Safeguarding children in a digital world Embedding an e-safety culture

This presentation covers:

•e-Safety – what is it?•Risky behaviours – what are they?•The LSCB e-safety approach•Progress so far•Best practice and ongoing challenges!

What is e-Safety?

•Part of ECM – Staying Safe•Positive behaviours when using new technologies•Day in the life of a child or young person as they access the internet•Recognising the benefits• Identifying the risks

What is e-Safety?

•Managing the risks•Equipping children & young people with the knowledge and empowerment to keep themselves safe•Equipping all those involved with a duty of care with the knowledge and empowerment to keep themselves AND children & young people safe

Norton Online Family Report (Jun 10)

17% children have internet access via their mobile phone

23% children access internet outside of the home

On average 62% children worldwide have had a negative online experience

71% would report something suspicious or inappropriate

Statistics . . . .

“Children and young people need to be empowered to keep themselves safe – this isn’t just about a top-down approach. Children will be children – pushing boundaries and taking risks. At a public swimming pool we have gates, put up signs, have lifeguards and shallow ends, but we also teach children how to swim.”

Dr Tanya Byron

Safer children in a digital world:

The report of the Byron Review

The national backdrop.........

• Formation of LSCBs in 2006•Byron review commissioned by PM in 2007•UKCCIS formed in 2008

–Summit Dec 2009 – bringing partners together–Strategy & internet safety code Feb 2010

•Ofsted framework and inspections•Pressure for more national direction and focus – Common Core, Working Together consultations

Behaviours and the risk factors

•Not realising how vital it is to keep personal information private – privacy settings and passwords•Not understanding that a friend online may not be who they say they are•Not appreciating the consequences of their behaviours – leaving a digital footprint

What risks should we be guarding against?

Content (child as recipient)

Commercial

• Adverts• Spam• Sponsorship• Personal info

Aggressive

• Violent / hateful content

Sexual

• Pornographic or unwelcome sexual content

Values

• Bias• Racist• Misleading info or advice

Table developed by the EUKids Online project as and referenced in paragraph 1.3 of the Byron Review.

What risks should we be guarding against?

Contact (child as participant)

Commercial

• Tracking• Harvesting personal info

Aggressive

• Being bullied, harassed or stalked

Sexual

• Meeting strangers• Being groomed

Values

• Self harm• Unwelcome persuasions

Table developed by the EUKids Online project as and referenced in paragraph 1.3 of the Byron Review.

What risks should we be guarding against?

Conduct (child as actor)

Commercial

• Illegal downloading• Hacking• Gambling• Financial scams• Terrorism

Aggressive

• Bullying or harassing another

Sexual

• Creating and uploading inappropriate material

Values

• Providing misleading info or advice

Table developed by the EUKids Online project as and referenced in paragraph 1.3 of the Byron Review.

Behaviours and the risk factors

•Not being respectful online – cyberbullying •Sexualisation – a groomer’s paradise?•Normalising extreme behaviours – eating disorders, violence, terrorism, extremism•Professionals and practitioners having children in their care as friends on social networking sites

A model for managing e-safety risks

•Policies, processes, practices• Infrastructure and technology•Education and training•Standards and inspection

•Appoint an e-safety lead & sub-group•Create an e-safety strategy•Conduct an audit•Establish an action plan•Make it happen!!•Report progress and celebrate!

Becta and the LSCB e-Safety Leads

• ‘Toolkit’ (Safeguarding Children in a Digital World) created by LSCBs in 2007 and launched February 2008• LSCBs challenged early in 2008 by ADCS, Becta and CEOP to create a network of e-Safety Leads•National and regional events during 2008 to inform Leads and their e-safety sub-groups•Ongoing 1:1 support in 2009 and 2010, regional and peer support in some regions

What progress have the LSCB e-Safety Leads made?

•Response to ADCS e-safety survey:2007-08 29%

2008-09 61%

2009-10 75%

• 80% of LSCBs/Local Authorities attended Becta Safeguarding Conference in Feb 2010• 75% of LSCBs have an e-safety strategy & plan

What does LSCB e-safety best practice look like?

•Board champion as e-safety lead•Board endorsement and support of e-safety agenda•Strategic sub-group made up of key cross-agency partners owning strategy and action plan•Approval by Board and inclusion in overall LSCB business plan (key indicator for Becta targets and on target at 75% for 2009/10)

What does LSCB e-safety best practice look like?•Sub-group works at operational level to develop details of action plan and to make it happen!•Prioritisation – small (keen) subsets if required!•Youth involvement – SO IMPORTANT!•Short term milestones, visible outputs•Knowledge of local e-safety issues•Effective partnership between lead and education/ICT e-safety representative

What are the key challenges?

• Lots of ‘operational’ activity in some LSCBs, but a lack of strategy, and consequentially a lack of Board support and sustainability• Lack of resources (people, time, money) for LSCBs generally•Where to start, so much to do! How about having an action plan, a method of prioritisation, and a way of reporting progress?

What are the key challenges?

•Maintaining an effective sub-group – how to move from a ‘talking shop’ to all members taking positive actions away from meetings - and doing them!•Great progress within schools but not much else happening across other agencies?•Hard to benchmark, set targets & measure performance•Remembering to celebrate progress!

What help can LSCB e-Safety Leads give to each other – and Becta?•Actively join in forums•Use resources and give feedback•Create resources and share them•Help each other, locally and regionally•When something works, share it!•Keep e-safety on the LSCB agenda•Keep me in the loop and ask for help if needed!

Contact…Sue Pickering, e-Safety Consultant

Mobile: 07988 904602 Email: sue.pickering@becta.org.uk

Visit the new Becta website safeguarding pages

http://www.becta.org.uk/safeguarding

Join Safetynet

http://lists.becta.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/safetynet

Check out the new e-safety flyer/poster for schools:

http://publications.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=42194

Download the e-safety poster for community settings:

http://publications.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=41876