Safe Internet Alliance

By Joy Howell

Online safety for kids is so important, because what they put online now could undermine their privacy, safety and security now and later, and follow them throughout their lives. We need to educate kids now so they don’t compromise their security unwittingly.

Ofcom, which regulates TV and radio sectors, fixed line telecoms, and wireless airwaves, released a survey of students between the ages 11 and 16 that found that "fifty four per cent needed some sort help or advice on keeping personal data that they store online safe and private."

Almost a quarter of children in that age group state that they have never been spoken to about online safety issues.

This means that many youngsters are now worried about web content, passwords, PIN numbers and even cyberbullying.

Linda Criddle, our president, believes that it's a myth that children simply don't care about online safety.

"I don’t buy it," she wrote recently. "In my experience, youth in general care a great deal about their privacy –they not only want to filter what their parents read, they want to protect themselves from bullies, scammers, stalkers, and creeps. Nor do they want to put friends and family at risk any more than adults do. They are also concerned about what employers and colleges may see, and how information may affect their future."

Interestingly, the Ofcom survey found that 16% of children who have game consoles use them to go online, and about two thirds of parents activate the controls to regulate their access. It also found that more and more teens are accessing the web through their mobile phones.

Given this, it may no longer be good enough to educate your child just on a standard computer. As the number of devices expand that allow access to the internet, the more venues that predators and criminals will have to attack.