Better Internet for Kids

As part of the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) Quality Assurance Programme (QAP), the Insafe-INHOPE Coordination Teams are jointly conducting a set of fourteen country visits to national Safer Internet Centres (SICs) to better understand what is happening in the Member States: monitoring emerging issues and challenges, identifying good practices to be shared, and harvesting the results of the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) policy. On 3-4 October 2022, an online cluster meeting with the Croatian and Slovenian SICs was organized by the Insafe-INHOPE Coordination Team.

The Forum seeks to discuss and showcase initiatives related to developing digital skills for children, parents and teachers while also paying attention to the needs of vulnerable children. This year’s edition takes place in a hybrid format in Brussels, Belgium and online with the theme of Empowering YOUth with skills for the Digital Decade. As part of the European Year of Skills and other policy frameworks, the Safer Internet Forum 2023 focuses on pillars two and three of the BIK+ strategy. It delves into digital empowerment and active participation/respect concerning children and young people.

The Respect Effect is a new anti-bullying educational resource that aims to empower Irish students to recognise and act against online bullying through their positive actions and behaviours and help create an anti-bullying school environment.

Today, 20 November 2023, marks a special day on the calendar. World's Children's Day was first established in 1954 as Universal Children's Day to encourage international togetherness, raise awareness among children worldwide, and improve children's welfare.

Today, 18 November 2023, marks the day of the European Day on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. The Council of Europe created it to inform and discuss the importance of protecting children against child sexual exploitation. The theme of this year, “Learning from victims/survivors of childhood sexual violence to inspire policy change”, underscores the importance of engaging with victims at national and local levels.

During wars, attacks or disasters, social networks are flooded with information. Discussing about these topics requires a thoughtful approach, addressing not only the harsh realities but also the prevalence of fake news and propaganda. Here are a few tips to help children and young people deal with this type of content.

The French Safer Internet Centre, Internet Sans Crainte, was invited to participate in the YUBO initiative, a French social network for young people. On this occasion, AFNOR certification specialists have supported the Yubo initiative to produce a best practice guide for digital platforms.

The BIK+ strategy aims to promote the digital empowerment of young people, and France wanted to affirm its alignment with this European policy by proposing a SID 2023 campaign committed to this goal. For the first time in twenty years, the Safer Internet Day launch event gave a voice to a generation that is much talked about but not much listened to.

In June 2017, Glenn, 15 years old, took his own life. His nude was shared on a fake Instagram account, along with his name: the photo he took with his own phone was only meant for one person, until it ended up on the internet. It became too much for Glenn.

On 10-11 November 2023, the Croatian Safer Internet Centre – in collaboration with A1Croatia – conducted seven free interactive workshops for elementary and high school children. Five schools took part allowing for the participation of 150 attendees in the Reboot InfoGamer activities.