Rotorua students are avoiding cyber-bullying by using a children-only social networking website and learning how to be cyber-safe.
Lynmore School students are among 250,000 pupils who have signed up to learn more about cyber-safety though the latest social networking site for children only called SuperClubsPLUS.
Lynmore teacher Jenny Harington said the programme,
which has been set up in 23 New Zealand schools, equipped students with all the skills they needed to use the internet safely.
She said the students loved it and used it for everything from socialising to learning.
The school only began running the programme this year, but Mrs Harrington said they had already noticed increased safety awareness.
With children using computers more for learning, she said it was especially important they understood the dangers of the internet, including talking to people they shouldn't be talking to.
Mrs Harrington said the children had really taken to being safe on the internet including learning to keep their passwords secret.
Only children under 13 were able to use the site - not even teachers were able to post messages.
"It really covers all key competencies of what they're already learning," she said.
SuperClubsPLUS creator Martyn Wild said children joined it because it was fun and all their friends were on it.
"It's a place where they can meet and chat safely," he said.
Mr Wild, who is an internationally recognised e-Learning expert and cyber safety advocate, said the site was predominantly for schools.
"Because it is a protected site, schools like to use it," he said.
He said with the range of online issues schools faced these days, including cyber-bullying, they were always looking for sites to help protect children.
"SuperClubsPlus is a unique environment. Not only do we validate children by collecting information from the school, but once they're on there we actively mediate them."
Mr Wild said the company's research showed 95 per cent of children who used the site regularly over three months developed increased online safety awareness.
The company are in talks with Telstra Clear to try to set up free access for New Zealand schools for at least the first 12 months use of the site.
