Better Internet for Kids

With the programmes Webetic and Veilig Online, Child Focus provides media education for parents in cooperation with the ‘League des familles’ and ‘de Gezinsbond’. The training courses are interactive: parents are invited to share their ideas and experiences through statements, facts, video testimonials and tips.  

This initiative will soon be reproduced in other countries in Europe as part of the European SafeOnline Initiative (ESOI). In 2021, facilitators from the partnership countries (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, and Romania) were trained in the techniques and contents of these programmes.  

In the programme, five different training modules are available: 

1. Social media. Many young people are almost continuously engaged in online social interactions. The online module on social media teaches parents and carers which social media their children use and how to set boundaries about it within the family.  
2. Internet and privacy. This module is asking parents to think about what they put on the internet themselves and teaches them how to critically deal with settings, advertising, passwords and gives them a lot of privacy tips for their children. 
3. Online relationships and sexuality.  Flirting, falling in and out of love, experimenting with relationships and sex: it's all part of growing up. Young people are also taking these steps online oftentimes. They send selfies, do sexting and watch porn, all from their smartphone. This module talks to parents about what they want and need to know, and when they should intervene.  
4. Cyberbullying. Being bullied can make a child’s life hell, especially if it also happens online and does not stop in the offline world. The online module on cyberbullying teaches parents how cyberbullying works and who the perpetrators and victims are. 
5. Gaming. Gaming is one of the favourite hobbies of young people., and sometimes a source of annoyance or concern for parents and carers. This session allows parents to explore the world of gaming and provides explanations and tips. 

Discover more about Webetic, the French training course by Child Focus, on the website of the programme, and check out more information about Veilig Online, the Dutch training course by Child Focus on their website.  

Find out more about the work and initiatives of the Belgian Safer Internet Centre or find similar information for Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe. On the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) platform, additional useful tools for parents, carers and teachers can be found in the resource repository and in the Guide to apps section.