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What we learned from the Online Safety Live Event in Glasgow

We recently attended the Online Safety Live Event 2024 in Glasgow, run by the UK Safer Internet Centre, and here are some of the key things that we learned:

Potential threats

  • There are a range of threats that children and young people face online – the CO:RE 4Cs Framework can help us understand the breadth of potential harm:

The 4Cs Framework to classify online risk from Children Online: Research and Evidence (CO:RE) 

  • We need to empower children and young people. It’s not about simply taking their phone away but supporting them to make good choices
  • Artificial Intelligence poses a range of risks: Is it trustworthy? What is the quality of the data that it has been trained on? Are there privacy concerns? Copyright infringement? Environmental impacts? It knows everything about an individual so can be very persuasive
  • Ofcom’s Online Research Panel showed most internet users 16+ are using AI to explore the technology, for coding, and to create content, but soon it will be more integrated into platforms and digital tools we already use, making its use more widespread. The Children’s Parliament has done some work Exploring Children’s Rights and AI:
  • Harmful content is widespread online, including content promoting self-harm and suicide that can have tragic consequences for the lives of children and young people, including high-profile cases like Molly Rose.
  • The HBSC Survey showed that problematic social media use and gaming are on the rise. There is a difference between problematic use and intensive use –problematic use is where time spent on the app is to the detriment of other activities.
  • Social media platforms have persuasive or ‘sticky’ designs that can make them addictive, including auto-play features, and never-ending feeds.
  • Those who are vulnerable offline are often vulnerable online. For example, evidence shows us that care-experienced young people are more likely to meet up with someone online that they haven’t met in person. Many are going online to meet a need that they might not have met elsewhere.
  • We must consider the online safety requirements for those with additional support needs – Inclusive Online Safety is a resource that can support with this.
  • Digital exclusion is a problem for many children and young people across Scotland, where not everyone has access to a reliable connection/device. Digital Wellbeing on a Budget explores the digital lives of children receiving free school meals.
  • Sextortion is on the rise, especially among male victims aged 14-18.
  • The average age that someone sees porn for the first time is 13, with 79% having seen violent pornography which increases the likelihood of engaging in sexually offensive actions.

How to respond

  • Sadly, children and young people have reported that more often than not, they are not asked about their technology use, resulting in them being left to their own devices
  • This is often a result of staff not feeling empowered to speak with children and young people about their online lives. There are a range of ways to develop staff skills and confidence, including Project Evolve, social media checklists, and developing awareness of a range of online safety resources
  • We need to ask ourselves: What are the online experiences of children and young people we work with? Are they positive/negative?
  • What are we doing to develop children and young people’s digital literacy skills? E.g. Using resources like Project Evolve.
  • Do children and young people know the reporting mechanisms available to them? Can we as staff help guide them appropriately?
Online Safety Event

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