Children's Online Safety Research Articles

Protecting young learners online

Alex Dave, safeguarding education officer for LGfL-The National Grid for Learning, shares advice on choosing digital media and practices that promote child development and online safety for children in early years.

Child online safety education: A program evaluation combining a randomized controlled trial and list experiments in Vietnam

With the rapid expansion of internet accessibility, children urgently need to be educated in online safety skills. We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 1399 students from 22 junior high schools in Vietnam to assess the impact of an online safety program on their online behaviors. We designed our experiment to capture both the direct and spillover effects of the training program. We combined the RCT with list experiments, an indirect questioning method, to mitigate bias in the measurement of sensitive outcomes. Our impact estimates show the positive effects of the program. Specifically, participation in the program reduced students' identity disclosure on social networking sites (SNSs) by 9.3–16.8 percentage points, increased their online account security practices by 8.9–17.9 percentage points, and decreased their interactions with strangers online by 13.6–23.4 percentage points. Notably, using outcomes measured by the list experiments, we show that the program reduced sensitive and risky online behaviors by 34.7–47.0 percentage points, a result that would not have been revealed with conventional direct questioning. We also observed evidence of spillover effects on nonparticipants in the same schools. Our findings support the implementation of educational programs to enhance children's online safety.

Cyber Security Awareness Model (Among Children) Using Protection Motivation Theory: A Review

In recent times, there has been a growing concern regarding children's cyber security due to their increased access to the Internet and exposure to various online threats. This issue has garnered significant attention as it poses a considerable risk to children's safety and well-being. As a result, research on children's cyber security awareness has become an area of rapid growth. To contribute to the understanding of this topic, this paper aims to review the latest findings regarding the application of the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) in developing a Cyber Security Awareness Model for children. The Protection Motivation Theory offers a valuable framework for understanding individuals' motivations and decision-making processes regarding protective behaviors in the face of perceived threats. By applying PMT to children's cyber security awareness, researchers can gain insights into the factors that influence children's motivation to engage in protective actions while navigating the online environment. This review paper will explore and analyze recent studies that have employed the Protection Motivation Theory in developing Cyber Security Awareness Models tailored specifically for children. The models derived from PMT can provide a deeper understanding of children's threat appraisal, including their perception of the severity and vulnerability to online risks. Moreover, the coping appraisal aspect of PMT allows researchers to examine children's evaluation of the effectiveness and feasibility of protective actions, such as employing secure passwords, avoiding sharing personal information, and recognizing potential online dangers. By synthesizing the most recent research findings, this paper aims to contribute to the knowledge base on children's cyber security awareness. Understanding how the Protection Motivation Theory can be applied in the context of children's cyber security will enable the development of effective interventions and educational programs to enhance children's online safety. Ultimately, the goal is to empower children with the necessary skills and knowledge to protect themselves from online threats and make informed decisions while navigating the digital world.

Analysis of Cross-Functional Stakeholder Collaboration in Online Safety of Children

Analysis of Cross-Functional Stakeholder Collaboration in Online Safety of Children

Online Safety for Children and Youth under the 4Cs Framework-A Focus on Digital Policies in Australia, Canada, and the UK.

This study analyzes the previous literature on the online safety of children and youth under "the 4Cs risk framework" concerning contact, content, conduct, and contract risks. It then conducts a comparative study of Australia, Canada, and the UK, comparing their institutions, governance, and government-led programs. Relevant research in Childhood Education Studies is insufficient both in quantity and quality. To minimize the four major online risks for children and youth in cyberspace, it is necessary to maintain a regulatory approach to the online exposure of children under the age of 13. Moreover, the global society should respond together to these online risks with "multi-level" policymaking under a "multi-stakeholder approach". At the international level, multilateral discussion within the OECD and under UN subsidiaries should continue to lead international cooperation. At the domestic level, a special agency in charge of online safety for children and youth should be established in each country, encompassing all relevant stakeholders, including educators and digital firms. At the school and family levels, both parents and teachers need to work together in facilitating digital literacy education, providing proper guidelines for the online activities of children and youth, and helping them to become more satisfied and productive users in the digital era.

Education in Cybersecurity

The article addresses education as the smartest investment in cybersecurity. One of the most intriguing findings is that 95% of security incidents involve human errors. Most security attacks are concerned with human weakness to attract victims and persuade them to give involuntary access to personal and sensitive information. To eliminate errors caused by social engineering and negligence and to increase users’ awareness of the threats, technologies and services should be combined with education. Education in the field of cybersecurity is a necessary consideration for both individuals and families, as well as for businesses, governments and educational institutions.
 For families and parents, the online safety of children is of major importance. Equally essential is the protection of information that might affect your personal finances, and precious family assets, such as photos, videos etc.
 For educational institutions, it is important to understand the link between the online world and the "real" one. Teachers, staff, students, tutors, pupils, etc. should be trained in appropriate on-line behavior to reduce vulnerabilities and create a safer online environment.
 A better awareness through security education can help enterprises protect their intellectual property and ensure availability of services.
 Governments hold an enormous amount of personal data and records of their citizens, as well as confidential government information, which most often serves as a target for attack. Only through education and awareness, the confidence in public services can be gained. Cybersecurity depends on education.

Cyber Safety of Children in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Region: a Critical Review of Legal Frameworks and Policy Implications.

The present study aimed to critically review the legal frameworks on cyber safety of children living in the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and related policy implications. Data for the present research were collected from secondary sources. The results revealed numerous inconsistencies among the ASEAN countries in legislation pertaining to the online safety of children. The present study argues that these inconsistencies could be used by criminals to easily exploit children. The study identified loopholes in legislation on age of consent, possession of child pornography, cyber bullying and sexual grooming of children. Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam have no clear definition of the term child pornography, which means it may be possible for criminals to evade conviction for production, possession and distribution of child pornography. Legislation in Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam does not prohibit an individual from possessing child pornography. Only three ASEAN nations have a legal framework regarding child grooming for sexual purposes, while only two have policies regarding cyberbullying, and just three ASEAN nations have a formal global alliance with international law enforcement initiatives. Based on these findings, the study argues that the legal inconsistencies among ASEAN nations might result in cross-border sexual abuse and exploitation of children. Accordingly, it is suggested that countries in the ASEAN region need to urgently identify these legal inconsistencies and collaborate to improve the safety of their children in cyberspace.

Protection or Punishment? Relating the Design Space of Parental Control Apps and Perceptions about Them to Support Parenting for Online Safety

Parental control apps, which are mobile apps that allow parents to monitor and restrict their children's activities online, are becoming increasingly adopted by parents as a means of safeguarding their children's online safety. However, it is not clear whether these apps are always beneficial or effective in what they aim to do; for instance, the overuse of restriction and surveillance has been found to undermine parent-child relationship and children's sense of autonomy. While previous research has categorised and taken inventory of key features of popular parental control apps, they have not systematically analysed the ways such features were designed or realised in such apps, or in particular how aspects of such designs might relate to parents and children's experiences with such apps. In this work, we investigate this gap, asking specifically: how might children's and parents' perceptions be related to how parental control features were designed? To investigate this question, we conducted an analysis of 58 top Android parental control apps designed for the purpose of promoting children's online safety, finding three major axes of variation in how key restriction and monitoring features were realised: granularity, feedback/transparency, and parent-child communications support. To relate these axes to perceived benefits and problems, we then analysed 3264 app reviews to identify references to aspects of the each of the axes above, to understand children's and parents' views of how such dimensions related to their experiences with these apps. Our findings led towards 1) an understanding of how parental control apps realise their functionalities differently along three axes of variation, 2) an analysis of exactly the ways that such variation influences children's and parents' perceptions, respectively of the usefulness or effectiveness of these apps, and finally 3) an identification of design recommendations and opportunities for future apps by contextualising our findings within existing digital parenting theories.

Capacity, confidence and training of Canadian educators and school staff to recognize and respond to sexual abuse and internet exploitation of their students

BackgroundSexual exploitation of children online is an issue of growing public concern. This form of exploitation typically involves adults using the internet to communicate with children for sexual purposes or to distribute sexually explicit material involving children. To date, there is no research on the knowledge and skills of educators to recognize online sexual exploitation. This research is urgently needed since educators are well-positioned to detect, identify and report sexual exploitation of their students. ObjectiveThe study was conducted to understand the confidence and capacity of grade school educators to recognize and respond to online child sexual exploitation. Participants and settingThis cross-sectional study surveyed 450 educators in Alberta, Canada between April and December 2018. MethodsVignettes were used to obtain experiences and attitudes surrounding four categories of exploitation or abuse: grooming, luring, sexual abuse, and sexual abuse imagery (also known as child pornography). ResultsAmong school district staff, 28 % reported working with a student affected by sexual abuse in the last year, as compared to 25 % for grooming, 17 % for luring and 14 % for sexual abuse imagery. A minority of respondents expressed confidence in their ability to recognize if the internet was being employed for grooming (35 % of staff), luring (46 %) or sexual abuse (45 %) of their students. ConclusionsEducators encounter issues of online sexual exploitation of their students almost as often as contact sexual abuse. Child protection efforts in schools should be modernized to incorporate training in online safety of children and adolescents.

International Efforts for Children Online Safety: A Survey

Children online safety is a global issue and attaining international attention to address it. Often, children are vulnerable to online threats. Aim of this paper is to review children online safety issues and identify existing international efforts for reducing online risks. In this regard, efforts from available international bodies for providing online safety to children are reviewed and reported. To overcome online risks, understanding the behaviour of online ecosystem and coping after facing risks are most important. The ecosystem involves different stakeholders such as service providers, physical network, online users being connected, social media sites and tools and technology. Elimination of online risks is difficult but the intensity of risks can be reduced.

Children’s design recommendations for online safety education

Abstract Ever younger children have their personal life online and there are worries of their online safety. To understand how children engage with and perceive online safety education targeted at them we arranged workshops with 11–12-year-old children who engaged with three existing educational packages for online safety targeted at children and brainstormed design recommendations for future education. We report the results of the workshops and further analyze the results using the lens of Schwartz’s theory of basic human values. Based on the analysis, we recommend that child–computer interaction designers and practitioners of online safety education acknowledge the following when developing educational packages on online safety for children’s use: considering both children’s and educators’ objectives and related values; integrating aspects of children’s own media culture; including more concrete advice; having a positive tone; and, engaging both children and teachers in the design and evaluation.

Kid on the phone! Toward automatic detection of children on mobile devices

Studies have shown that children can be exposed to smart devices at a very early age. This has important implications on research in children–computer interaction, children online safety and early education. Many systems have been built based on such research. In this work, we present multiple techniques to automatically detect the presence of a child on a smart device, which could be used as the first step on such systems. Our methods distinguish children from adults based on behavioral differences while operating a touch-enabled modern computing device. Behavioral differences are extracted from data recorded by the touchscreen and built-in sensors. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed methods, a new data set has been created from 50 children and adults who interacted with off-the-shelf applications on smart phones. Results show that it is possible to achieve 99% accuracy and less than 0.5% error rate after 8 consecutive touch gestures using only touch information or 5 s of sensor reading. If information is used from multiple sensors, then only after 3 gestures, similar performance could be achieved.

New age technology and social media: adolescent psychosocial implications and the need for protective measures.

In recent years, breakthroughs and advancements in new age technology have revolutionized the way children communicate and interact with the world around them. As social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat continue to grow in popularity, their usage has raised concerns about their role and impact on adolescent development and behavior. This review examines the psychosocial implications of social media usage on youth outcomes related to body image, socialization, and adolescent development. It discusses ways that clinicians and parents can effectively safeguard their children from the potential threats posed by digital media while providing a fact sheet for parents that addresses these concerns and summarizes recommended strategies to combat them. While social media platforms continue to experience surges in popularity, mounting evidence suggests significant correlations between their usage and adolescent mental health and behavioral issues. Increased social media usage has been linked to diminished self-esteem and body satisfaction, elevated risk of cyber-bullying, heightened exposure to pornographic material, and risky sexual behaviors. Given how new age technology is steadily permeating everyday life, greater efforts are needed to inform adolescent users and their families about the negative consequences of social media usage. Pediatricians and parents must take cautionary measures to reduce psychosocial risks and ensure the online safety of children.

Mapping online child safety in Asia and the Pacific

AbstractIn today's age, the Internet has become essential for children's education and social development. Yet the very same technologies can expose children to online harm, which can negatively impact their well‐being and safety. These risks are becoming more serious as Internet penetration rises, particularly in emerging countries that have limited resources and capacities to tackle complex issues such as online sexual abuse, cyberbullying, and Internet addiction. As research on the entire range of risks that children are exposed to online is limited, particularly in Asia and the Pacific, this study aims to initiate the process of filling this knowledge gap and proposes a set of policy recommendations to address the challenge of balancing children's online opportunities and risks. A key finding from the study is the need for a multistakeholder and collaborative approach to ensure the online safety of children, which must include children themselves.

Child online safety and parental intervention: a study of Sri Lankan internet users

Purpose Today’s world of digital and mobile media does not require actual physical contact, between the suitable target and the motivated offender, as with traditional crime. In fact, as Mesch (2009) contended that the internet is not merely an information channel but it creates a new space of activities for children, where they are exposed to motivated offenders and the actors of fourth party. Therefore, for the sake of children’s safety, the practice of parental mediation control is increasingly becoming more pertinent everyday. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to examine how parental mediation control in Sri Lanka is influenced by their internet self-efficacy, their experience as online victims and their trust in online users. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a unique data set of computer and internet users from Sir Lanka to examine parental intervention in their children’s online activities. Specifically, the data set contains 347 responses from computer and internet users. To analyze the data, the authors use a binary dependent (probit) model. Findings The results show that such factors alter the baseline probability of parental intervention. However, some differences are found between younger and older parents, with the latter group responding more to trust in online users and victimization experience while the former is mainly driven from computer self-efficacy. In particular, the older group is less likely to trust online internet users in terms of never adding unknown persons in the social media. Finally, being self-employed and an older parent has a positive effect on the likelihood of adopting parental controls, possibly because of the non-pecuniary attributes of self-employment. Originality/value This study adds to the emerging parental mediation control literature by looking at the likelihood of younger and older parents who were victims of cybercrimes, who have greater internet self-efficacy and lower online third-party trust to adopt parental mediation control behaviors. Also another contribution to the literature is the role of occupation type on parental monitoring behaviors.

A Crazy Cyber World: Construction of a Composite Index for Measuring Child Online Protection (COPI)

On 17th November 2010, the international telecommunications union (ITU) launched a new Child Online Protection (COP) phase. Years after setting up these guidelines, it is important to develop a composite measure that provides an intuitive understanding of the gaps in child online protection system, creates cross national comparisons for advocacy and action. The enquiry proposes an objective assessment of where each country stands in child online protection across four critical priority areas. These areas include: nationally recognized child online protection strategy/ legislations; Collaboration, cooperation and partnerships; information sharing/reporting mechanism; and capacity building/institutional support. The four areas are reflected in the Child Online Protection Index (COPI) structure which comprises four sub-indexes. Each sub index is in turn measured by five categorical indicators. The indicators are derived or adapted from key institutions active in the information and communications technologies (ICT) sector and in child online safety issues.

Use of the Internet by parents of middle school students: Internet rules, risky behaviours and online concerns

Using the Internet is a daily occurrence for parents and children in today's world. Although they use the Internet differently, many individuals may face online hazards that they may be ill equipped to deal with. To better understand Internet use and online behaviours, a study was conducted with 227 parents of early adolescent (ages 11 to 14 years) middle school students (grades 6, 7 and 8). Four important findings emerged: (1) parents are using the Internet like their children but have different online behaviours; (2) parents have Internet use rules at home; (3) parents are participating in risky Internet behaviours (electronic aggression, intentional online harassment and communication with online strangers); and (4) parents are concerned about their child's online safety, specifically about the exposure to sexually explicit materials and online strangers, but the majority of parents do not know where to report negative or unsafe Internet experiences. Nurses, clinicians, healthcare providers and other professionals can and do provide comprehensive care to families by identifying needs and areas of knowledge deficit. By asking Internet use questions, nurses and other professionals are able to develop plans of care for all family members that will promote Internet safety and healthy lifestyle choices.

Adolescents and Cybercrime: Navigating between Freedom and Control

AbstractOnline safety for children and adolescents as a policy issue finds itself in a turbulent arena: emerging new mobile and online technologies and applications carry opportunities and risks and constantly bring new challenges. This article explores particularly the field of adolescents and cybercrime against a background of a culture of control combined with an increasing use of new media by youngsters. Based on two particular cases, i.e. ‘grooming’—a new development in criminal law where children and adolescents are treated as (potential) victims in need of protection—and ‘sexting’—a new development in online risk‐taking where adolescents are framed as (potential) offenders in need of repression—we argue that public policy with respect to adolescent behaviour and online risks is tilting towards more control. These developments in cybercrime policy that focus on criminal law as a policy instrument disturb the balance between the freedom of adolescents to develop into responsible and independent adults and controlling online risks. Other, more promising avenues, such as encouraging digital literacy of citizens and protecting those children who are particularly vulnerable, should rather be at the forefront of public policy.

Best of the Web: Just for Kids

There is no shortage of websites for children. In May 2009, approximately 16 million children aged 2 to 11 years (9.5% of all online users) were reported to spend an average of 11 hours online (Nielsen Online, July 6, 2009). These data represent a 63% increase in time spent online in young children since 2004. The purposes of this On the Web article are to provide a brief overview of online safety for children, review quality criteria relevant to children’s sites, and provide examples of high-quality health sites just for kids. And if you have Internet search experience and are between the ages of 55 to 76 years, then you in particular should keep reading! The findings of a recent study suggest that Internet searching can improve brain function, especially the abilities of a middle-aged or older adult to make decisions and

A Shared Responsibility

Children's growing use of the Internet creates both opportunities and risks. Collecting and comparing empirical findings on risks and opportunities experienced across 20 different European countries shows significant differences between them. Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), this article investigates which factors contribute towards a high degree of online risk experienced by children across these countries. The research shows that patterns of similarities and differences do not seem to coincide with regional, political, and historical divides across European Union countries. The findings seem to endorse the multilayered approach of multi-stakeholder governance, which stresses the co-responsibility in securing children's online safety. However, one of the most important country conditions explaining high risk appears to be the lack of positive online content provision.