NSW Department of Education

The 4Rs: respect, resilience, responsibility and reasoning

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For parents
For students

Key message

Respect, resilience, responsibility and reasoning are the four critical skills required to create a safer and more positive online environment for everyone.

As stated on the Office of the eSafety Commissioner website, the 4Rs of online safety are:

  • Respect – I treat myself and others the way I like to be treated.
  • Responsibility – I am accountable for my actions and I take a stand when I feel something is wrong.
  • Reasoning – I question information I am told and find evidence before believing what I read.
  • Resilience – I get back up from tough situations and help others get back up too.

These core principles support young people to develop empathy and make 'smart' decisions in the online world.

Watch Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant present on the 4Rs of the digital age at the NSW anti-bullying conference.

These critical skills are supported at Safer Internet Day 2020 (SID) addressing the concept of ‘Together for a better internet’. Go to the Safer Internet Day site for more information and resources.

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