In February 2005 the Media Council for Children and Young People (MCCYP) launched a portal called “Netkompaz”, targeted towards parents and teachers in Denmark.

In an exciting month for Internet safety awareness, this was one of a host of actions and events. A total of 30 countries took part in Safer Internet Day on 8 February 2005.

This issue of the newsletter reports on some of those actions and also highlights the issue of chat. Articles have been contributed from 10 organisations in eight different countries.

The Danish articles in the Country Focus section reveal some interesting trends on how and how much chat is used by young Danes.

As coordinator of the national node of the EU’s Safer Internet Programme, the MCCYP seeks to raise safer Internet awareness in Denmark and share findings and experiences with its European partners.

The MCCYP awareness campaign takes into consideration the following:

• Internet and online technologies provide positive opportunities as well as negative situations
• Censorship needs to be supplemented with educating children on how to use the media
• There is sometimes conflict as parents forbid or control access to the Internet to keep their child safe. MCCYP seeks to give equal emphasis on the children’s perspective on their use of media.

17% of Finnish children have had online sessions over 10 hours
In a recent survey, few Finnish children saw problems with their online behaviour. Most, however, agree with parental control of their use of the Internet.
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Hungarian civil organisations and young people meet to make Internet “friendlier”
Hungary marked Safer Internet Day in February 2005 with a conference in Budapest. Hungarian civil organisations and young guests discussed ways to create a better Internet environment for all.
Read more...

Safe Internet heroes an immediate hit with young Poles
Safer Internet Day in Poland this year saw the launch of SIECIAKI, an innovative Internet project focusing on educating children and teenagers to use the Internet safely.
Read more...

Children help in design of new Chatdanger website
Childnet International have redesigned and relaunched their successful Chatdanger website following extensive research with children and young people.
Read more...

Dutch report reveals online bullying among teenagers
A survey by a Dutch Internet service provider has found that 12% of teenagers between 11 and 15 years old experience bullying on the Internet.
Read more...
 

Czech Minister launches safer Internet story-telling competition
Dr. Petra Buzková, Czech Minister for Education, Sports and Youth, launched the competition on 8 February 2005, Safer Internet Day. The initiative is one of a number of actions taken to raise Internet safety awareness in the Czech Republic.
Read more...

Chat is least popular online peer-to-peer activity in the UK
A two-year study of young people’s Internet literacy, published in February 2005, has found that while children use a number of peer-to-peer possibilities, only one in five visits chat rooms.
Read more...

New campaigns in Denmark address spam and Internet safety
In February 2005, the Danish Consumers’ ombudsman took part in a major international campaign against Internet fraud. The campaign for safer Internet in Denmark continues in March with the launch of “Internet Safety Now!” on 10 March.
Read more...

NetAlert to work with Australian Federal Police
NetAlert has announced that it is to work closely with the newly formed Online Child Sex Exploitation Team (OCSET) in Australia. They will develop a range of training programs for parents and teachers.
Read more...

 

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netsafe now!
10 March 2005
Copenhagen, Denmark
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Junior Internet 2005
15 March 2005
Prague, Czech Republic
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Danish children switch to instant messaging
Chat is becoming an important part of Danish children’s everyday communication with their friends. The trend is moving away from the chat room towards instant messaging services.

Surveys in Denmark reveal that Children have tried chat as early as at the age of 10. Children mainly chat from home or in school. They sit and chat either alone or with one best friend. Chat partners can just as well be from another part of the world as well as a close friend from class in school..

15 to 30 minutes a day are spent in chat rooms. 70% of children often or always log into chat using another name. 21 % of the children who chat, answer that they often or always make up stories about their life.
Read more...

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About Insafe
Insafe is a European network of 16 countries, dedicated to raising awareness of Internet safety. The network includes a broad range of organisations, including charities, universities and media councils.

The Insafe network is coordinated by European Schoolnet, and supported by the European Commission’s Safer Internet Programme.

Further information about the Insafe network and its members is available on the Insafe Portal.