Recently the Queensland Education Department issued a new clause in their code regarding contact between teachers and students. Teachers and others working in schools are required to refrain from contact with students or school age children or youth on social networks. That raises questions for people whose work involves interaction with people in this age group.

Three principles I choose to follow in relation to online contact with anyone with whom I have a pastoral responsibility – in relation to Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, Bebo, Flickr, instant messaging…

1. Power Dynamic. If I have a role as youth worker or minister or chaplain my contact with people of any age using private information needs to take into account the imbalance of power. For this reason I do not pursue young people to sign up as contacts in social networks. It’s not fair for young people who may feel uncomfortable about saying yes but don’t have the confidence to say no. If I’m invited to be an online contact by young people I consider each case on its own merits, including what will be revealed in the ongoing interaction. My social circle is broad, way beyond the church and is unfiltered. The conversations I engage in online may not be appropriate for young people to be a part of. It’s a bit different with mobile phone numbers, email addresses and instant messaging details as there’s more control over the nature of conversation.

2. Transparency. Just like I leave my door or window open when I’m talking with people in person, one on one, I need ways to keep my online interactions with people transparent. If I was coordinating a team of people I’d be expecting a level of mutual accountability re online contact with young people. Parents have a right to know the level of contact we have with their children. Privacy legislation requires us to be clear about what contact information is being collected and who will be using it and how. If

3. Workplace Safety. Youth leaders and young people alike can be stalked, badgered or included in inappropriate online or mobile phone conversations. We need policies that help us respond quickly when we see signs that relationships are crossing boundaries of acceptable behaviour. Likewise we need to distinguish between public and private conversations. People have started conversations with me on my Facebook wall that can be read by any of the 700+ people on my contact list. If the conversation includes personal details I quickly delete the conversation and move it to a one to one private conversation.

Here’s the actual code of conduct from Education Queensland regarding contact with students:
http://education.qld.gov.au/corporate/codeofconduct/respect_for_persons.html

Note that the code of conduct also covers use of mobile phone, MySpace and YouTube.

1. You must discourage and reject any advances of a sexual nature initiated by a student with whom you have a professional relationship, or where a prohibition on sexual conduct applies.
2. Your interactions with students must be and be seen to be professional at all times; that is, you must not engage in behaviour that raises a reasonable suspicion that you have engaged in, or will engage in, sexual misconduct; or that the standards applying to the professional employee student relationship have or will be breached.
3. You must not communicate with students using a personal mobile phone, either verbally or by text message unless prior approval has been given by your Principal or supervisor. You must discourage students from such communication with staff. Use of a departmental mobile phone must be for official purposes only.
4. You must ensure that you do not communicate with students from a private or personal email address. School or institute policies which allow for communication with students via departmental email should be for official purposes only.
5. You must not use personal cameras or mobile phones to photograph students unless prior approval has been given by your Principal or supervisor. The use of a personal or school mobile phone or camera to photograph students must be for official purposes only. Parental or custodial approval must be given for the publication of photographs of students.
6. You must not use internet social networks such as Face Book, My Space or YouTube to contact or access present students enrolled in any school or institute.
7. If you use internet social networks in your personal time you must ensure that the content is appropriate and private, and that you restrict access to specific people who are not students.