Safeguarding children online

Ruth Hammond, Safeguarding Project Manager, Becta

BETT 08Saturday, 12 January 2008

What are the key issues?• Parental query: staff using own ICT devices to capture pictures or contact pupils

(legitimately!)

• Staff personal online profiles revealing personal details to all – including pupils and their parents!

• Staff subject to ‘cyber-bullying’ attacks by pupils

• ‘Their partner downloaded porn on the school’s laptop’ - primary headteacher

• ‘The monitoring software recorded tens of thousands of violations in a two week period’ - secondary headteacher

• ‘There’s a website created by my pupils listing children no one likes and their parents are telling me to do something about it’ - primary headteacher

• ‘The children use their mobile phones to send porn via bluetooth’ - primary headteacher

WEB v 1

Change in technology and usageChildnet International

WEB v 2

Downloading + Uploading

Consuming + Creating

“Corporate” + Personal

Separate media + Converged media

Static + Truly interactive

What is the policy context?

•Every Child Matters: Change for children–Be healthy–Stay safe–Enjoy and achieve–Make a positive contribution–Achieve economic well-being

•The Children Act 2004•Safeguarding Children in Education – Sept 2004 •Working Together to Safeguard Children (11.58-11.62)•Ofsted Self Evaluation Framework

4b To what extent do learners feel safe and adopt safe practices?The extent to which learners adopt safe and responsible practices technologies, including the internet.

What are the risks?

•Content - uploaded and downloaded!

•Commerce - scams, identity theft, commercialism

•Contact - grooming: sexual and race hatred

•Culture - cyberbullying and social networking

e-safety is a child safety – not an ICT – issue!

What can be done?

What should you do?

•Raise awareness within schools and support them in ensuring appropriate measures are in place.

•Appoint an e-safety officer with responsibility for co-ordinating any activity across the authority.

• Liaise with counterparts in other children's services and with your Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCB) to ensure that e-safety becomes part of the authority's overall safeguarding strategy.

•Ensure that you are using a Becta accredited Internet Service Provider (ISP) to ensure that connectivity into schools is as safe as possible.

•Provide and promote centralised reporting procedures so that any incidents can be dealt with as quickly as possible.

•Provide advice on developing Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs) for your schools and centralised e-safety awareness training.

• Track and monitor network activity and incidents to help predict potential issues before they arise.

Key resources by audienceSMTe-Safety: Developing whole-school policies to support effective practiceClassroom teachersSignposts to Safety Support staffTDA Primary induction – ICT – For teaching assistant trainersGovernorsICT: essential guides for school governors No. 06 - Safety and security with ICTLocal authority and Local Safeguarding Children Boards personnelSafeguarding children in a digital world; Developing a strategic approach to e-safetySafeguarding Children Online:  a guide for Local authorities and Local Safeguarding Children Boards ParentsKnow ITAll for Parents – Childnet InternationalChildren and young peopleThinkUKnow – Child Exploitationand Online Protection Centre

Support for local authorities / Local Safeguarding Children Boards – (new materials being developed!)

Main recommendations:

A responsible officer

AUPs for all children’s services

Clear incident procedures and reporting lines

Accredited ISP

Training cascaded to services

Regular evaluation, assessment and monitoring of provision across the Local Safeguarding Children Boards

Safetynet

Date for your diary

Safeguarding children in a digital world

National Motorcycle Museum

Wednesday, 13 February 2008http://events.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=34104&page=1619

Launch of new national guidance!

Ruth Hammond

BectaMillburn Hill RoadScience ParkCoventryCV4 7JJ

 •Tel:  024 7641 6994•Fax: 024 7641 1418•www.becta.org.uk • ruth.hammond@becta.org.uk

Stay safe:

•From maltreatment, neglect, violence and sexual exploitation.

•From accidental injury and death.•From bullying and discrimination.•From crime and anti-social behaviour in and out of school.•Have security, stability and are cared for.

These aims were written with the ‘real’ world in mind, however many equally apply to the ‘virtual’ world of 21st century.