Childnet
 | |
| Founded | 1995 |
|---|---|
| Registration no. | 1080173 |
| Location | |
Area served | England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland |
Key people | Will Gardner, CEO |
Revenue | ~£500k |
Employees | 11 |
| Mission | To make the internet a great and safe place for children and young people. |
| Website |
www |
Childnet International is a registered UK charity that aims to make the internet a great and safe place for children and young people.
Activities
Educational resources
Childnet produce educational resources for children, parents and teachers about a range of topics, including cyberbullying, sexting, copyright and grooming. These are available for free online[1] or to order from the online shop.[2] Childnet has a number of websites that provide advice and information: Childnet,[3] KidSMART,[4] Digizen,[5] Chatdanger[6] and the UK Safer Internet Centre.[7]
Education sessions
Childnet’s Education Team run internet safety sessions for pupils, parents and carers, and staff members. They have worked with schools, local authorities, foster parent groups and local police forces.[8]
Policy work
Childnet are involved in policy work in the UK and internationally, and they aim to facilitate the involvement of young people in the policy process.
Will Gardner, CEO of Childnet, sits on the Executive Board of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety.[9] In November 2011, Childnet facilitated the involvement of young people in an Executive Board meeting of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety.[10]
Childnet is part of Facebook’s Safety Advisory Board, composed of five leading internet safety organisations. Facebook consults with these organisations on issues related to online safety.[11]
Childnet launched the Youth IGF Project in 2009 to respond to constructive criticisms made of the Internet Governance Forum that there had been very limited involvement of young people at the IGF.[12] Since then, Childnet has facilitated the involvement of young people from the UK in the annual conference, and in 2012, they delivered the first ever youth-chaired workshop at the IGF.[13]
UK Safer Internet Centre
The UK Safer Internet Centre is coordinated by a partnership of three leading organisations; Childnet International, the South West Grid for Learning and the Internet Watch Foundation. It is co-funded by the European Commission and has three main functions: an Awareness Centre, a Helpline and a Hotline.[14]
Safer Internet Day
Safer Internet Day is celebrated worldwide to raise awareness about online safety.[15] Childnet, as part of the UK Safer Internet Centre, coordinate Safer Internet Day in the UK. Safer Internet Day 2013 saw over 300 organisations in the UK taking part.[16] The UK Safer Internet Centre hosted a 12-hour radio show[17] and published the results of a survey of over 24,000 young people aged 7–19.[18]
Vision and values
Childnet’s vision [19] is to ensure that:
- all young people are equipped with the knowledge and skills to be able to navigate the online environment safely and responsibly; and that those who support children - parents, carers, and teachers etc. - are equipped to do so.
- those involved in developing and providing, and those regulating the internet and new technologies (both current and future) recognise and implement policies and programmes which prioritise the rights of children so that their interests are both promoted and protected.
Childnet’s core values [19] are to:
- Be child-focussed
- Take a balanced approach
- Work in partnership
- Be independent
- Be internationally oriented
- Work for all children
- Defend freedom of speech
- Be committed to excellence
- Be quick to respond
Anti-filesharing campaign and media industry funding
Childnet has received funding from the recording and broadcasting industries[20] to produce a guide for parents about copyright and how to access digital content legally and safely. The leaflet was distributed to every secondary school in the UK in 2010[21] and is available online to read and download.[22] It warns of a link between filesharing, computer viruses and unwanted access to pornography and violent images.[23]
References
- ↑ http://www.childnet.com/resources
- ↑ http://www.childnet.com/shop
- ↑ http://www.childnet.com
- ↑ http://www.kidsmart.org.uk
- ↑ http://www.digizen.org
- ↑ http://www.chatdanger.com
- ↑ http://www.saferinternet.org.uk
- ↑ http://www.childnet.com/what-we-do/our-work-in-schools
- ↑ https://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/safeguardingchildren/b00222029/child-internet-safety/ukccis-board-members
- ↑ https://www.education.gov.uk/ukccis/about/b0076378/executive-board/meeting-notes
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/help/222332597793306
- ↑ http://www.youthigfproject.com/about
- ↑ http://www.youthigfproject.com/our-youth-led-workshop
- ↑ http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/about
- ↑ http://www.saferinternetday.org
- ↑ http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/2013/supporters
- ↑ http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/2013/live-radio
- ↑ http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/2013/survey
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Childnet's vision and values". Retrieved 31 May 2013.
- ↑ http://www.childnet.com/what-we-do/supporters
- ↑ http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/36687/childnet-joins-forces-media-industries
- ↑ http://www.childnet.com/resources/downloading/home
- ↑ http://www.childnet.com/ufiles/downloads_uk_edition.pdf