Lesson 6: Young and E Safe: Responsibility (20 minutes)

Young people are responsible online when they understand and apply their rights and obligations – such as their right to privacy and the obligation to stay within the law. This lesson will assist students in understanding their responsibility in online situations, including supporting others and speaking out about offensive or harmful online content or behaviours.
Teacher Notes:
Activity purpose: To engage students in reflection around their personal
responsibility when faced with conflict. To explore assertive communication
strategies to be a positive online role model or 'upstander'.
IMPORTANT: Read the following background information before the lesson (Click here to access)
  • ​6.1: Use the class focus question to introduce the topic of responsibility. 
  • Answer = Managing and protecting your privacy, knowing your rights and responsibilities, thinking about the impact of your online actions, making choices that think of others, staying within the law, taking responsibility for the way you present yourself online and standing up for others.
  • 6.2: Show the "I am responsible" video (0.56 minutes) and then discuss using the class focus questions to stimulate conversation.  
  • 6.3: Organise students into pairs and get them to realistically role play the scenarios below. Get students to reflect with the reflection questions and finally how the situation could be changed with the I feel statements. 

6.1: Class discussion

Responsibilty online focus question
“What are you personally responsible for when online or using technology?”
Participate in the class discussion

6.2: "I am responsible" video

Are you taking personal responsibility?
Video summary:
The video shows a fight between two teenagers
in a skate park. Whilst the fight is occurring, another teen is live
streaming the fight to social media. One of the teens witnessing
the fight intervenes and breaks up the fight. The video depicts two
types of bystanders, the hurtful or unhelpful bystander and the
upstander.​
Watch the video with your class and participate in the discussion
Class focus questions
In the video, which character showed personal responsibility?
  1. The boy who didn’t stand by and watch the fight but stepped in to help out.
  2. What were the character’s actions that demonstrated personal responsibility through being an upstander?
  3. Took action as an upstander rather than hurtful or unhelpful bystander as they felt it was wrong to stand by and observe, and stood up to help others out.
  4. Can you see any possible negative consequences of stepping in –like the boy did?
  5. He may be at risk of getting hurt himself.
  6. How can you help others without being putting yourself at risk?
Get nearby help, ask for help from others, call Kids Helpline for support.

6.3: Student role play

Working in pairs, you will to role-play how they could intervene and be an upstander in the scenario from the video.
What could you do to try and prevent a fight or safely intervene if you witnessed a fight without getting physical or becoming a target yourself?
Realistically role-play how you could do this in your pairs.
  • Keep your distance – your safety is the most important thing.
  • Communicate calmly. This can often make others calm down. Avoid raising your voice/ yelling as this can escalate the situation.
  • Keep it simple and directive. You might say something like “You need to stop. This isn’t okay.”
  • Report to an adult or authorities
Reflection questions
  1. How would you challenge your friend, who is filming the fight to post it online?
  2. What would you say to remind them of their personal responsibility to take action/stand up for others?
Role play how you could do this in your pairs.
  • Use “I feel” statements. “I feel it’s wrong to film this fight.”
  • Encourage the friend to be personally responsible. “It’s important that we take action to help.”
  • Create a plan. “How can we help".
  • Agree to remove the content if it has been posted online.
In your pairs role play the different scenarios given to you from the teacher.