Dear Parents 

Today we received the following information from the Ministry of Education.

We are aware that some schools may be fielding calls about the TikTok video about a live suicide. 

The Ministry has been in touch with Netsafe about this, and they have been supporting schools that get in touch with them so just a reminder that the Ministry funds Netsafe to support schools with online safety and security.

Netsafe have advised the following:

For now, we recommend that students are being made aware not to share or view the footage as it can be highly distressing content. Our webpage has information about helping tamariki exposed to upsetting content that you may find useful. We have also provided some support lines for students and staff if they need to reach out for support below.

• Need to talk -. Free call or text on 1737 and there is support available 24 hours a day
• 0800 What’s Up – Available Mon-Fri 12pm-11pm Sat/Sun 3pm-11pm on 0800 942 8787
• Lifeline – call on (0800 543 354) or text HELP (4357) for confidential support.

This content can have an impact beyond those who immediately engage with it. It is likely to have had a range of impacts on each person – some may be severely affected and others may not be affected at all. It is important to be aware of the need to talk with young people who have heard about it and to encourage them to express their feelings in response to the video. We recommend that having regular, open conversations at home around online safety is important to help young people navigate the myriad of digital challenges they will experience.

You can read more on our parental control advice page here. There is an option to switch to Safe Search when using Google search or alternatively, you can consider looking into this article to block Google images without blocking Google search.

This staying safe online guide and some of our printed resources may be useful.

God bless

Alister Bridgman

Principal