ConnectSafely.org co-director Larry Magid's presentation at the child protection panel at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Nairobi, Kenya. September 30, 2011

1. Everything I know about protecting children I learned from a visit to Nairobi National Park Larry Magid Co-director ConnectSafely.org larry@connectsafely.org Photos taken by Larry Magid in Nairobi Nat’l Park on Sept 24, 2011

2. Some children need to be rescued or protected

3. But all children …

4. Need to be nurtured

5. Encouraged to nurture themselves

6. To present themselves properly

7. Pay attention to what’s around them

8. Get support from peers

9. To stand tall

10. And allowed to be free

11. We are in the midst of a global information & social revolution, led by youth

12. Of course there are risks in life, so…

13. Who can best protect youth? Government? Law enforcement? Parents?

14. Or young people themselves?

15. 4 Types of Online Safety Physical safety – freedom from physical harm Psychological safety – freedom from cruelty, harassment, and exposure to potentially disturbing material Reputational and legal safety – freedom from unwanted social, academic, professional, and legal consequences that could affect you for a lifetime Identity, property, and community safety – freedom from theft of identity & property Items 1 through 3 are from Anne Collier’s NetFamilyNews

16. The ‘Net effect’ For the most part,the online world is pretty much like the “real world,” but there are a few special things to think about It can be permanent Material can be copied and pasted Lots of people can see it You don’t know for sure who’s seeing it AND Disinhibition: Lack of visual cues reducesempathy Source: adapted from danahboyd: Taken out of Context, 2008

17. Elements of Online Safety 3.0 Make Net safety relevant to youth in the context of how they use social media, learn, and live their lives. View youth as participants and stakeholders in positive Internet use rather than potential victims, and empower them to protect themselves. Promote good citizenship Teach new media literacy Understand the value of informal learning Be accurate and honest about risks Encourage industry to engage in best practices, including promoting good citizenship in the communities they run os3.ConnectSafely.org

18. Fences have their place but … To keep kids safe around all water, we teach kids to swim

19. Ultimately, the best filter runs between the child’s ears, not on a device Protection that lasts a lifetime Training wheels for young kids

21. Fear messaging & exaggerating risk can backfire

22. Fear paralyzes & can lead to irrational decisionsIllustration: CustumeHum.com (Creative Commons License)

23. Building resilience through digital skills Encouraging children to do more online will improve their digital skill set. Teaching safety skills is likely to improve other skills, while teaching instrumental and informational skills will also improve safety skills. Inequalities in digital skills persist – in terms of SES, age and, to a lesser degree, gender. So efforts to overcome these are needed. Low skills among younger children are a priority for teachers and parents, as ever younger children go online

25. But the risk was highly exaggerated

26. Media and politicians confused “unwanted sexual solicitation” with predationIllustration: CustumeHum.com (Creative Commons License)

27. The rise of the web in the U.S. has not resulted in increased victimization of children 51% Decline (during the period of the Web’s existence) Blue line represents 58% decline in child sex abuse from 1992 to 2008 Source: Updated Trends in Child Maltreatment, 2008: Finkelhor, Jones and Shattuck: Crimes Against Children Research Center

28. Moving right along The Internet Safety Technical Task Force found that: “Bullying and harassment, most often by peers, are the most salient threats that minors face, both online and offline.” Which naturally leads to ….

29. Cyberbullying Panic! “85% of 12 and 13 year-olds have had experience with cyberbullying,” according to one claim

31. While some are very vulnerable, most children are reasonably resilient.

32. Across Europe, 6% of 9 to 16-year-old internet users have been bullied online. 3% confess to having bullied others. *

33. Far more have been bullied offline, with 19 per cent saying they have been bullied at all – and 12 per cent have bullied someone else** EU Kids Online

34. How you treat others affects your risk “Among those who do not bully others, being bullied is relatively rare 8% offline only, and 4% online”* “Youth who engage in online aggressive behavior by making rude or nasty comments or frequently embarrassing others are more than twice as likely to report online interpersonal victimization.” + * EU Kids Online +Internet Safety Technology Taskforce

36. If people think their friends don’t smoke, they’re less likely to smoke.

37. Same is true with over-eating, excessive alcohol use and other negative behaviors, including bullying**Assessing Bullying in New Jersey Secondary Schools: Applying the Social Norms Model to Adolescent Violence: Craig, Perkins 2008

38. Example of positive norming Source: Assessing Bullying in New Jersey Secondary Schools: Applying the Social Norms Model to Adolescent Violence: Craig, Perkins 2008

39. The End

40. Thank you! Larry Magid larry@connectsafely.org os3.connectsafely.org