Understanding E-Safety and Online Risks: Insights and Initiatives

1. E-Safety and Online Risk Dr Shirley Atkinson 15th December 2010 BCS Sociotechnical Specialist Group

2. Tonight • Consider the online world • Consider our view of risk • Outline current world of e-safety • Research at University of Plymouth • Discuss what we feel about internet safety

3. Do you remember a time without the Internet? 205,368,103

4. A young person’s world?

5. Being online • Are we just talking about the Internet? • How many phones have you had? • Can somebody tell me about their first one? • How is it different to the one you have now? • Who has a gaming console? • What is it? • Do you go online with it?

6. Capabilities increased • http://metrics.admob.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/May-2010-AdMob-Mobile-Metrics-Highlights.pdf

7. Location based services • Fully integrated into iPhone and others • Services based on where you are • Originally sold as tracking for children • On the back of Soham • Ethical issue there • Useful when somewhere new • Needs careful handling • Google/Skyhook

9. Facebook • http://mattmckeon.com/facebook-privacy/ • http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/7521035/Facebook-what-social-networking-site-is-blamed-for-amid-syphilis-claims.html

10. Are there any dangers in going online?

11. How likely will thesehappen to you? • Consider each of the risks mentioned. Rate them: • 1 = very likely to happen to you • 2 = Could happen • 3 = very unlikely

12. Risk Perceptions • Media concern focuses heavily on extreme but rare cases • The abduction of children • Dangers of online stalking and grooming • But it sells their stories • Byron will often ask “What about our own childhood”? • Where did we play? • What was our favourite place? • Makes the point children no longer allowed outside to play • So turn to unsupervised online activities

13. Getting the balance right • But we have a duty to get the balance right • If people think that risk is unbounded, then technology cannot provide them with opportunities, • fear becomes a barrier • Or, in the case of some young people: • Dismissing safety advice as irrelevant! • Putting themselves into further danger through their actions

14. Parental attitudes • Block it • Deny or restrict access • Monitor it • Control Cyberspace!

15. Key media e-safety messages Chance to evaluate a selection of stories from this year! What is key message? Does it fit with your risk model? What does it say about the risk model of the editor/author?

16. What do you think?

17. E-Safety initiatives over time • 2008 • Initiatives heavily based on risk-laden examples • CEOP concentrated on predation • Promoted use of the report abuse button to parents • Internet safety tips based on premise of “stranger-danger” • School policies concentrated on blocking and filtering • 2009 • Byron influence felt • More of a focus on Cyberbullying • Encouraging use of peer education • CEOP International Youth Panel • SWGfL youth panel

18. Key E-Safety initiatives this year • EU Kids Online & EU Kids Online II • Common risks = communicating with new people not met face to face, seeing potential harmful user generated content • Much rarer for children to meet a new online contact offline or be bullied online • CEOP • Protect Volunteer • Beat Bullying • Cybermentor

19. University of Plymouth Research • Close links with SWGfL • Next year become Safer Internet Centre • Part of EU network • Peer Education • Sexting • Community understanding • Passwords • Online Gaming

20. What are your thoughts? Where should we be going with e-safety

21. Thank you