ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR SCHOOL ROLE PLAYERS IN ADDRESSING CYBER INCIDENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Abstract

Cyber incidents are causing major challenges for school officials who are called upon to respond to these incidents involving learners, globally. Online threats take place off the radar screen of educators and parents, and this makes it difficult to address cyber incidents in schools and more impossible to monitor off school premises. The overwhelming challenges in South African schools are that there are no clear roles and responsibilities for relevant role-players when handling cyber incidents. Therefore, this article is aimed to determine the responsibilities of role players in handling cyber incidents in South African schools. The research used a qualitative approach and purposive sampling to collect data from the learners, to get their experiences and perceptions on reporting cyber incidents. The rationale for selecting learners was based on the view that cyber aggression is a very concerning issue in the school environment. The research went on to document the responsibilities of various role-players, which include the school with its educators, principal and the learners, the Department of Basic Education, the community, and the parents. The article focused on highlighting the roles and responsibilities of role players when handling cyber incidents in South African Schools and the views of learners on adults when handling cyber incidents. The study concludes that if the role players seriously follow their roles and responsibilities, cyber incidents can be reduced in schools. It is also important to note that role players cannot work in isolation; rather, they need a coordinated approach to share the responsibilities, as cyber incidents are not restricted to the classroom or school grounds. This problem requires all role players to work together, in proactive ways to intervene and reduce cyber incidents.