its coincidence with Safer Internet Day provided the opportunity to offer parents, caregivers and youth the chance to gain a better understanding of the potentially serious issues affecting children, including cybercrime, bulling and sexting.
“As part of the Police Commissioner’s mandate on Youth and Crime Prevention, PCYC and the Youth and Crime Prevention Command will launch this coordinated approach and a continuing social media and community information campaign against cybercrime,” they said.
The session across all NSW PCYCs will cover sharing information online, cyber bullying, private content, online grooming, privacy settings, respectful relationships online, digital shadows and where to get help. The forums are for adults and children.
To register go to pcycnsw.org.au/internet-safety.
PCYC and Youth and Crime Prevention Command officers regularly conduct education sessions as part of business as usual in PCYC clubs and schools across the state.