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Digital Ethics - Coggle Diagram
Digital Ethics
Digital Citizenship
Definitions
Digital Citizenship "aims to empower school communities with the skills and knowledge to learn, connect, have fun and be safe online" (NSW Government, 2025b).
"Digital citizenship refers to the skills and knowledge a person needs to effectively use digital technologies in a positive way" (NSW, Government, 2025a).
Purpose
Digital Citizenship acts as a guide for teachers, students, and families on how to implement safe and ethical online behaviours (NSW Government, 2024a).
Access & Equity
Students' access to digital technologies such as computers and the internet is not always equitable. Teachers should consider this when planning lessons, units and assessments that require these tools, and adapt plans or provide suitable alternatives (NSW Government, 2025a).
Policies
Digital Citizenship is guided by policies such as (NSW Government, 2025c):
- 'Digital devices, services and information – staff use' policy
- 'Digital devices and online services for students' policy
- Digital devices and online services for students procedures' policy
- 'Cyber security' policy
Online Rules
Digital Citizenship provides a set of "Online Rules" to guide respectful communication, & using content lawfully (NSW Government, 2025d):
- Doing the right thing online
- Cyberbullying
- Defamation
- Images and privacy
- Copyright
Safety
Developing students awareness of safety practices is a key part of Digital Citizenship (NSW Government, 2025e, 2025f):
- creating strong passwords and keeping them private
- identifying and avoiding scams
- identifying misinformation and online hoaxes
- protecting personal information, content and images
- managing your digital footprint
- controlling privacy settings and data collection
- safe online gaming tips
Benefits
Digital Citizenship has clear benefits such as: staying connected, collaborating and learning through digital technologies (NSW Government, 2025g). Digital Citizenship also promotes healthy habits such as; being creative with technology, caring for physical and mental health, and staying informed (NSW Government, 2025h).
Cyberbullying
Definitions
"Cyberbullying is cruel to others by sending or posting harmful material or engaging in other forms of social aggression using...digital technologies" (Willard, 2007, p. 1).
"Cyberbullying involves the use of [ICTs] to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behaviour by an individual or group, which is intended to harm" (Belsey, 2014, p. 1).
Prevalence
In a USA-based study: 34% of students reported experiencing cyberbullying (Hinduja & Patchin, 2016).
Forms
Any bullying that occurs through digital technologies can be considered cyberbullying, however, the most common forms are phone calls, texts, and social networking platforms (Lee, 2017).
Effects
social, emotional, and physical effects can include:
- reduced academic achievement;
- decreasing school attendance;
- feelings of embarrassment, fear, anger, and frustration;
- increased stress, anxiety, and depression;
- reduced self-esteem;
- social withdrawal or exclusion;
- increased use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs;
- and suicidal ideation or action (Redmond et al., 2017, p.2).
Preventative Measures
Strategies to reduce the likelihood or number of cyberbullying occurrences include (Redmond et al., 2017):
- explicit teaching about cyberbullying
- teacher modelling anti-bullying policies
- teacher developing students' socio-emotional skills & relational problem-solving abilities
- school-wide policy/approach to addressing cyberbullying
- prevention/intervention & anti-cyberbullying programs in schools, including those implemented by external experts
- educating students about how to handle a cyberbullying incident and the role of bystanders
- creating a safe reporting environment and clear procedures
- targeted professional development for teachers, school leadership, counsellors, psychologists, and other stakeholders
- working with families, carers and community
- cultivating positive teacher-student relationships
Identifying & Managing
Despite preventative measures, cyberbullying incidents will occur, therefore being able to identify and manage these situations is imperative; strategies include (Redmond et al., 2017):
- teacher awareness of attributes & types of cyberbullying to recognise signs, including covert
- teachers have strong understanding of policies and practices to apply in response to incidents
- teacher monitoring student wellbeing and changes in behaviour
- teacher is able to identify who is involved in incidents & follow appropriate reporting procedures
- encouraging students to report incidents
- school-wide approach for reporting and handling incidents
- strong communication with parents and carers
- educating students and families on appropriate online behaviour inside and outside of school
- providing ongoing support for victims of cyberbullying
- working with victims and bullies to mediate