Cyber abuse and e-safety

Children and young people are skilled in using computers, mobile phones and gaming machines such as Wii or PlayStation Portable (PSP). New Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is offering a new world full of opportunity and potential, with children able to express themselves, play and learn in fantastic new ways.

This 'cyber world' offers knowledge, personal growth, extensive friendships and fun. But there are also new, exclusive dangers and challenges, particularly for children and young people. There are many concerns, such as:

• Bullying
• Addiction
• Health risks
• Gambling and debt
• Child sexual abuse
• Desensitising children to violence and intimacy

Everyone who is responsible for children's welfare needs to understand the strengths and the dangers of cyber world. The recent Government report by Dr Tanya Byron has set the standard for all agencies working with children. The Government has recently established the UK Council for Internet Safety and instructed Local Safeguarding Children Boards to take a lead role in ensuring a multi-agency approach to e-safety.

Over 40 million people in the UK now regularly use the internet. Protecting children and young people from tracking, identification, bullying and abuse through computers and mobile phones cannot be prevented by censorship, filters or monitoring alone. Children and young people have to understand the dangers and know how to keep themselves safe.

In Plymouth, Mairead MacNeil, Assistant Director for Children's Social Care, is the identified champion for e-safety, and Tony Staunton, the Lead Officer for e-safety. The Plymouth Safeguarding Children Board (PSCB) has produced a brief report detailing the issues, dangers and strategies for safety.

PSCB has developed multi-agency training courses at levels 2 and 3 for all practitioners and their managers who come into contact with families or children.

The PSCB has established a multi-agency formal working group that meets bi-monthly to ensure best practice in relation to e-safety. The PSCB e-safety pledge requires the establishment of policies based upon 'acceptable use' by every agency, and best practice indicators to prevent bullying and child abuse through the information and communication technologies.

Safeguarding children from cyber abuse is everybody's business.

The PSCB multi-agency practice group for e-safety has used the relationship with Plymouth University and the city's early years services to produce a toolkit for use by Early Years Settings, which available below.

We recognise that safety of infants and young children when using Information and Communication Technologies is just as important as good supervision of computer and mobile phone use by older children. The toolkit offers clear explanation and contains guidance and pro formas that can be adapted and used by every early years setting, and works well as guidance for settings where there are older children. We hope you find it helpful.

UKCouncil for Child Internet Safety - advice on child internet safety 1.0 - [243KB]

ICT in schools 2008 to 2011 - an evaluation by Ofsted - [245KB]

Safer children in a digital world - a summary of Dr Tanya Byron's report [970KB]

Safeguarding cyberworld [343.2KB]

Plymouth inter-agency E-safety pledge (113KB)

Early years survey 2010 [62KB]

Parents survey 2010 [63KB]

Early years toolkit [2MB]

Updated 20 May 2012