Students are responsible for their behaviour when it comes to the use of their devices; computers, smartphones, etc. They may be taught at school and at home what it means to be a responsible digital citizen. Here is what your child should know about digital citizenship and the law.

Applications can be used for innocent social networking fun, but they can also be misused. Students live in a society where devices are part of everyday life. Some teachers even allow students to log onto their devices before a class, so their attention will be more focused on the material during actual class time.

Students should not be taking photos of other students without their consent and it is important that your child truly understands this. Underage students should not be sexting, even if they are in a physical, consensual relationship. Sexting is considered pornography when it comes to anyone underage or when it is shared without consent.

Apps like Snapchat should not be used for provocative photos. Any picture taking will remain in cyberspace forever. Students need to understand that they may not want photos taken as a teen to be accessible when they begin a professional career. Jennifer Maccarone, Chairperson of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School board tells students that they are responsible for taking photos, for cyberbullying and for sexting. There may be repercussions within the school, from parents and sometimes the law also plays a role.

“If a student is feeling threatened by other students because of unauthorized photos circulating or cyberbullying in forms of threats, they can press charges with the law,” Maccarone explains. “All incidents are handled on a case-by-case basis. There have been occasions where simply being an observer has also had legal repercussions. If a student is observing while these activities are going on, they are fully responsible. For example, if a student is being harassed on a group chat and the student is participating on that group chat, but not reporting it, they are equally at fault.”

If students are in photos that they do not want distributed, the student posting could get into trouble. If a student wishes to press charges, students will have legal implications such as being expelled, going to court or being criminally charged. The police and parents will be alerted immediately if a student is engaged in unethical digital activity that is considered threatening.

Collective responsibility is essential for the safety of all our students. Students should also keep in mind to not post photos of their location, school or home address. They should turn off the location setting on the device to avoid being located by outsiders. Students must understand that revealing their hometown location may lead to incidents with strangers finding out information about them. This could be a dangerous situation for any child to be in.

Students can also be charged with criminal offences regarding digital harassment. Whether they are the victim, bystander, or bully, they may all be implicated in the case. It is important for students to come forward if they feel threatened or if they see someone else being bullied on their networks. In order for students to feel safe, in and outside of school, being digitally responsible is everyone’s business.