Cyber Safety: Discussion Guides

Group of students standing next to parents and teachers
The cast of SBS drama, The Hunting. Source: SBS

By eSafety Commissioner, SBS Learn
25/07/2019 - updated 16/02/2024

Cyber Safety: Discussion Guides

    About This Resource

    This discussion guide has been developed to support SBS drama, The Hunting. The television series explores the lives of four teenagers, their teachers and families throughout the lead up, revelation and aftermath of a nude teen photo scandal. The purpose of this guide is to provide teachers with conversation starters on how to address themes with young people around cyberbullying and image sharing, to promote positive experiences online.

    Below are clips (classified PG for classrooms) from the series with accompanying questions and resource tools, to create a class discussion about behaviours, peer responses and support services.

    Read our Classroom Recommendations before completing activities.

    This SBS Learn resource is a condensed version of the original release. Some material may have been omitted for up-to-date relevancy.

    About The Series

    Starring Asher Keddie and Richard Roxburgh, The Hunting follows the lives of four teenagers, their teachers and families in the aftermath of a nude teen photo scandal. Tackling themes of misogyny, online exploitation, sexuality and sexualisation, the series offers a vital portrait of modern, multicultural Australia.

    What Drives Bad Behaviours and Why Do Things Happen?

    Clip 1 – Teacher Guide

    According to research, one in 10 Australians have experienced image-based abuse (IBA). IBA occurs when intimate, nude or sexual images are distributed without the consent of those pictured. This includes real, altered (i.e. Photoshopped) and drawn pictures and videos. Image sharing of content not intended for others can have consequences. It can affect the person in the image, family and social relationships, and general wellbeing. For every person who has been a target of IBA, the experience will be different.

    Victims of IBA often experience anger, depression, anxiety and feelings of humiliation when they find their intimate images online. IBA can take different forms – for example it may include an image or video of a person without attire of religious or cultural significance which they would normally wear in public.

    Backgrounder:
    At what age do you think the conversation about sharing nude images should start? Sharing sexual images can start at a young age. Having age appropriate conversations with students about the content they are sharing should start early – it’s never okay to pass on intimate images shared with you only.

    Likewise, no-one should ask a child or young person to share a nude image of themselves online, the online space is like a public pool – private parts shouldn’t be shown. Conversations should get progressively more complex as students get older.

    Important: 
    When a nude image is shared without consent, it’s a breach of trust, a betrayal – the nude image itself is not the issue, the choice to violate someone else is. Everyone needs to be held accountable when they behave without empathy, consideration and respect for others. The online space is an extension of the real world and so the ideas of trust, consent, respect and kindness should be used equally in that space.

    Everybody has the right to live without online abuse or the threat of abuse. If you have been a target of image-based abuse, the most important thing to remember is that it is not your fault and you are not alone.

    Classroom questions:

    1. What would you do differently in this situation?

    2. Why do you think Nassim shared the picture with Andy?

    3. If you were Nassim, what other options could have played out?

    4. How would you feel if you were the person in the photo?

    Looking at School and Peer Group Responses

    Clip 2 – Teacher Guide

    Trusted friends can be the biggest allies and support network. It’s important to promote opening up and talking to someone, as students may find others who have experienced something similar. Talking can help improve difficult situations. Friends and family can be a great support, but it can be hard for young people to talk to their parents about experiences of IBA. Parents may have grown up in a world that is completely different to theirs. Remind students that it’s important to talk to their parents or a trusted adult for support.

    The Australian Student Wellbeing Framework supports Australian schools to create learning communities that promote student wellbeing. The Framework supports principals, school leaders, teachers and students and their families to build a respectful and inclusive learning environment where all students can reach their potential. This includes online environments.

    Classroom questions:

    • Why do you think it’s a good idea to open up or seek help from others?
    • Why could a support group help?
    • Who would be in your support group, either at home, school, sporting or community group, or other?
    • How do you think you can be an informed, supportive friend to others experiencing online abuse?

    Activities:

    1. Ask students to investigate places of support, e.g. family and friends, KidsHelpline, Headspace or the eSafety Commissioner (eSafety). Invite students to compile and design their own list of trusted people they would contact if they were concerned about online harassment by a stranger or if they were being cyberbullied.

    2. Check out the YeS Project, a digital and social health program encouraging young people to act as positive leaders and supportive friends in all their social spaces, especially online.

    Support Services and Potential Pathways to Resolution

    Clip 3 – Teacher Guide

    There are ways to talk to trusted people whether its friends, family, parents or carers, teachers or other trusted adults. Sometimes actions related to a person’s digital identity can have unintended consequences. Students should be aware of the pathways for support and reporting of image-based abuse and cyberbullying.

    Universal strategies that can be applied into classrooms:

    • Whole of school focus on social and emotional skills and creating an inclusive school environment.
    • Promote a culture of help seeking behaviour for those being targeted as well as those engaging in the behaviour.

    If someone reports image-based abuse in your school:

    • Remain calm, reassuring and non-judgemental. Do not say or do anything to blame or shame any students involved.
    • Do not formally interview students (particularly the students responsible) or ask for written statements. Police may do this as part of their investigations.
    • Do not deliberately view the explicit material – you will likely already have enough information to be satisfied as to the nature of the material and who it concerns.
    • Do not copy, print, delete or further share the material as it may be unlawful to do so, leave this to the police if they become involved.
    • Under no circumstances should you delete the material or send the image to yourself for evidence.

    There are some key steps you can take to have images or videos removed. These include contacting the person who posted the image and asking them to remove it, reporting the material to a social media service or website to have it taken down, and making a report to eSafety.

    Questions:
    For students:

    1. What does trust and consent mean to you?

    2. What about personal boundaries and respect for others?

    3. What do you think confident self-expression looks like online?

    For everyone (staff):

    1. Does your school have a wellbeing network and programs fostering positive behaviours and social understanding?

    2. Are students and staff clear about reporting and help-seeking processes?

    Classroom Poster

    Download this A3 poster (PDF) for resources on sharing nude images or videos. This can be displayed in your classroom or school.

    How to Bring Up Conversations Around Sharing Images

    Please note from this section onwards, material is tailored for parents (including carers). This information can be shared with students to pass onto their families.

    Clip 1 – Parent Guide

    Helpful language:

    • Ask open-ended questions in a nonjudgmental way about risk-taking behaviour.
    • Avoid ‘too much information’ for younger people.
    • Problem solve together.
    • Talk about the importance of consent, safety and respect in all relationships, including online interactions.

    These discussions can help build trust and start an ongoing conversation. The more informed young people are the better they are able to stay in control of their decisions and get support if something goes wrong.

    It is important to talk with your children and young people about the possible consequences of sending or sharing intimate or sexually explicit messages, images, photos or videos. It is especially important to reiterate that sharing intimate images without consent is never okay. There are ways you can help if things go wrong. Talk early and often – for example you could refer to the clip above and ask questions like “Do you think it was right for Nassim to share that photo with a friend?”. Explore what their friends think about sharing photos, or if it happened to a friend, how it might make them feel.

    Most importantly, let your child or young person know you are there to support them if they are uncomfortable about anything they see or have experienced online, or may have been a part of.

    Schools and Parents Navigating Through Emerging Technology

    Clip 2 – Parent Guide

    There will always be additional platforms and technologies emerging that bring challenges and new ways for children and young people to socialise. Informed use of digital technology also has many benefits to learning and education.

    It can be difficult to stay on top of online trends, which may impact how to help children and young people understand the risks. It is therefore important to focus on the behaviour rather than the technology. Young people are programmed to take risks. Impulse control is still developing in young people’s minds and the reward of their peers’ admiration often outweighs the merits of pragmatism, rules and safety.

    Schools and families have a vital role to play in supporting young people as they develop their relationships, values, attitudes, and expectations. Adolescent development is a delicate and vulnerable time to foster respect, kindness, consideration, and empathy.

    Important: When a nude image is shared without consent, it is a breach of trust, a betrayal – the nude image itself is not the issue, the choice to violate someone else is.
    Everyone needs to be held accountable when they behave without empathy, consideration, and respect for others. The online space is an extension of the real world and so the ideas of trust, consent, respect and kindness should be used equally in that space.

    Schools should have well considered policies and practices in place to deal with online issues such as image-based abuse (IBA) and cyberbullying. It’s important that parents and carers understand and support these procedures.

    Helpful Strategies and Support Services

    Clip 3 – Parent Guide

    Have you noticed your child or young person behaving differently? Ask them how they are, and what they are feeling. Be calm, kind and caring and offer support. It is never a good idea to be confrontational.

    Remember to:

    • Model appropriate behaviour. You have the capacity to positively influence your child’s behaviour, their safety and their ability to navigate healthy, respectful and consenting relationships.
    • Use opportunities from the media (i.e a celebrity nude photo scandal) to start conversations about sensitive and awkward topics.
    • Ask open-ended questions in a non-judgemental way about risk-taking behaviour and use this as an opportunity to talk about the issues. Shoulder-to-shoulder conversations, like when you’re driving in the car together, can make these talks less awkward.
    • Set age-specific rules around device-use, such as no phones after a particular time.
    • Use parental controls and safeguards on devices to help limit what your children and young person is exposed to. Revisit these regularly.
    • Help your child or young person report and block disturbing content they see on social media sites or apps.
    • Encourage healthy use and behaviours. It is not helpful to be anti-technology, as this is not realistic in a highly digitised world.

    If your child has experienced image-based abuse or cyberbullying and would like to report it, visit: http://esafety.gov.au/complaints-and-reporting

    Copyright

    The Hunting Outreach Resources 2019 © Published in July 2019 by SBS Learn, produced in partnership with The eSafety Commissioner. SBS acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia. ISBN: 978-0-6485059-7-6.

    Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this publication may be reproduced by any means, electronic or otherwise, without the written permission of the copyright owner.

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