Plea to parents on internet safety

Ceop is trying to help parents protect their children as they use the internet

Published: 12:13am, 7th February 2012
Updated: 8:51am, 8th February 2012

Parents' fear of technology and the internet is putting children's safety at risk, according to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) Centre.

A Mori poll, commissioned by the centre, showed that about 80% of children in the UK, aged between five and 15, are regular users of the internet.

But 61% of parents had failed to set adequate online controls or did not have filters in place to keep their children safe, according to findings from independent regulator Ofcom.

The Ceop Centre has gone back to the 1950s with material which encourages parents to develop their skills in the online world, as it marks European Safer Internet Day 2012.

The material provides practical advice on what children may be doing online, covers issues that are sometimes hard to discuss, and helps parents talk to their child about online worlds, a spokeswoman said.

Peter Davies, chief executive of the Ceop Centre and the senior police officer leading on child protection on the internet for the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), said children and young people are at the forefront of new technology, "the real internet pioneers", but can make simple errors and put themselves at risk.

He said: "We all have a role to play and today I want to encourage parents to engage with their child to help avoid these risks... We have collaborated with leading figures in the world of child safety to bring basic practical advice that is quick and easy to follow. We cover issues that are often taboo and we open up what we know about the risks in order to help parents understand so that they in turn can feel more confident talking to their child."

The project is funded by Visa Europe and includes contributions from Professor Tanya Byron, Dr Linda Papadopoulos, social networking sites Facebook, Moshi Monsters and Club Penguin, and Reg Bailey, chief executive of the Mothers' Union, who has undertaken research looking at the sexualisation of children.

Home Office Minister Lynne Featherstone said: "Protecting children is one of the Government's most important responsibilities and Ceop does a fantastic job safeguarding children, both on and offline. I welcome this helpful guide as another way of allowing us to create a safer online environment."

All the information can be found at www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents, including an online show called The Parents' And Carers' Guide To The Internet, which looks at internet safety from a parental point of view.