Student Perspectives towards School Responses to Cyber-risk and Safety: The Presumption of the Prudent Digital Citizen
Date
2019-02
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor and Francis
Abstract
While previous research identifies skepticism and some animosity among students towards school-based cyber-safety programs, drawing from focus group discussions with Canadian teens, this paper contributes to unpacking reasons for both support for ‘what works’ and antagonism for what is perceived to be lacking. Our findings reveal support for repeated messages, including those eliciting fear, especially for younger students. Criticisms most often centred on the questionable relatability of the messages, and the need for more practical information (e.g., privacy management). Criticisms are largely concentrated among female teens. Among our participants, the concentration of cyber-safety messages is being received in junior high school, with less emphasis by the time students reach high school. We argue that by high school students are expected to have successfully internalized the directives for online safety received in earlier grades, and have acquired, to a greater or lesser extent, a sense of prudentialism and self-control.
Description
Keywords
Cyber-risk, school, cyberbullying, sexting, focus groups
Citation
Adorjan, M., & Ricciardelli, R. (2019). Student perspectives towards school responses to cyber-risk and safety: The presumption of the prudent digital citizen. "Learning, Media and Technology".