On Trolls and Avatars—Part Two

Since our discussion about TROLLS (internet trolls, that is) in the last edition of Black and White, there has been much discussion in the media on this very topical problem. I would love to take credit for this but I think Robbie Farah, and even the Prime Minister’s office, are both more worthy of the honour. It seems that Farah, the very famous and popular Wests’ Tigers rugby league captain, has become a figurehead for the cause. This is great as I am sure many young people will take notice of what he has to say.

I was reflecting again on this phenomenon—the decision of a person to take what they think to be anonymous pot-shots at another person in order to take them down; to denigrate them in some way; to shame them. This really is very close to a metaphorical sniper taking aim at someone in order to destroy that person. What is heartening now is to see that even government policy makers and authorities are actually seeking to bring these trolls to account—to at least identify such individuals and make public their miserable activities that have potential to bring so much harm to others.

To quote the Sydney Morning Herald (Tuesday 11 September p.4): “A Twitter user, or troll, found to ‘menace, harass or cause offence’ using social media could be jailed for up to three years” (Section 474.17 of the Criminal Code Act 1995, Part 10.6).

And so last time I promised you some “handy hints” to assist parents in supporting their children’s navigation of this challenging cyber-world.

Interestingly the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s Cybersmart program has developed actions to help Australian children and youth protect themselves and others against the impact of trolling—they suggest the following responses:

1. IGNORE the troll—don’t respond to nasty, immature, offensive comments. Giving trolls the attention they want only gives them more power.
2. BLOCK the troll—take away their power by blocking them. If they pop up under a different name, block them again.
3. REPORT trolls—report to site administrators. If they pop up under a different name, report them again. If they continue, contact the police.
4. TALK with friends and family—if a troll upsets you, talk about it to someone you know and trust. Visit the Cybersmart Online Helpline or call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.
5. PROTECT friends from trolls—if trolls are upsetting a friend, tell them to Ignore/ Block/Report. Tell their family and other friends and encourage them to seek support.

Our Newington ICT Department also have their own very wise advice – this also includes awareness on “spam” and “phishing”—this is located on our school portal’s facebook page.  You can access this via our Newington Portal.

So this Chaplain is signing off now and just wanting to assure readers that I have not lost my spiritual and pastoral commitment by trespassing into an area that, like most of you, I often feel completely bamboozled by. Those of us involved specifically in the pastoral care of students at Newington realise that we do have a very important role to play in this dimension of our boys’ lives as how our boys relate to the internet, how much time they spend on the internet and how they behave there can have a huge impact upon their general wellbeing, including their mental health and their spiritual vitality.

I wish all parents well in this aspect of their parenting. Please do not hesitate to contact us at school should you find yourself out of your depth or overwhelmed. We have some very knowledgeable and supportive professionals who will be able to help you.

David N Williams
School Chaplain