ePolitix.com speaks to Donald Findlater, director of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, about safer internet day 2010.
What is the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and what are its primary goals?
The Lucy Faithfull Foundation is a leading child protection charity working to reduce the risk of children being sexually abused. We believe that child sexual abuse is preventable, not inevitable, and provide a unique set of services which enhance community protection against child sexual abuse.
We work with child and public protection professionals, perpetrators of child sexual abuse, and victims and families. We manage the child sexual abuse prevention campaign 'Stop it Now! UK & Ireland'.
The campaign, supported by an alliance of voluntary sector partners, government departments and statutory agencies, operates a freephone, confidential helpline which provides accurate information to adults to help them play their part in keeping children safe, including information on sexual dangers presented by current and emerging technologies.
Why is it so important for children to practice safe and responsible use of online technology?
The internet provides children and young people with fantastic opportunities to learn, to communicate and to have fun. But there are also dangers on the world wide web that we all need to be aware of.
Everyday we see, read or hear about stories where a child has been harmed through their use of the internet. Whether it’s sexual grooming, cyberbullying or exposure to inappropriate content, the dangers are real and the consequences can be devastating.
It is important to recognise that there are things we can do to reduce the risks. Whether technically able or not, there is so much that parents can do to keep their children safe, just as there are so many ways that teachers and parents can help children to recognise the dangers and navigate the internet safely.
I would add that it is equally important that children learn to act responsibly with their mobiles and when online – so that they do not cause harm to others.
What are your internet safety seminars and what advice would you offer to help parents keep their children safe online?
We conduct internet safety seminars with parents, teachers and pupils. So often parents are oblivious to many of the risks, feel out of their depth, or assume the answer lies in a piece of blocking and filtering software.
We want parents to know how to use the technical tools available, but not to over-rely on them as they can never offer the full protection needed.
Perhaps the most important advice we give is for parents to talk to their children about online dangers and how to safeguard against them. Our seminars cover areas such as how to help your child understand the importance of not giving out personal information; how to respond to worrying or abusive contact; the difference between real world friends and 'online friends' or 'e-buddies'; about not meeting up with people you've only met online without an adult present; and about talking to a trusted adult if anything or anyone causes you concern.
We focus on practical advice and suggest preventative measures that parents and carers can instigate immediately. Following our presentations, over 95 per cent of parents say they are more confident about keeping their children safe online.
We also use the SMART rules to help parents and carers talk to their children about online safety:
S – Safe: Keep safe by being careful not to give out personal information to people who you don’t know or trust online – such as your name, email, phone number, home address, or school name.
M – Meeting: Meeting someone you have only been in touch with online can be dangerous. Only do so with your parents’/carers’ permissions and when they can be present.
A – Accepting: Accepting emails, IM messages or opening files from people you don’t know or trust can be dangerous – they may contain viruses or nasty messages.
R – Reliable: Someone online may be lying about who they are and information you find on the internet may not be reliable.
T – Tell: Tell your parent, carer or a trusted adult if someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried.
What is the Stop it Now! Helpline and how does it work to prevent sexual offences online?
Child sexual abuse is a serious problem affecting at least one in ten of our children and young people. But such abuse is preventable – adults who care for children, and even those who harm them, can act now to stop sexual abuse.
Abuse thrives in an atmosphere of secrecy and taboo. Stop it Now! UK & Ireland is a major national and local campaign that aims to stop child sexual abuse by giving adults the information they need to protect children effectively and by encouraging abusers and potential abusers to seek help.
The Stop it Now! freephone, confidential helpline – 0808 1000 900 – provides accurate information to adults to help them play their part in keeping children safe, including information on sexual dangers presented by current and emerging technologies such as the internet. For example, if an adult is worried about something that has happened to their child online, they can call the helpline for advice and information that will help them better respond to the situation but also to prevent it happening again.
Would you like to see more government resources directed towards making children and young people safer when online?
The UK Council for Child Internet Safety is making good progress in helping schools, parents and others to keep children safe online, but there is so much left to do and support, including resources, and this work needs to continue. Of course the technology is ever-changing and developing, so the risks change too. It is imperative that the momentum to prevent harm is maintained.
How can MPs get involved in safer internet day 2010 and the work of Lucy Faithfull and Stop it Now!
MPs can lend support to our efforts to keep children safe online by helping to promote internet safety. As prominent community leaders they can help children, parents and schools take the risks seriously. If they have not already done so, we would also encourage MPs to attend an internet safety seminar, so they can see and hear first hand what measures are required to help keep children safe.
We would be delighted to see MPs at one of our seminars being conducted in Kingston and Ewell on February 9. We will be delivering 60 seminars to parents and carers, on top of those we offer to children, over the next year and would welcome any MP who wants to attend a presentation.
