The Byron ReviewDCSF and Government Office for the South East

Petra KitchmanSafeguarding Children AdviserDCSF and GOSE

The Report

“risks to children’s safety and wellbeing of exposure to potentially

harmful or inappropriate material on the internet and in video games”

Dr Tanya Byron

• “ When first asked by the PM to carry out this review

• “ I realised:

• how integral these new technologies have become to the lives of young people and

• Secondly how important it is that we educate ourselves to the benefits and dangers they bring”

Process and progress

• Press, broadcast and new media coverage• Over 100 stakeholder meetings• 3 stakeholder workshops and interim conference• Focus group study• 3 Literature Reviews: effects, child development, brain

development • Ofcom research: internet trends• Academics group / Friends Group / Government Group• 2 Children's Panels • US Trip

The voice of children and young people

Generation gap: I wouldn’t listen to my parents anyway, as

they don’t know enough

Girl 17, London

Managing risk:My brother’s friend arranged to meet

someone. I told him to be careful and told my

motherGirl 8

Skills and confidenceI’m worried I’ll get lost on the internet and find I’ve suddenly got a job in the

army or somethingBoy, 9

Being a childSometimes I play

action games without Mum and Dad knowing

because I feel cross with them

Boy, 7

BenefitsIt’s amazing… you can

find out things you couldn’t find out before

Girl 9, Birmingham

The voice of parents

Skills and confidenceThe whole of technologyscares the life out of me. How do I set it up so that

it’s safe? Mum of 5 and 7 year old,

Sheffield

Managing risk: I check their chat logs…

because they talk in a way they wouldn’t in real life and I teach them it’s unacceptable

to be mean anywhereDad

BenefitsI quite like my son playing this

game, it connects him with friends from different villages. There’s lots of camaraderie

between them. Mum of pre-teens, rural

community

Generation GapI haven’t got a clue what she’s doing on MSN, she can talk to

10 friends at once without leaving the room.

Dad, Midlands

Being a parentJust coz it’s in their

bedrooms you need to parent it effectively

Dad of teenage boys, Leicester

The importance of experience

• Parents will take a range of approaches to managing their children’s gaming and internet use

• The key difference is whether they are experienced and confident enough to implement their chosen style of parenting

• Self-efficacy is key – underpins successful behaviour change

• Without it there seems to be a ‘fight’ (clamp down) or ‘flight’ (ignore) response

Controlling Laid-back

Inexperienced

Experienced

Anxious‘Fight’

Unaware‘Flight’

Manage and filter

Trustand

discuss

Challenges and issues

Many PARENTS are: Not engaged Feeling overwhelmed Lacking the confidence to parent

online Not accessing or using available

information and tools

CHILDREN are: Running ahead Vulnerable: technical knowledge

≠ wisdom Facing the same developmental

issues online Prone to risk taking

INDUSTRIES are: Fatigued by blame Not driven by parental demand for

safety Working well with government and

the third sector Not delivering transparency, clarity

and consistency

GOVERNMENT is: Not always joined-up Not using all levers effectively Lacking the technological

expertise Under pressure to find a silver

bullet

The internet: reduce availability, restrict access and increase resilience

Sites on internet

Popularity of

sites

Reduce availabil

ity

Restrict access

Reduce availability

Restrict access

Increase resilience

Three Strategic Objectives

• Reduce Availability Internet is a vast network allowing users to communicate freely all over the world therefore no one single point at which editorial control can be exercised. Difficult to reduce harmful and inappropriate material.

• Therefore need to target most popular sites

• Restricting Access by Developing better parental control software and software to help children to protect themselves

• Increasing Children’s Resilience enabling children to navigate the systems more safely

Shared responsibility – to be reflected in the new UK Council for Child Internet Safety

• UKCCIS – builds on Home Secretary’s Task Force

• Chaired by DCSF and Home Office

• Forum for development and implementation of a strategy:

• SELF-REGULATION, led by industry

• BETTER EDUCATION, led by Government

Reduce Availability Restrict Access Increase Resilience

Role of industry

Role of families

Examples:1User generated content websites take down harmful and inappropriate material on uploaded to their sites.2Children and parents report harmful and inappropriate material to host websites when they find it.3ISPs block access to illegal material.4Parents install software to filter out harmful and inappropriate content.5Websites provide clear advice about how to stay safe in a prominent position.6Parents talk with their children and children talk with their friend and siblings about e-safety.

Government Response

• All Recommendations accepted:

• UK Council for Internet Safety: New forum to lead a Child Internet Strategy UK Council for Child Internet Safety launched 29th September 2008 – six months ahead of Dr Byron's recommended timetable.

• First meeting of the Executive Board - November 2008

• Better Regulation: development of self regulatory approach by the industry making the internet safer for children.

• Public Information and awareness campaign:

Government Response (2)

Public Information and awareness campaign: First Child Internet Safety Summit hosted by the PM – Spring 2009

Better Education equipping the Children’s Workforce to equip children and their parents to stay safe on line.

• Reforming classifications system for video games.

• Information and support to parents on video games: plans to improve information about parental controls and also looks at the role of advertising.

Action for LSCB’S

• Is there a strategy in place?

• Is the strategy disseminated effectively?

• What actions have been taken to support the safety of C&YP?

• Is there a well defined and co-ordinated response to incidents?

• What monitoring and evaluation arrangements are in place?

Support offered by GOSE

• Staffing: 4 Children’s Services Advisers; 2 Safeguarding Advisers; 1 Children’s Social Care Adviser; 1 Safeguarding Policy Lead.

• Networks LADO; LSCB Managers; LSCB Chairs; IRO’s: CDOP Managers and Chairs. Give access to good practice across LSCB’s

• LSCB Stock-take Terms of Reference sent out.

• Regional Analysis support with development of E safety officer role