Safer Children in a Digital World

Growing concerns about how safe our children are online are increasingly reflected in discussion, policies, and politics. Last week, during a parent-teacher meeting, we received a booklet on “safety online” for young children, signs that the conversation has moved from hype/panic, to some more practical steps and directions. I don’t view online safety to be any different than safety in any other aspect of life. All things are potentially dangerous - a trampoline, a pool, a baseball bat. The key challenge we face is in teaching children how to participate safely in any activity. I was skimming a report - Safer Children in a Digital World (.pdf) and came across this practical statement: “Children and young people need to be empowered to keep themselves safe – this isn’t just about a top-down approach. Children will be children – pushing boundaries and taking risks. At a public swimming pool we have gates, put up signs, have lifeguards and shallow ends, but we also teach children how to swim.”