Safer Internet Day
Together for a better internet
Safer Internet Day is the annual international event organised by the joint Insafe/INHOPE network, with the support of the European Commission*. It calls for nations across the globe to unite, with the aim of making the internet a better place for all and to promote the safe and positive use of digital technology, especially among children and young people. Each year is celebrated with a different theme and this year the focus is, ‘Together for a better internet’.
Safer Internet Day aims to create both a safer and better internet, where everyone is empowered to use technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively. The campaign aims to reach out to children and young people, parents and carers, teachers, educators and social workers, as well as industry, decision makers and politicians, to encourage everyone to play their part in creating a better internet.
According Ofcom's annual study of their media use report, children in the UK aged 5-15 years now spend around 20 minutes more online, in a typical day, than they do in front of a TV set, that's just over two hours online, and a little under two hours watching TV. Furthermore, a recent national bullying survey conducted by BullyingUK, identified that 56% of young people have seen others being bullied online, with 42% saying they had themselves felt unsafe online.
Children and young people are some of the most vulnerable and at risk of exploitation online. We feel passionately that children and young people should be able to enjoy the internet and harness it’s benefits including: creativity, entertainment and learning, without the risk of harm. Therefore, we are initiating excellent training, carried out by our very own CEOP qualified staff member who also provides help and support to foster carers and social workers with whatever online questions they have. We also have a fantastic online portal available only to our foster carers, with videos and documents featuring everything related to online safety.
However, it is also important that children and young people know how to use the internet appropriately themselves. In aid of Safer Internet Day, we have collated a list of top tips for children to keep safe online and a fun online quiz.
During the Summer of 2019 an article was released from an interview with a young carer whose situation had become so desperate that she felt like there was no option but to ‘put herself into foster care’. At age 15, Laura Kinsley, spent nine months in foster care after not receiving adequate support. Read more here.
What can you do?
Safer internet Day encourages everyone to come together and play their part. There are many ways to do this
- Children and young people can help to create a better internet by being kind and respectful to others online, by protecting their online reputations (and those of others), and by seeking out positive opportunities to create, engage and share online.
- Parents and carers play a crucial role in empowering and supporting children to use technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively, whether it is by ensuring an open dialogue with their children, educating them to use technology safely and positively, or by acting as digital role models.
- Teachers, educators and social workers can help to create a better internet by equipping their pupils and students with digital literacy skills by developing their critical thinking skills, which will allow them to better navigate the online world. They can empower them to create their own content, make considered choices online, and can set a personal example of positive online behaviour for their pupils and students.
- Industry can help to create a better internet by creating and promoting positive content and safe services online, and by empowering users to respond to any issues by providing clear safety advice, a range of easy-to-use safety tools, and quick access to support if things to go wrong.
- Decision makers need to provide a culture in which all of the above can function and thrive – for example, by ensuring that there are opportunities in the curriculum for children and young people to learn about online safety, ensuring that parents and carers have access to appropriate information and sources of support, and that industry is encouraged to self-regulate its content and services. They must also take the lead in governance and legislation, and ultimately ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and young people through effective child protection strategies for the digital world.
- Everyone has a responsibility to make a positive difference online. We can all promote the positive by being kind and respectful to others and by seeking out positive opportunities to create and connect. We can all respond to the negative by reporting inappropriate or illegal content and behaviour online.
Interested in Becoming a Foster Carer?
We're pleased that you would like to register your interest in fostering with Futures Group.
- Have a spare bedroom
- Are over 21 years of age (there is no upper age limit)
- Have experience of interacting with children or young people
We're always looking for foster carers from different cultural, religious and racial backgrounds, single people, couples (whether married or living together, with or without children). Together we can make a difference to children's lives.