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Guidelines For Parents

This document provides guidelines for parents and educators on child online protection. It discusses how the internet is integrated into children's lives and the benefits it provides, but also the risks they face from inappropriate content, contact, and conduct. The guidelines recommend that parents and educators discuss safe internet use with children, understand the technologies and services they use, set clear rules and expectations, and create an environment where children will seek help if needed. Educators are advised to ensure devices and internet access are secure at schools and raise awareness of digital safety issues. The overall aim is for adults and children to have meaningful conversations around online risks to help children become resilient users who know how to stay safe online.

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127 views10 pages

Guidelines For Parents

This document provides guidelines for parents and educators on child online protection. It discusses how the internet is integrated into children's lives and the benefits it provides, but also the risks they face from inappropriate content, contact, and conduct. The guidelines recommend that parents and educators discuss safe internet use with children, understand the technologies and services they use, set clear rules and expectations, and create an environment where children will seek help if needed. Educators are advised to ensure devices and internet access are secure at schools and raise awareness of digital safety issues. The overall aim is for adults and children to have meaningful conversations around online risks to help children become resilient users who know how to stay safe online.

Uploaded by

sofiabloem
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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ITUPublications International Telecommunication Union

Development Sector

Executive Summary
Guidelines for parents
and educators on
Child Online Protection
2020
Guidelines for parents
and educators on Child
Online Protection

2020
Introduction

The Internet has transformed how we live. It is entirely integrated into the lives of children and young
people, making it impossible to consider the digital and physical worlds separately. One third of all
Internet users today are children and young people, and UNICEF estimates that 71 per cent of young
people are already online.

Digital technologies have opened up many new ways to communicate, play games, enjoy music and
engage in a vast array of cultural, educational and skill-enhancing activities. The Internet can provide
crucial access to health and educational services as well as information on topics that are important
for young people but may be taboo in their societies.

However, just as children and young people are often at the forefront of adopting and adapting to
the new technologies and opportunities provided by the Internet, they are also being exposed to a
range of content, contact and conduct threats and harms online.

Parents, carers, guardians and educators have a crucial role to play – they are responsible for the safety,
wellbeing and education of children and young people, yet are often told that they are ill-equipped
to deal with the challenges that children and young people face when they go online. Adults can be
portrayed as lacking in the necessary skills and understanding to be able to support these younger
users yet in reality this is not about technology but about behaviour, something which parents, carers,
guardians and educators should feel able to guide children in.

These guidelines for parents, carers and educators seek to empower those adults and suggest ways to
encourage a meaningful dialogue and debate around online related issues which can support children
and young people in becoming resilient users of technology who know how to keep themselves safe
and when and where to ask for help and support if they need it.

ii
Table of Contents

Introduction ii

1. What is child online protection? 1

2. General recommendations 1

3. Guidelines for parents, carers and guardians 2

4. Guidelines for educators 2

iii
Guidelines for parents and educators on Child Online Protection

1. What is child online protection?


Child online protection (COP), is the holistic approach to respond to all potential threats and harms
children and young people may encounter online. It is everyone’s responsibility to protect children
from these harms.

In context of child online protection, whilst most children will be susceptible in one form or another
to online threats and harms, it is important to appreciate that some children are especially vulnerable,
particularly migrant children or children living with a form of disability.

2. General recommendations
There are a range of aspects for parents and educators to consider when supporting their children
or pupils as they go online. The guidelines highlight that alongside the many benefits there are also
challenges and parents and educators will want to identify effective ways to protect children from
harmful and inappropriate content online.

Parents will often be supported by Internet services providers and mobile operators who will provide
parental control tools, ways to block and restrict access to certain types of content as well as the
ability to limit the amount of time spent on devices. Education settings may include online safety
within their curriculum and may be more likely to filter and monitor access. However, this is only
part of the solution, dialogue and discussion are crucial and a key element is establishing a positive
relationship between adults and children and young people. It is important that if children and young
people are upset, worried or concerned by something that they have seen or that has happened to
them online that they should feel able to speak to someone about this. The way that adults react
is crucial – research1 has shown that many young people are reluctant to speak to an adult about a
negative online experience for fear of the consequences – they talk of being banned from particular
sites or devices and being blamed for something that may not have been their fault. Given the nature
of some of the harmful content available online it is perhaps understandable that parents may be
shocked when they are made aware of their children being exposed to it – but they need to carefully
consider their reaction – did the child go looking for it or did they stumble upon it – or perhaps it was
sent to them by someone else? Children and young people have always been naturally inquisitive,
something which was welcomed in the past, but their curiosity online can sometimes lead them into
being exposed to more challenging content.

Educators have an important role to play as part of a wider stakeholder approach. Delivering effective
online safety education within schools and in more informal education settings is important as not
all parents will engage with their children on these issues. Ideally educators will embed online safety
within the wider curriculum or programme of work as well as addressing issues as they arise on a
more ad hoc basis.

These guidelines highlight a series of further recommendations for parents and educators to consider
when having conversations with their children or pupils about what they do when they go online and
how to support them when things go wrong.

1
Project deSHAME (2017): www​.deshame​.eu

1
Guidelines for parents and educators on Child Online Protection

3. Guidelines for parents, carers and guardians


1. Have a discussion with your children – try and do some online activities with them.
2. Identify the technology, devices and services across your family / household.
3. Consider whether filtering and blocking or monitoring programmes can help and support your family.
4. Agree expectations as a family about using the Internet and personal devices.
5. Be aware of the online and mobile services used by your children.
6. Consider age of digital consent.
7. Control use of credit cards and other payment mechanisms.
8. Know how to report problems.
9. Be aware that advertising can be inappropriate or misleading.
10. Create a culture of support in the home so that children and young people feel able to seek support.
11. Educate children on the dangers of meeting up with a stranger.
12. Help your children understand and manage their personal information.
13. Ensure children and young people understand what it means to post photographs on the Internet.

4. Guidelines for educators


1. Ensure that all devices are secure and password protected.
2. Install anti-virus software and firewalls.
3. Ensure that there is a policy which details how technology can be used.
4. Consider how to manage taking and storing images of pupils.
5. Ensure that Internet feed provided by the school is filtered and monitored.
6. Raise awareness of the importance of digital footprint and online reputation.
7. Recognise the importance of professional online communication with pupils, parents and other
stakeholders.
8. Understand the risks and benefits that pupils can be exposed to when they go online.

2
International
Telecommunication
Union
Place des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 20
Switzerland

Published in Switzerland
Geneva, 2020
Photo credits: Shutterstock

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