Kids need a ‘digital watchdog’ to protect them from online bullying, urges Children’s Commissioner
Year-long study showed youngsters do not have skills needed to cope with the dangers of the internet
KIDS need a ‘digital watchdog’ to protect them from online bullying, according to a report from the Children’s Commissioner
Anne Longfield is calling for urgent action to be taken after the results of a year-long study showed youngsters did not have the skills needed to cope with the dangers of the internet.
The new report, entitled Growing Up Digital, comes as The Sun is stepping up its Beat the Bullying campaign to stamp out the sharing of vile videos showing children being attacked.
Launched a month ago with the NSPCC, the aim is to educate children, parents and teachers about the horrendous effect filming an act of bullying, then putting it on social media, can have on children.
The results of Ms Longfield’s inquiry found that currently adults are unable to deal with the pace of technological change that effects the young people in their charge.
She said kids were left to learn about online activity alone, saying: “Like many parents, I’m concerned we’re failing to equip children with the skills they need.”
The commissioner added: “While adults have a tendency to talk about risks as if they come from strangers and far away, children see risk – of bullying and violent or sexual content for example – arising in their everyday chat with people from school and find these much harder to negotiate”.
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Her report calls a digital ombudsman to help children remove content about themselves from the web, and compulsory education on ‘digital citizenship’ from the age of four.
It also urges social media firms to get rid of “impenetrable terms and conditions” that gives them “control over children’s data without any accountability”.
The Growing Up Digital Taskforce discovered that children often do not know who to complain to about online bullying, and are unhappy with the outcome.
Ms Longfield said: “I urge the Government to extend the powers of the Children’s Commissioner so that there is independent oversight of the number and type of complaints that social media providers are receiving from young people and I can recommend further action where required.”
It also found that children now spend half of all their leisure time online.
Even three and four-year-olds use the internet an average of eight hours and 18 minutes a week – up from six hours, 48 minutes.
An NSPCC spokesman said: “This report raises vital questions about how children grow up safely online and we welcome the Children’s Commissioner’s recommendations.
“In particular, we have long called for greater openness by internet companies about what they are doing to keep children safe and what action is taken to remove content when concerns are raised.
“A digital ombudsman would need to be truly independent of industry and Government, if they are to be a strong advocate for children and help ensure that internet companies adhere to a set of minimum standards for child safety online.”