EC Safer Internet plus EC policy context  Promoting internet for all  Free movement of services  i a “European Information Society” for growth and employment  Protection of minors and human dignity Safer Internet plus  Promoting safe use of internet and online technologies  Fight against illegal and harmful content, and content unwanted by the end user  Network of hotlines (inhope) and awareness nodes (insafe), plus other actions 

EU Kids Online  A thematic network examining European research on cultural, contextual and risk issues in children's safe use of the internet and new media  Funded by the EC Safer Internet plus Programme (2006-9)  The network will identify and compare research carried out in 18 member states  Austria  Belgium  Bulgaria  Czech Republic  Denmark  Estonia  France  Germany  Greece  Iceland  Norway  Poland  Portugal  Slovenia  Spain  Sweden  The Netherlands  The United Kingdom

Objectives  To identify and evaluate available data on children’s and families’ use of the internet and new online technologies, noting gaps in the evidence base (WP1)  To understand the research in context and inform the research agenda (WP2)  To compare findings across diverse European countries, so as to identify risks and safety concerns, their distribution, significance and consequences (WP3)  To understand these risks in the context of the changing media environment, cultural contexts of childhood and family, and regulatory/policy contexts (WP2&3)  To enhance the understanding of methodological issues and challenges involved in studying children, online technologies, and cross-national comparisons (WP4)  To develop evidence-based policy recommendations for awareness-raising, media literacy and other actions to promote safer use of the internet/online technologies (WP5)  To network researchers across Europe to share and compare data, findings, theory, disciplines, methodological approaches, etc. (WP1-7)

Opportunities & Risks  Access to global information  Educational resources  Social networking for old/ new friends  Entertainment, games and fun  User-generated content production  Civic or political participation  Privacy for expression of identity  Community involvement/activism  Technological expertise and literacy  Career advancement or employment  Personal/health/sexual advice  Specialist groups and fan forums  Share experiences with distant others  Illegal content  Paedophiles, grooming, strangers  Extreme or sexual violence  Other harmful/offensive content  Racist/hate material/activities  Advertising/commercial persuasion  Biased or mis-information  Exploitation of personal information  Cyber-bullying, stalking, harassment  Gambling, financial scams  Self-harm (suicide, anorexia, etc)  Invasions/abuse of privacy  Illegal activities (hacking, terrorism)

What do we need to know? What’s the latest research on…  The incidence of online bullying, harassment, etc, and for which groups?  Risks of access to fast-changing technologies (e.g. user-generated content)  Use patterns, risks, and parental responses among very young children  Why do we know so little about parents’ responses in some countries? Interpretative challenges:  What are the trends over time?  What are the trends comparing online and offline?  Why is the risk in country A more than in country B?  Which works best – filtering or rating, awareness raising or restriction, etc? Methodological challenges:  What’s the best way of measuring access to and use of online technologies?  What’s the best way of asking children about sensitive issues (porn, racism, etc)?

Evidence of online risks...  Empirical (quality) research  Prioritise pan-European, or multinational, evidence  Seek out recent and ongoing research in each country  Contextualise in relation to other forms of evidence  Conduct some reanalysis of existing data, where feasible  Monitor research findings from outside Europe Children Youth Family Parents Home Risks Safety Access/use Regulation Online Internet Mobile Electronic …

Why compare countries? Nation as object of study - idiographic, understand particular countries for their own sake, through contrast with others (e.g. Mediappro) Nation as context of study - test hypothesised generality of findings across nations to support claims of abstract/universal phenomenon (e.g. SAFT) Nation as unit of analysis - seek systematic relations among a priori dimensions on which nations vary, each nation serving as one unit or data source (e.g. Children and their Changing Media Environment) Nation as component of international/transnational system - compare nations shown to be systematically interrelated as a result of some underlying process (e.g. Eurobarometer?) (Kohn, 1989)

Working practices  An EC ‘thematic network’, June 2006 – June 2009  18 national teams, approx. 40 researchers (academic, NGO)  Selected for diversity of country (large/small, North/South, old/new Europe, etc)  Selected for diversity of academic discipline or research specialism  Meetings every 6 months, with occasional small group meetings in between  Work divided into 7 work packages, each with WP leader and phased timetable  Overall network management coordinated by LSE team  Frequent reporting to/liaison with Safer Internet Plus programme project officer  Each national team in contact with national policy makers  Network in contact with European awareness-raising and policy activities  International Advisory Board, for the view from outside Europe  Regular dissemination to academy, policy and public

Planned outputs  Online data repository – ongoing: 200+ empirical projects included  Report on Data Availability (Summer 2007)  Report on Cross-National Comparisons (Summer 2008)  Best Practice Research Guide (Summer 2008)  Report on Cross-Cultural Contexts of Research (Winter 2008)  Final Report and Policy Recommendations (Summer 2009)  Conference (Summer 2009)  Plus a range of interim reports, electronic alerts, etc Note – an open invitation to everyone to inform us of any ongoing research...

Where are we up to? – year 1 T1 - T6  D1.2 Online Data Repository (200+ empirical projects)  D6.2 Website  D7.1 Workplan  D7.2 Network Members’ Agreement T7 - T12  D1.1 Report on Data Availability  D3.1 Preliminary Report on 3 Country Comparison  D4.1 Preliminary Report: Methodological Issues Review Plus  6/12 monthly reports, 6 monthly electronic alerts to contacts  Ad hoc conferences, events, participate in Safer Internet Day, etc

Next steps – years 2 and 3 T13 - T24  D3.2 Report: Cross-National Comparisons  D4.2 Report: Best Practice Research Guide T25 - T36  D2 Report: Cross-Cultural Contexts of Research (T30)  D5 Report: Summary and Recommendations  D6.3 Conference, D6.4 Book, D7.5 Report: Project Evaluation, D6.5 Final Report Plus  Continue to update data repository, update website  6/12 monthly reports, 6 monthly electronic alerts to contacts  Ad hoc conferences, events, participate in Safer Internet Day, etc

Thank you Sonia Livingstone Leslie Haddon Panayiota Tsatsou Department of Media and Communications London School of Economics and Political Science