DUBBO parents are being encouraged to brush up on technology and have an "open relationship" with their teenage daughters in a bid to combat cyberbullying.
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Interrelate area manager in the Central and Far West, Anne Heath, understands "it occurs just as much in Dubbo and Orange as it does anywhere else".
She has thrown open the doors of Interrelate Dubbo to families needing to address online bullying, while offering worried parents a few cybersafety tips.
Early this month not-for-profit Interrelate launched Youth Symposium-Festival of Films Competition for NSW High Schools, inviting students to create a short film on the theme of Cyberbullying-the effect and how we solve it.
The same day Plan International Australia and Our Watch released a report on a nationwide survey revealing seven out of 10 Australian girls aged 15 to 19 believe online harassment and bullying is endemic, and receiving unwanted and uninvited sexually-explicit content online is common behaviour.
The survey, conducted by Ipsos, involved the interviewing of 600 girls from all state and territories.
It determined that 82 per cent of survey participants found it unacceptable for boyfriends to ask for explicit content while 51 per cent believed there was "pressure to take sexual photos and share them online".
"Despite being unwanted, almost 60 per cent of recipients believe girls receive unwanted sexual photos, messages and videos, this form of abuse is reaching girls inside their homes and bedrooms," said Plan International Australia deputy chief executive officer Susanne Legena.
After visiting Dubbo this week, Ms Heath told parents to "come and speak to one of our counsellors".
She also encouraged them to "know what young people are doing and know how they are using technology".
"Have the sort of relationship that would allow them to discuss their concerns with you," Ms Heath said.
"Give them confidence to come and discuss it with you, knowing how you're going to respond."
Ms Heath said some parents would better "manage privacy and so on" if they were more technologically proficient.
"Learn a little bit more about technology and feel confident to say to children that there are limits on their use," she said.
Interrelate, providing relationship services since 1926, reports that Australia is ranked number one in the world for bullying on social networks.
Interrelate Dubbo can be contacted by calling 6815 9650.
