Cyberbullying News | Research, Reviews, Summaries & Expert Interviews for Educators & Researchers

It’s Friday again and time for our Friday video feature!  This week we are including two short features for you to view on the subject of empowering children and young people in a digital world.  These are clips from a conference held in March 2010 in the United Kingdom run by Becta (a UK government agency leading the national drive to ensure the effective and innovative use of technology throughout learning).  The conference brings together stakeholders with the aim of making sure that children and young people are taught to be as safe as possible online.   We are including the clips here because we believe there is a lot to be learned from our colleagues in the United Kingdom. 

The first clip (just 5 minutes) is a series of interviews on key issues around e-safety.  Key “take-aways” are:

1. The importance of children learning right habits and behaviors online while they are still young (5-7 years old);
2. The need to encourage critical awareness, even at a young age, by using sophisticated messages;
3. It is not always appropriate to use technology to protect from technology;
4. The schools that are getting e-safety right are not simply “locking down” the Internet, but rather are actively thinking about it and helping young people understand how to get the most out of the Internet;
5. The importance of spending time listening to young people, learning about how they want to lead their lives using technology, and how adults can help them do that.

The second clip (5 mins 42 secs) is also from the conference.  Key “take-aways” from this clip are:

1. Managing risks and enabling young people to realize the benefits of the digital world is a shared responsibility of all stakeholders;
2. E-safety cannot be dealt with by simply buying the latest protective software and thinking you’ve addressed e-safety issues;
3. We need to focus on the rights of young people to use the Internet safely (see Youth Charter tab) rather than on the rules;
4. We must keep ourselves updated and make sure that school procedures are revised regularly;
5. It will behoove us to stop thinking about just protecting young people and keeping them “wrapped in cottonwool,” but rather look carefully at the balance between safeguarding children and giving them safe boundaries within which they can explore and learn for themselves.  We have to trust them, listen to them, and given them a bit more freedom than we have so far.

And if you’re still not convinced, then check out this clip (2.48 secs) put together by the children at the Robin Hood Primary School in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Our Editorial: At the end of a long week, it is very inspiring, encouraging, and energizing to see what is being done by our colleagues in the United Kingdom.  We believe they are leading the way in the field of online safety and digital citizenship and provide a great example of what can be achieved in this area when all are working together with a common purpose.  Thanks to all, and to the children of the Robin Hood Primary School.