Stranger on Snapchat contacts children in Flowers Cove

A school on the Northern Peninsula has issued a warning to parents after some elementary students in Flowers Cove received inappropriate messages on a social media app.

The children in Grades 5 and 6 at Canon Richards Memorial Academy were contacted on Snapchat by someone they did not know, and that person was using foul language.

The Newfoundland and Labrador English School District says steps were quickly taken to block the person sending the messages, and the incident has been reported to the RCMP.

"As soon as it came to the attention of the student, as soon as he realized what was in his Snapchat, he immediately brought it to the attention of the teacher,"  said Eugene May, acting assistant director of education for programs in the western region.

May told the Corner Brook Morning Show that it appears some children had set up a Snapchat group and accidentally added a person who was not known to any of the students.

"Someone outside the school had inadvertently been accepted into the group because of a similar name. No one had intentionally invited them into the group. And this person was sending inappropriate foul requests and foul language."

May said, when one of the children realized the message had foul language, he brought it to the attention of a teacher.

'Do we want children using Snapchat in school? No. Does it happen? From time to time, yes.'- Eugene May, English school district

"The teacher checked with some other students and discovered that some other students were receiving some rather inappropriate messages as part of the same Snapchat group."

May said the messages were not of a threatening nature and did not show any intent to lure kids to meet in person, but it was still very concerning.

"Just very inappropriate, foul language. And things that are not appropriate for Grade 6 or any other student or any other person. I wouldn't want to receive them as an adult."

He said the incident became an opportunity to talk more with children about some of the risks and safeguards related to social media.

"For that group of students, the teacher was able to use it as a very teachable moment, about what happens when you do open the door, whether knowingly or unknowingly to someone, of the kind of things that you can open yourself to."

Equipping kids to make good choices

May said, for the past few years, the school district has provided training in "digital citizenship" to children from Grade 1 to Level 3.

"We can't control the age that students have access to media, but one thing we can control is making sure that they do have sound information and the confidence of how to deal with problems when they do arise."

• Why social media can be a minefield for teachers
• Safety in schools: Will social media monitoring help keep kids safe?

May said this incident is proof that children do make correct decisions when given good advice ahead of time.

"Do we want children using Snapchat in school? No. Does it happen? From time to time, yes. But in this case here, I couldn't think of a better place for it to have happened," said May.

"The student relied on the teacher, whom he trusted, and had the teacher help him and his group to take measures to make sure none of them were at risk."

Canon Richards Memorial Academy put out a warning on its Facebook page on Friday afternoon, shortly after the messages came to light.

Eugene May said he recommends parents be aware of what apps their children are using and with whom they're connecting.

"For teachers, the best that we can do is to make sure that students understand the risks, that students understand what it means with regards to their own privacy and protecting their own privacy in the digital world. And, if there are things happening that they're not comfortable with, that they need to seek out an adult."