Children's Rights and Child Protection: Whats that got to do with the Internet? Vernon Jones Save the Children Denmark

Introduction Save the Children Denmark and online safety for children: Child rights organisation Hotline against child pornography 1998 First Danish conference on child safety and the internet 2001 Awareness campaigns and research into childrens use of interactive technology Projects combating child sexual abuse and exploitation since 1996 Online safety for children

Chat survey year old Danish children 70% use internet 2-6 times a week 53 % use chat on the internet (13 % of these more than 1 hour a week 21% say that they often or always lie when chatting 17% of chatters have met someone from chat in real life 12% dont feel comfortable while chatting 17% get offers relating to sex while chatting Online safety for children

Children – The chatting generation Children love communicating and exchanging ideas through modern technology 77% of children have PC at home and 98 % of Danish 13 year old have a mobile phone Today, online live communication include chat via Internet chat rooms, messenger programs, mobile phones, online games, with webcam Anonymity is an important feature of chatrooms – make chat make children feel less shy and offers opportunity for playing roles / change identity Online safety for children

The most serious online risks Anonymity of online chat appears to attract adults with a sexual interest in children Cases show seriousness of problem University of New Hampshire Study 2003: year old girls are at highest risks – and appeared to defend the (young) offender Children have not developed the social skills and competence to protect themselves from potential abusers who use the grooming process Online safety for children

What are the Answers from a Childrens rights perspective? More than one answer to the chat danger: the risk of meeting potential offenders online is a new face of an old social problem The dilemma of technical solutions – censorship or protection in terms of the rights of the child? UN Convention on the rights of the child: Article 13 – the childs rights to seek, receive and exchange information Article 19 – the childs right to protection from all sorts of abuse Article 34 – the childs right to protection from sexual exploitation Online safety for children

Issues to move on: Political level: An understanding of the problem. Allocate resources to prevent all forms of child sexual abuse Empower children to safely use modern technology through education in schools etc. Chat providers/mobile operators to engage in research and awareness and information NGOs – Advocacy and the childs perspective >> next slide shows examples of the work in Save the Children Denmark Online safety for children

Safe chat campaign 2001 Co-operation with Danish Crime Prevention Council Focus: contact offences Meetings with chat providers Brochures to all Danish pupils years Posters to all Danish Schools and libraries Post cards to clubs and schools Website >> Online safety for children

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Safe chat campaign website Targets both adults and children Background on sexual abuse and the internet Basic information on chat and internet True stories Safety rules Discussion forum Online counselling Educational material for teachers Sound spot Online safety for children

Educational material for teachers Online material + hard copy in teachers libraries What is chat /why children love it What are the dangers Whats a good chat Safety rules True stories Examples of chat sessions Questions and ideas for work in the classroom Sound stories Print-outs with safety messages Online safety for children