Being online as a girl – new report
Hon Julie Anne Genter
Minister
for Women
1
December 2017
MEDIA
STATEMENT
Being online as a girl – new
report
“This new report shows how girls experience
online harm differently than boys, and tailored prevention
approaches are needed,” Minister for Women Julie Anne
Genter said today as she launched the Ministry for Women’s
report Insights into digital harm: The online lives of
New Zealand girls and boys.
The report
covers young people’s experiences with digital harm and
draws on insights from 12 focus groups from schools across
New Zealand.
“My message to young people is that ‘You deserve to be safe, and you deserve support to get safe’
“We live in a digital world. Getting
insights into the online lives of girls and boys helps us
better understand how young people view digital harm and how
to prevent it.
“Every single
young person in this report knew of someone badly affected
by things happening online. Young people’s behaviour
online can lead to further harm in their offline
relationships.
“We have
to understand more about how to prevent harm online, about
how to keep safe, and what to do when it is not
safe.
“Girls and boys in our study strongly supported prevention efforts, including education about norms, consent, mental health and respect.
“The research found that young people will not always ask their parents for help. Young people and their parents do need to know where to get help and who to ask for it.
“I encourage parents to educate themselves about young people’s online environments, to talk about healthy relationships, and to discuss online risks and safety with their children,” says Ms Genter.
The full report Insights into digital harm: The online lives of New Zealand girls and boysis available at www.women.govt.nz Resources for parents, teachers and young people are available online at www.netsafe.org.nz.
ENDS