Better Internet for Kids

This image was created to be shared as a paid ad on our social media pages to boost our online presence. The image is accompanied with the following text description:
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Words can really hurt.
Cyberbullying can be extremely damaging, both emotionally and psychologically.
Offer support and kindness, instead of being a bystander so that you can really make a difference.
You have the ability to boost and support in real life by powering up those who are being picked on.
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BeSmartOnline is the Maltese Safer Internet Centre.

The idea of creating a magazine, in which young people's opinions about the online world will be recorded, seemed particularly attractive to the Greek youth panel. So, they collaborated with passion and analyzed issues concerning their involvement with the Internet through their own eyes. The youth panel expressed their opinions on issues like body positivity, catfishing, online gender-based violence, and online fraud. Through their articles, the members of the youth panel analyzed many different kinds of online risks, as well as tips on how a user can stay safe.

To raise awareness and stress the importance of cybersecurity and to promote Cyber Security Month initiative which is on October Latvian SIC created digital poster including eight simple safety advices how to improve cyber security on the daily basis inviting children and adults to take actions to ensure they feel safe and protected online. Privacy, safety settings, safe passwords, 2FA are crucial when taking care of online safety. We also advised schools, libraries and youth centres to print out the poster and place it in lobbies, on notice boards, visitor’s rooms.

To encourage parents to keep close communication with child about their virtual life, it is important to find time to have conversations about safe and responsible use of the Internet. Often what parents think their child/teen is doing online is different from what the child is actually doing online. Therefore, conversations about their child’s virtual life will help parents better understand what they like to do online, as well as talk over the risks on the Internet so that he/she can protect himself.

YouTube and Twitch are one of the most popular gameplay live-streaming platforms that allows gamers to broadcast their gameplay through screen sharing. Children are following such content and very much interested in watching these channels to learn new gaming skills, key principals of definite games etc. However, children's parents should be aware of risks and content being broadcasted that their children are watching.

Do parents know and monitor how much time their children spend on the Internet per week? In order to find good balance between time child spends online and offline Latvian SIC created digital leaflet of tasks for children. Parents can print out the poster and use it at home to put into practice in order set screen time limits for their child daily or weekly. When all the set tasks are completed, child can get screen time. Parents depending on how old is child and what are his/her priorities can decide how much screen time is optimal.

How much time does the child spend on the Internet per week? In order for the child to control himself and learn to plan time he spends online and offline the worksheet ‘My screen time' will be useful for children of primary school age for keeping track of their screen time and online activities.

Children and young people are often victims of hate messages. At the same time, they also spread messages further. Even adults are often not up to date on which actions in the online sphere are relevant under criminal law. The information videos "Stand up against hate on the net!" and "Cyber bullying is punishable!" as well as the accompanying material provide young people with preventive information about hate on the net and cyber bullying. The videos show that the internet is not a lawless space. Young people are sensitised to these two topics and informed where they can get support.

Expert Advice videos featured on the Cyberbullying Guidance for Teachers Information Hub cover a variety of topics including:
- Fostering a student-centred and caring anti-bullying school environment
- Supporting School Leaders in promoting a preventative whole-education approach to cyberbullying
- Cyberbullying research, reporting, moderation and children's rights
- Involving students in cyberbullying prevention and awareness

The aim of this cyberbullying course is to provide teachers with the knowledge, resources and confidence to teach about cyberbullying and deal with cyberbullying incidents as they arise. It seeks to inform post-primary teachers and school leaders about the issue of cyberbullying, outline a school’s role in creating an anti-cyberbullying culture and promoting student’s wellbeing including online wellbeing.