Key Elements for Cybersafety Education of Primary School Learners in South Africa

Part 1: Education and Training International audience School learners are prone to falling victim to a range of cyberattacks. Common cyberthreats associated with school learners include cyberbullying, sexting/‘sextortion’, engaging with strangers, accessing inappropriate content and privacy breaches. As the cybersafety of school learners is often compromised, there is a need to protect them from the threats associated with ICT. However, protecting children from cyberthreats is complicated because access to cyberspace is no longer confined to the home computer, but has extended to mobile phones, which are even more pervasive. Therefore, it is essential for school learners to be educated on how to protect themselves and their information in cyberspace through cybersafety initiatives. This paper proposes Key Elements to be considered when addressing cybersafety education, particularly for primary school learners in South Africa. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by exploring cybersafety education in the context of South Africa, emphasizing the need for targeted cybersafety education. Primarily, the Key Elements proposed in this paper provide a comprehensive, contextual and practical foundation for cybersafety education in schools.