From the Head of Senior School

NSW Police and Principal’s forum

This week, on behalf of the School, I attended the Police and Principal’s Forum hosted by The Commander of Burwood Police Area Command, Superintendent Christine McDonald, and the Commander of Campsie Police Area Command Superintendent Sheridan Waldau. Schools from across the area were present, and these networking opportunities are vital to ensure we have the support and resources to support our students and to contribute to community. We are fortunate to have a great relationship with our Local Command and our Youth Liaison Officer. They are available to support us in responding to concerns about the safety, welfare and wellbeing of children and young people, as well as keeping abreast with issues in the community so that we can protect the safety of our students.

Cyber Crime

The presentations highlighted the rapidly changing online environment young people are navigating, and the important role parents and carers play in helping them stay safe. The key message was clear: online safety is not a one-off conversation, but an ongoing partnership between young people, families and schools.

We heard from the Cyber Crime Squad, who discussed several case studies around ‘sextortion’, a form of online blackmail, when a young person is tricked or pressured into sharing an intimate image and is then threatened with exposure unless they send money, more images or further content. These incidents can escalate very quickly and cause significant distress.

Police case studies show that offenders may use fake profiles, pretend to be another young person, move conversations across platforms, and use pressure tactics such as urgency, shame or threats. Parents are encouraged to remind young people that if something goes wrong online, they should seek help immediately and will not be in trouble for asking for support.

If a young person is targeted, the advice from Police is to stop contact, avoid sending further content or money, take screenshots where safe to do so, block and report the account, and seek support from a trusted adult, police, school and/or a relevant reporting service.

Some of the case studies were confronting, particularly in how quickly situations escalated from initial contact to demands for nude images. In one case, this occurred in less than twenty minutes. Police described an incident in which a teenage student believed she was communicating via direct message with a TikTok star from Italy with one million followers; in reality, she was speaking with a 17-year-old boy in Wollongong who was using hundreds of fake identities and a VPN. You can read more about the case here.

MLC School students are provided education on these issues through their Luminary sessions and regular sessions with our Director of eLearning, Marianna Carlino. Given that the students are about to embark on a three week break from school, it may be timely to consider the way in which our girls are conducting themselves online while they are at home.

What the NSW police wants parents to know

• Online risks can arise through social media, gaming platforms, messaging apps and group chats.
• Young people may be exposed to scams, impersonation, cyberbullying, image-based abuse, coercion, online blackmail and privacy risks.
• Offenders often use fake profiles, pressure, secrecy and urgency to gain trust or control.
• Free VPNs, unofficial apps, unknown links and saved payment details can increase the risk of data theft, malware or account compromise.

Warning signs may include a young person becoming withdrawn, anxious or unusually secretive about their device use; avoiding school or social situations; appearing distressed after using their phone; or suddenly changing their online habits.

If parents notice these changes, a calm and supportive conversation is often the most helpful first step.

Parents can support their child by listening without judgement, saving evidence where appropriate, reporting harmful content through the relevant app or platform, blocking further contact, and seeking additional help if the behaviour continues or escalates.

Generative AI and image-based abuse

Families are also encouraged to be aware of emerging risks connected with generative AI. Some tools can be misused to create altered, fake or harmful images, including deepfake-style images. Young people need to understand that creating, sharing or threatening to share harmful images can have serious emotional, school-based and legal consequences.

A helpful conversation at home is to reinforce that consent, dignity and respect apply online just as they do in person. Students should never create, request, forward or comment on humiliating or intimate images of another person, whether real, edited or AI-generated.

Practical steps for families

• Keep conversations open, regular and calm. Young people are more likely to seek help if they know they will be supported, not blamed.
• Review privacy settings together and talk about who can see posts, contact them or add them to group chats.
• Encourage strong pass-phrases and multi-factor authentication on important accounts.
• Remind students not to share passwords, location details, school information, personal images or payment information online.
• Be cautious with unknown links, free VPNs, unofficial apps, random friend requests and requests to move conversations to another platform.
• If something goes wrong, stop contact, do not pay money or send further content, collect evidence where safe, block and report the account, and seek support promptly.
• Click here to view the Cybersafety Information Padlet.

As a school community, we encourage families to continue these conversations at home and to contact the School if they have concerns about their child’s wellbeing or online experiences. Early support, calm conversations and clear reporting pathways can make a significant difference.

– Joanna Graffen
Head of Senior School