Internet Safety Zone (ISZ) offers a wealth of information on a variety of topics such as: how the internet works, e-mail, chat, instant messaging and social networking. These topics are covered from a technical perspective (how e-mail is created, delivered and received for example) but also from an internet safety perspective (e.g., what are the potential dangers to children using chat rooms?). Users can browse through general to more in-depth information.

In addition, ISZ also aims to provide a more holistic approach to internet safety by covering topics within what is termed ‘cyberwellness.’ Issues such as racism, human rights, self-harm, suicide and eating disorders are covered in detail. Children are encouraged to gain critical awareness when using the internet and realise that not everything they see online will be ‘the truth’.

The content for ISZ has been gathered and written in conjunction with a wide variety of organisations in order to develop best practice. Indeed, many organisations such as AOL, BBC, Becta, Childnet, ELSPA, Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), Microsoft, NSPCC, O2, Vodafone, police forces and the Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT) have helped to provide sound advice and guidance for parents and children alike in using web and mobile communications technologies.

ISZ has also listened to criticisms levelled at many EU node portal websites by encouraging a straightforward and clear pathway to reporting internet safety issues. From the homepage itself users can, with but one-click, go to pages with relevant information and links to organisation where they can make a report. An example is the “report abuse icon” for child abuse images that takes users to a page clearly indicating that they can make a report to the IWF and how to do so.

Moreover, ISZ also offers information for individuals or groups to receive directly to their PC as new content becomes available. Each topic has an RSS link that allows a user or organisation to make use of the content in an open and flexible manner: individuals can receive updates directly to their inbox/RSS aggregator, and organisations can display the latest information on their own websites/portals through incorporating an RSS ‘window’ on their website.

This is a key aspect of ISZ; to allow other organisations to be able to disseminate internet safety advice quickly and simply to those who might not ordinarily be exposed to the topic. Furthermore, this allows ISZ, and through it the topic of child internet safety, to reach a far wider audience.