By Years 9–10, students’ online presence is more visible and tied to identity, belonging and reputation. Even when they understand basic online safety, many describe moments where they’ve shared, tagged or forwarded something without thinking it through — then realised it crossed a boundary or caused harm.
Because online content can spread quickly and be hard to remove, one post can affect trust, relationships and wellbeing. New Zealand schools need practical, student-relevant ways to build consent and boundary-setting online, beyond just setting rules.
This session supports ākonga to treat consent as an ongoing process, understand how online factors change what’s appropriate to share, and reflect on the “story” their digital footprint tells. Students explore realistic grey-area scenarios, practise respectful language for setting boundaries, and develop strategies to protect their online reputation while contributing positively to others’ experiences. Part of the Netsafe Cyberbullying Prevention Toolkit.
This session
Theme: Build students’ confidence in managing their online presence by exploring consent, reputation, and digital footprint. The focus is on understanding how online choices affect self-image and others, and on practical ways to take ownership of digital spaces.
Learning outcomes: In this session, students will learn to:
- Recognise how sharing or tagging without consent can affect someone’s reputation or wellbeing
- Explain how online choices shape identity and digital footprint
- Identify what makes sharing appropriate or risky in different contexts
- Practise using respectful consent language and boundary-setting online
- Develop personal strategies to protect and strengthen online reputation
Activities:
- Class activity, 5 mins: Digital dilemmas
- Small group activity, 15 mins: The ripple effect — PDF: Scenario cards, PDF: The ripple effect
- Individual activity, 15 mins: My online story — PDF: Reflection handout
- Exit ticket, 5 mins.
- Extensions:
- Digital footprint audit
- Perspective flip
- Influence map
- Whānau connection
- Shift the vibe, change the game (online student micro-learning moment)
Key messages:
- Consent applies online just as it does offline - always ask, check, and respect before posting, tagging, or forwarding.
- Sharing without consent can cause real harm, including bullying, exclusion, or damage to reputation.
- Every post, comment, and tag contributes to your digital footprint and shapes how others see you.
- You have the right to control your own digital presence - and a responsibility to respect others’ boundaries.
- Positive online participation builds trust, wellbeing, and a reputation you can be proud of.
Classroom resources:
- PDF worksheet: The Ripple Effect
- PDF worksheet: Reflection handout (My Online Story)
- PDF Scenario cards (Own Your Space)
- Shift the vibe, change the game MLM (see Related Resources link at bottom of this page)
Teacher support:
- Facilitator guide – with context, research, and learning progression.
- Activity plan – with step by step instructions.
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Related Tools and Resources
Students explore the power of influence and how our choices shape our online spaces in this pick-your-path interactive story.
Years 9-10 explore the Harmful Communications Act and how it applies to online behaviours, how to save evidence and who can help. A Cyberbullying Prevention Toolkit session.
- Year 5-6
- Year 7-8
- Year 9-11
- Year 12-13
- Cyberbullying
- 20-40 per session
The Student Spark Kits help teachers support ākonga to lead practical actions that make their school communities kinder and safer - both online and offline. Part of the Cyberbullying Prevention Toolkit.