John Carr Secretary, Children’s Charities’ Coalition on Internet Safety 6 th Annual Child Protection’ Conference 12 th June 2008

The hidden life of youth online Broadband penetration of schools is now around 100% 48% of all children aged between 8 and 11 use the internet at home. 65% of 12 – 15 do so. (OFOCM, May, 2008) Professor Sonia Livingstone’s figures suggest 75% internet access among 9 – 19 age range (2004). Universal Home Access plan to ensure that 100% of school age children in England have internet access at home There will be several safety and other challenges associated with achieving this objective

Internet access growing rapidly

Among 9-19 yr old users (weekly +):  90% schoolwork  94% information  71%  70% games  55% instant message  46% download music  40% (12+) look for products  34% made a website  26% (12+) read the news  25% (12+) personal advice  21% visit chat rooms  21% (12+) plagiarise Opportunities to explore, create, network, subvert... I use it for like homework, ing my cousin in Australia and keeping in touch with my friend in Cornwall. (Linda, 13, Derbyshire) You don’t buy CDs anymore, you just get them off the internet or off one of your mates who copies CDs. (Nina, 17, Manchester) It’s just like life, you can do anything really. (Lorie, 17, Essex) “ The best thing about the internet is downloading music, things like that, and MSN. (Ryan, 14, Essex)

What are they skilled at?

There’s also a downside Porn? There’s more, much more on the internet. (Prince, 16, London) Yeah, these boys just go onto the internet, they download it, they put it on as screensaver… It’s just disgusting. (Tanya, 15, London) It’s like you don’t know who’s doing what, who’s website it is, who wants what, who wants you to learn what. (Faruq, 15, from London) There’s obviously the scare of paedophiles and people like that on chat rooms (Alan, 13, Essex).

Do parents make a difference?

Technical solutions: some confusion

Social solutions: divergent views

Conclusions  Important to balance risks and opportunities  Different picture for different groups of children and parents  Take care in relying on parental regulation, because:  Though parents regulate, it doesn’t seem to reduce risks  Children often more expert than parents online  Parents and teenagers don’t always communicate well  Exact nature of risks (or opportunities) difficult for families to identify/agree  Children relish being playful, experimental, naughty, deceitful online  Children seek to evade parental regulation and protect their privacy online  Parents often confused about online filtering/safety mechanisms  Parents claim more responsible practice than really occurs  Social and parental support are stratified – those with fewest resources may also be most at risk  Need continual research on children and parents, updated for new risks

The hidden life of youth online NCH Survey (July, 2006): 1% of parents thought their children were then regularly “blogging” In fact it was around one-third of all 11 – 16 year olds 11% of 11 year olds said their parents know nothing about who they communicate with 69% of parents admitted they knew less than children about mobile phones 79% of children said they used IM. Only one third of parents knew what IM was.

The hidden life of youth online The public policy challenges is therefore very clear: Parental empowerment initiatives must run alongside and be properly interfaced with education initiatives aimed at children and young people Parental empowerment is unlikely to be effective unless we can show, in a very positive way, that there is something in this “internet thing and new technology thing” for them as individuals. Technical solutions also have a vital and distinct part to play, but they should be in addition to, not instead of, education focused measures. “Give a man a fish and you have fed him for today. Teach a man how to fish and you have fed him for a lifetime” We face analogous challenges in the internet space. ---ooo---