Going online is now embedded in children’s daily lives. Whether on a computer at school, a laptop at home, a games console or mobile phone, children and young people are increasingly accessing the internet, not just for surfing the web, but for accessing schoolwork assignments, playing games, downloading films and music, social networking and sharing video content

The rapid growth in the range of internet services and applications and the ever-increasing take-up of the internet have created new opportunities to harm or abuse young internet users. Broadly speaking, the internet has proved to be a new medium through which some commonly forms of child maltreatment, sexual and emotional abuses may be pursued.

This is evidenced by the recently published report on a survey conducted by the EU Kids Online Network, a thematic network examining European research on cultural, contextual and risk issues in children’s safe use of the internet and new media. This study was conducted amongst 25,000 European minors (nine to 16 years of age) and their parents, and focused on children’s risks and safety while surfing the internet. It was funded by the European Commission’s Safer Internet Programme, aimed at empowering and protecting children and young people online by awareness-raising initiatives and by fighting illegal and harmful online content and conduct.

This report reveals that 14% of the minors who took part in the survey admitted to having seen sexual images online. It also discloses the fact that sexual content is not only found on websites but is also being circulated via electronic devices among peers. In fact 15% of European minors said that they have received sexual messages in the past year. Online bullying, discussions about suicide and drugs and invitations to meet or send information and photographs of a sexual nature were also reported.

What is striking is the lack of parental awareness about their children’s harmful experiences while on the internet. Only 8% of the parents interviewed said that their children were bothered by something online.

Making the internet a better place for children and young people is one of the priorities of the Digital Agenda for Europe, one of the flagship initiatives under the Europe 2020 Strategy, a 10-year strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in the EU. The Digital Agenda outlines several policies and actions to maximise the benefit of the digital revolution for all, including actions relating to internet security. It calls on member states to fully implement hotlines for reporting offensive or harmful online content, organise awareness-raising campaigns on online safety for children, offer online safety teaching in schools, and encourage providers of online services to implement self-regulatory measures regarding online safety for children by 2013.

Some of these measures are already being implemented locally. Aġenżija Appoġġ runs the Supportline 179, a free and confidential telephone help-line for anyone who may be experiencing online abuse or wants to report harmful activity content relating to children and young people over the internet.

Moreover the Directorate for Education Services will shortly be launching a school campaign as part of the ‘BeSmartOnline! Project’. This project, which was launched on 16 February, 2011, and is co-funded through the ‘Safer Internet Programme’, is being implemented via a partnership between the Malta Communications Authority (MCA), Aġenzija Appoġġ, the Directorate for Educational Services, and the Commissioner for Children. This project aims at raising awareness and educating minors, parents and educators on the risks associated with the use of the Internet. The campaign will teach all primary and secondary education students on the various issues they may encounter online and give advice on how to protect oneself. This campaign will be substantiated through a mass media campaign emphasising the support offered through Supportline 179.

The Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee (Meusac) is organising a seminar on the Digital Agenda for Europe on Wednesday. The themes to be discussed in the workshops include: Broadband and the digital single market; e-skills and e-inclusion; keeping safe on the internet; and using technology to improve the quality of life.

Those interested in attending the seminar are requested to register

by sending an email to [email protected] or by phone on 2200-3300.