Qld Govt launches cyber-safety website

The Queensland Government has launched a cyber-safety website geared for students aged between 11 and 13, that highlights the dangers of online activity.

"This government is absolutely committed to ensuring that Queensland is the safest place to raise a child and this is just another way we are delivering on that promise,'' said the Queensland Minister for Education, Training and Employment, John-Paul Langbroek, in a statement.

The Meet the Creeps website includes an interactive quiz and six characters - including Shifty Shane and Scammer Steve - which each represent the potential dangers for children using online technology.

Some of the dangers highlighted by the website include:

• GPS tracking, that can result in the location of students being tracked when they post something on social media.
• Posting gossip on social media.
• Posting explicit photos of yourself on social media or texting the photo to friends.
• Sharing personal information on social media.
• Being bullied on social media.
• Sharing information on social media with strangers.

The Queensland Government, in launching the website, cited research from the US which found that 78% of teens had a mobile phone and 23% had a tablet computer.