More than 200 students taking part in a summit on cyber bullying have called on their friends, families and community members to make cyber space safer for young people. The declaration was the culmination of a Cyber Friendly Student Summit held in Perth today, in which 210 Year 10 students from across WA took part.

The summit, timed to coincide with International Children’s Day, is part of a $400,000 study into cyber bullying by Edith Cowan University’s Child Heath Promotion Research Centre, which was funded by the WA Government. It’s the first study in the world to look at causality and effects of cyber bullying over time. This new form of bullying has developed with the increasing popularity of digital technology. Cyber bullying is when a person uses the internet or mobile telephones to send threatening or degrading messages, images or videos.

Students taking part in the Cyber Friendly Student Summit each signed the following declaration, which asked for action to:

• reduce cyber bullying in the places where youth communicate

• provide ongoing learning to reduce cyber bullying from a young age

• educate adults to promote respectful relationships and prevent all forms of bullying

• involve young people in research and education into cyber bullying

• provide ongoing educational messages to the community, to help everyone reduce cyber bullying

Department of Education and Training Director General Sharyn O’Neill said the students who took part in today’s summit had a chance to change the future of cyber space. “Cyber bullying is not restricted to any particular school or community – it is a growing worldwide phenomenon,” Ms O’Neill said.

In conjunction with the Cyber Friendly Student Summit, a parent seminar on cyber bullying prevention will also be held on Thursday, October 23, from 7pm to 9pm. For more information and registration details visit www.cyberfriendlystudentsummit.com