Crime Stoppers of Guelph-Wellington has partnered with local school boards to better educate students and their families about cyber safety.
The new Cyber Safety presentation was developed in partnership with the Upper Grand and the Wellington Catholic District School Boards.
Sarah Bowers-Peter, Crime Stoppers Program Coordinator, says the idea for the presentation came after previous work done regarding online crimes including human trafficking, and they noticed a connection with young people sometimes not knowing about online dangers.
"They knew it was happening but they didn't know how to keep themselves safe while online, or how to protect their devices. As we're learning, children have devices younger and younger, so it's important that they understand what it is they're involved in when they have a device and how to keep themselves safe when online," explained Bowers-Peter.
With the ease of access and connection that the internet provides, criminals can use the internet to instantly connect with, and possibly exploit, young people, and there are many different avenues available for criminals to do that.
"We don't want to make it sound like we're just blaming the internet itself, we're also pointing the finger at online gaming. So that could be the Roblox, Minecraft, these things that kids are using for social interaction, as well as the traditional social media platforms. There's a lot of vulnerabilities there," Bowers-Peter said.
With respect to keeping kids safe, Bowers-Peter says there are a number of tips covered to help keep kids safe when using the internet in the presentation.
"How to handle privacy settings, using passwords, making sure they're not sharing sensitive information while on a public wifi system. Making sure that they're talking to their family, their parents or guardians, about how to keep them safe and the experiences that they're having," Bowers-Peter added.
Bowers-Peter says a lot of parents don't believe their kids are potentially experiencing these online dangers when they very easily could be.
The new Cyber Safety presentation is an in-person session, and you can learn more or book a session by visiting the Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington website here: csgw.tips.
“This CS Presentation is another example of how Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington takes Community Safety seriously,” noted Bowers-Peter. “Each time we are in a classroom either a student or teacher will share a scary online experience. We decided it was time to take action and give students the tools and understanding needed to protect themselves from online threats. We thank Upper Grand District School Board and Wellington Catholic District School Board for their support and encouragement with this subject matter.”
"Cyber safety is an important topic impacting Upper Grand District School Board students and families. We are pleased to have had the opportunity to work closely with Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington and Sarah to ensure this learning opportunity is available to our schools through the year," said Jenny Marino, Mental Health Lead, Manager of Mental Health and Addictions for UGDSB.
“Wellington Catholic District School Board is appreciative of the partnership we have with Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington. Together, along with Upper Grand District School Board, we are committed to delivering important and sensitive information to our students in the most effective way,” stated Sony Brar, Mental Health Lead, Senior Manager of Student Mental Health Services for Wellington Catholic District School Board. “By offering age-appropriate and impactful education on online safety, we are empowering our students with the knowledge they need to protect themselves from online risks. Our goal is to support students in navigating the digital world safely and securely.”