Gomes C1
1RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
In 2022, the Contact Points Website, with its sharable social media tiles, was launched to assist international students navigate how and where to get help when faced with unforeseen emergencies. Each sharable tile contains a message on what to do when life and property are threatened. Codesigned with emergency and health service providers, as well as with international students, each message lets international students know who to call when they or their peers find themselves in trouble (e.g., ‘call “000” for any emergency, fire, ambulance or police’). Each tile, which is in English and Simplified Chinese, can be shared on the popular social media platforms used by students such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Weibo, WhatsApp, as well as through email. In 2023 we have upgraded the Contact Points Website to include messages on scam awareness. A total of 19 messages have been added to the Contact Points Website advising students about scams, what to do when they or their friends are scammed, how to protect their identities, and how to engage with Australian enforcement authorities. The research team codesigned the messages with international students based on the findings from a 2020 survey conducted by the New South Wales Police Force and from existing resources provided by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). This presentation will focus on the scam awareness messages and show delegates how to share these important messages with international students.
Biography:
Catherine Gomes is a Professor in the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University (Melbourne) specializing in communication with culturally and linguistically diverse communities. She is also internationally recognized for her conceptual work on transient migration and for her research on international student wellbeing.