Article

Parents stuck in online generation gap

New adverts show parents how to keep their children safe online

Over a quarter of young people say their parents never talk to them about their time online

Parents and young people from today will see the digital code, ‘Zip it, Block It, Flag It’ brought to life with radio, press and poster advertising, as the new internet safety campaign ‘Click Clever, Click Safe’ is launched.

The campaign launch comes alongside a new survey of young people which shows that many parents still aren’t talking to their children about internet safety; and yet the average 6-14 year old communicates with more than 1,100 people online in a year.

The survey, conducted by Young Poll to coincide with Safer Internet Day, found that:
• Just over a quarter (26.8 per cent) of young people say their parents never talk to them about how they’re spending their time online - which can leave a child more vulnerable to cyber bullying, people accessing their personal information and witnessing potentially harmful or upsetting content
• Out of the 73.2 per cent of young people who did talk to their parents, under half said their parents talked to them about using the internet safely
• From the same group, less than 43 per cent said their parents used controls to stop them accessing inappropriate content online
• Young people spend an average of 8 hours online each week – with the majority of time spent on social networking and gaming sites
• Only 34 per cent of young people have met in ‘real life’ all the people they speak to online.

Encouraging parents to remember the digital code ‘Zip It, Block It, Flag It’, new radio, press and poster advertising will use specially created characters to highlight how risky behaviour online can have consequences for young people. With more young people than ever accessing the internet, and at a younger age, the campaign and code will give parents practical, simple and easy to remember tips so they can help their children keep themselves safe.

Commenting on the campaign launch, Children’s Secretary Ed Balls said:

“The internet is a fantastic tool for young people and can open their eyes to tremendous opportunities. But it’s important that parents and children understand the risks involved with using the internet, as with any area of life.

“I know that many parents aren’t confident or feel they lack the knowledge to talk to their children about the internet. As today’s survey results confirm, many parents are still not talking to their children about how to use the internet safely or using parental controls. In the offline world most parents feel confident to set boundaries and have discussions with their children, in the online world they often struggle to discuss safety on the internet.

“That’s why I’m really pleased to be announcing the roll out of the public awareness campaign, 'Click Clever, Click Safe’ - which will empower parents with the skills to start talking to their children about what they do online and will help to provide information and advice on how they can help their kids protect themselves. The code itself is a simple way to remember everyday tips for safe behaviour online.”

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said:

"This Government takes protecting children seriously which is why the Home Office established the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre.

"CEOP’s work protecting children from predators off and online has seen them track down high risk missing child sex offenders, safeguard over 500 children, and helped dismantle 205 sex offender networks.

“Children and young people are vulnerable to harmful or inappropriate content online which is why encouraging parents to talk to their children about staying safe online is vital to help keep them safe.

"This awareness campaign, and the important work that will continue under the UK Child Internet safety strategy, is further evidence of the Government's commitment to creating a safer online environment."

Today’s survey results build on findings from the Government’s ‘Staying Safe Survey’ published in December 2009, which showed that:
• 33 per cent of children say their parents don’t really know what they do on the internet
• 18 per cent of children have come across harmful or inappropriate content online
• More than one in ten parents say that they do not know enough about how to help their child stay safe online.

The new advertising campaign is part of the Government’s action in response to the Byron Review, published in 2007. The Review found that 53 per cent of adults want more and better information about the internet and 57 per cent of parents whose children use the internet do not know where to get information about how to protect their children online.

By following the digital code ‘Zip it, Block it, Flag it’, parents and children can adopt a few simple strategies to help them stay safe online, while continuing to enjoy the internet. The code highlights three things that parents can encourage their children to do:

Zip It: Get your children to keep their passwords private

Block It: Make sure your children know how to block people that upset them

Flag It: Ask your kids regularly if they have seen or done anything online that has upset them

Editor's Notes
This press notice relates to 'England'
1. The Young Poll was conducted with children aged 6-14yrs to coincide with Safer Internet Day – the theme of this year’s day is ‘Think Before You Post’. The survey results are available here: http://www.72point.com/ukccis

2. Over a quarter of young people – 26.8 per cent – said they never talked to their parents about how they are spending their time online. Out of the 73.2 per cent of young people who did talk to their parents, 49 per cent said their parents talked to them about using the internet safely, 52 per cent said their parents did not explain that they should never download files or links from people they don’t know, and 56 per cent said their parents did not use parental controls.

3. Some of the advertising images from the campaign are attached. Parents will be able to access information and advice at: http://www.direct.gov.uk/clickcleverclicksafe

4. The UKCCIS strategy ‘Click Clever Click Safe: The first UK Child Internet Safety Strategy’’ sets out what UKCCIS is collectively doing to keep children safe online. The strategy was launched by the Prime Minister at the UKCCIS Summit on 8 December 2009 and is available here: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/ukccis

5. UKCCIS was set up in September 2008 to implement the recommendations from Professor Tanya Byron’s review ‘Safer Children in a Digital World’. It is made up of over 140 organisations, including Google, Microsoft, Bebo and the NSPCC. The full membership of the UKCCIS board is available here: www.dcsf.gov.uk/ukccis . Professor Tanya Byron will return this year to measure progress on implementing the recommendations of her review

6. Online safety is already a compulsory part of the National Curriculum for secondary schools and is also being taught in many primary schools. But from September 2011 online safety will be a compulsory part of the curriculum from age 5. Government will issue guidance to schools on how they should address online safety across the whole school curriculum, not just within ICT provision, with specific focus on the safe and responsible use of technology in personal, social, health and economic education. This reflects the way that safe and competent use of the internet should be part of every child’s lifeskills.

Contact Details
Public Enquiries 0870 000 2288, info@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk