Better Internet for Kids

With the start of the new school year, the Greek Safer Internet Centre presents a new comprehensive package of educational material aimed at students of all levels, parents, and educators.

The European Commission is actively working to combat online child sexual abuse, including sexual extortion. Sexual extortion is the blackmailing of a person with the use of sexualised images of that person in order to extort sexual acts or material, money, or other benefits from them under the threat of sharing the material without the consent of the depicted person (for example, posting images on social media).

A survey conducted in spring 2025 by the Slovenian Safer Internet Centre at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Ljubljana showed that generative artificial intelligence tools are already used by most pupils in the third triad of primary school (aged 12-15), and by most secondary school students. They are most often used for schoolwork, and to research topics that interest them.

AI applications and deepfakes have become a significant part of our everyday lives. That is why the German Awareness Centre klicksafe aims to empower young people, parents and educational professionals to deal with AI and deepfakes with this year's BackToSchool campaign. The campaign runs throughout September and offers new materials and tips for educational practice. One highlight of the campaign will be the klicksafe school lesson on 1 October, which can be streamed by schools nationwide.

How can we introduce digital safety with children in a way that feels fun and engaging? In Sweden, the Safer Internet Centre and the Swedish Agency for the Media (awareness centre) have joined forces with Story House Egmont to create a unique themed issue of the beloved comic book Donald Duck, focusing entirely on children’s online safety.

On 16 September, Directorate General for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture, and Sport held a youth policy dialogue on cyberbullying to exchange views and hear the perspectives and priorities of young people on how the European Union can develop an action plan against cyberbullying. Participants addressed key issues and provided recommendations to help the European Union tackle cyberbullying.

The study "Safe internet use and parents" conducted by the Centre for Social Informatics at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ljubljana in the summer of 2024 shows that a significant proportion of Slovenian parents do not adhere to professional recommendations regarding the age at which children should access the internet, and the extent of daily internet use.

Cyberbullying is growing fast across Europe, but policymakers still lack a shared definition to track and tackle it effectively. A new Joint Research Centre (JRC) science for policy brief analyses existing definitions and various elements of cyberbullying across academic literature and policy documents. Urgent action is needed to better define, monitor and combat the phenomenon.

The SID Awards in Ireland celebrate the creativity and dedication of students and schools who champion safer, more responsible, and empowering uses of the internet and digital technology.

Young people from Lithuania and Latvia came together to rethink how we live online. Guided by media experts, NGO representatives, and facilitators from Langas į ateitį (part of SIC Lithuania), they created educational games, social media campaigns, and shared their vision for a healthier internet.