As I prepare for the year ahead, my mind focuses on the hot topics that related to the internet in 2012. Cyber bullying was right up there in 2012, so I wonder what we will see regarding this topic in 2013.

Cyber bulling was rife throughout the majority of schools in New Zealand last year. Some schools asked us to particularly focus on Facebook bullying in our internet safety presentations as this was where many problems lay.

Some teachers told me they spent a considerable amount of time ...

In August 2012 the New Zealand Law Commission released its report on Harmful Digital Communications. This report has many recommendations on how to stamp out the problem, which is also linked to self-harm and suicides.

WebSafety NZ applaudes the report and say it is a long time coming, and will go far in helping address the issues. The Government is finally taking cyberbullying seriously and we are very pleased.

In a nutshell, the details are:

·         A new electronic communication...

Whether you know it or not, Facebook is losing its appeal with teens. Just as parents start to understand what Facebook is all about, and create a profile of their own to keep an eye on their children’s activities, children have decided that it’s no longer cool to be on a social networking site where your parents hangout.

While it is not uncommon for teens to have multiple Facebook profiles, the novelty of using a social networking site to chat to their friends, and know their parents...

Cyberbullying is the use of the Internet and related technologies to harm other people, in a deliberate, repeated, and hostile manner.

It is the biggest threat to a child in the world they live in today, with over 50% of children being affected by some form of cyberbullying in their life.

It is a problem all over the world and very much alive in New Zealand schools.

The availa...