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Digital Citizenship and Healthy Relationships

Caregiver Information Night

Constable Mike Hunchak

Tanya Woods (IPL)

Kimberley Menezes-Francispillai (SSSW)

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QUESTIONS???

Poll Everywhere

Text: KIMBERLEYMEN818 to 37607

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OUTLINE

  • Recent Georgetown Issues (Grade 7-8 cohort)
  • What is Sexting?
  • What is the Research Saying?
  • What are Students Saying?
  • Risks
  • Legal Implications
  • How is the School Board Supporting?
  • Further Support

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Setting the Scene

  • The digital domain is changing how students perceive, interact with, and respond to the world.

  • Response to ongoing conversations around technology, safe student use and the impact on relationships and sense of community.

  • This is a need that is consistent across the province and country.

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By Definition...

Sexting refers to the practice of “youth writing sexually explicit messages, taking sexually explicit photos of themselves or others in their peer group, and transmitting those photos and/or messages to their peers.”

Occurs through: cell phones, computers, web cameras, digital cameras, and video game systems.

(Nat’l Ctr. for Missing & Exploited Children)

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What Does The Research Say?

  • Approximately 25% of teenagers are sexting
  • More than 50% have been asked to send a nude photo of themselves (ages 14-19)
  • 31% requested someone to have a nude photo sent to them
  • 15% have received such images from someone they know (ages 12-17)

(Stats from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 2008)

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What Does The Research Say?

  • "They live in the here and now. They're thinking about what they're doing in the moment and sharing that and no, I don't think enough of them are sitting back contemplating, 'If I share this……. " (2016), Arnason, associate executive director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection in Winnipeg.

(Stats from CBC National http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/teens-sexting-education-1.3789913)

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APPS TO KNOW ABOUT

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What do the Students Say?

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Risks

  • Emotional and social risks

  • Extortion

  • Distributed widely; online for years to come

  • Background checks from prospective employers, volunteer organizations,

colleges/universities

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EVERYONE KNOWS YOUR NAME

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Criminal Code of Canada:

Child Pornography Law

For any unclothed person under 18 years:

  • Taking a photo = production

  • Saving a photo (having a photo/video, viewing online, or simply showing someone) = possession

  • Sending a photo = distribution

...of child pornography

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How is HDSB Supporting?

Curriculum Connections

Topics of Healthy Relationships and Digital Citizenship are addressed and discussed throughout a variety of elementary and secondary curriculum:

  • Learning Skills
  • Media Literacy
  • Social Science
  • Living Skills and HPE Curriculum
  • ICT Curriculum HDSB

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Digital Citizenship: HDSB

Within Halton we have our own ICT Curriculum, as based on the 6 ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) Standards:

  • Creativity and Innovation
  • Communication and Collaboration
  • Research and Information Fluency
  • Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making
  • Technology Operations and Concepts

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Four Questions to Ask Yourself...

  • Whose idea was it?
  • Where will this picture end up?
  • What was going on when this photo was taken?
  • How would I feel if it were my photo

being taken or circulated?

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Getting Support

  • School staff (trusted teacher, administration, school social worker)
  • School liaison officer (Cst. Hunchak)
  • ROCK youth crisis line: 905-875-2575
  • www.needhelpnow.ca
  • Apps for parents: Ex Ourpact