The Internet and Child Safety

Joe Drumgoolehttp:/twitter.com/jdrumgoolehttp://blog.joedrumgoole.com

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The Social Network Generation

• Social Networks– MySpace : 2003– Facebook : 2004– Bebo: 2005– Twitter: 2006

• Social Media– YouTube: 2005– Flickr: 2004

• Smart Phones– iPhone : 2007– Android: 2008

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Generational Fears

• Sexual Predators• Grooming• Cyberbullying• Inappropriate Content• High Risk Behaviour• Privacy• Fear of the unknown

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EU Kids Onlinehttp://www2.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/Home.aspx

http://www2.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20II%20(2009-11)/EUKidsOnlineIIReports/Final%20report.pdf

• 25,000 Children aged 9-11 and their parents surveyed in 2010• Evidence based analysis

The purpose was to provide a rigorous evidence base to support stakeholders in their efforts to maximise online opportunities

while minimising the risk of harm associated with internet use.

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Children Going Online

• Internet use is individualised, privatised and mobile

• Internet presents opportunities & risks• Increasing opportunities increases risk• Risk is not equal to Harm• Risky opportunities allow children to develop

coping strategies• Many children who use Social Networking

sites are underage (<13)

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How Children Go Online

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How Children go Online

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What Children Do Online23% : Chat

rooms, blogging, virtual

worlds56%: Download

music, videos and play with others

online

75%: Use Internet for communication

86%: Watch videos online

100%: Play games do and school work

Risk

Opp

ortu

nity

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Good vs Bad Online

Irish Children have more bad experiences

on line than their peers

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Risky Behaviour

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Which Children Engage in Risky Behaviour?

• Older children, boys, and children higher in self-efficacy and sensation seeking

• Those who use the internet in more places, for longer, and for more activities

• Children who encounter more offline risks • Children with more psychological difficulties• Children who say it is “very true” that “I find it

easier to be myself on the internet”• Children with more digital literacy and safety

skills

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Social Networks

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Sexual Content

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Sexual Content

• Vulnerability Matters• Risk vs Harm: Older children see more content

but report less harm• 40% parents are unaware that their children

have seen pornographic images• Private access increases risk• 15% of 11-16 yr old have received explicit

phone messages• Risks Migrate

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Online Bullying

• More an offline than online problem• People who are bullied offline get bullied online• Bullying and being bullied go together• Less than half tell an adult• Less than half know how to block a bully online

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Meeting New Contacts Online

• “Stranger Danger”• Making new contacts online: Common• Meeting contacts offline: Uncommon• 11% who went to offline meetings found them

upsetting• Tended to be younger and more vulnerable

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New Risks

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Risk vs Harm

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Risk vs Harm

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What do Children do?

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Top Ten Myths

1. Digital Natives Know It All

2. Everyone is creating their own content now

3. Under 13’s can’t use social networks so no worries

4. Everyone is watching porn online

5. Bullies are baddies

6. People you meet on the internet are strangers

7. Offline risks migrate online

8. Putting the PC in the living room will help

9. Teaching digital skills will reduce online risk

10. Children can get around safety software

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Strategies

• Talk to your kids• Engage in the same online activities• Make sure your children know about

privacy/blocking/sharing controls• Prepare them to cope by themselves• Check their activities online• “Friend” them but don’t participate• Don’t “friend” their friends

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Tools

• Anti-virus: Microsoft Security Essentials• Anti-spyware: Spybot• Dedicated Accounts• Parental Controls– NetNanny– Facebook - Social Monitor– Norton Family Safety– OpenDNS Parental Controls

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Conclusions

• Beware False Fears• The Internet is a relatively safe place• Risk increases with knowledge and use• Risk increases with age• Harm decreases with age• Harm is correlated with lower age and

vulnerability

See http://slideshare/jdrumgoole for a copy of the deck

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Q&A