The UK's dedicated organization focused on tackling child sex abuse -- the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre -- launched in Belfast a "have fun, stay in control, know how to report" education campaign that will be going into schools, foster homes and other youth environments across Northern Ireland as well as England, Scotland and Wales.
It is intended that all children in Northern Ireland between the ages of 11 - 15 years will have attended specially prepared safety first sessions by the end of the current academic year.
In total all 71 secondary schools have now signed up to the program.
The program -- called ThinkuKnow -- will focus on online safety and is the first campaign that has not only been designed by an amalgamation of police, child protection specialists, industry and children themselves but which also introduces a dedicated online reporting mechanism. That means children can report any instances of inappropriate online contact at www.thinkuknow.co.uk.
As a result children of all ages are now just a few clicks away from being able to report instances of inappropriate contact to the CEOP Centre who in turn will investigate, and by working with local law enforcement, arrest and ultimately bring to account any offenders.
The program will be delivered in schools across the UK by over 1000 police officers, teachers and child protection teams and will offer an interactive package that will explore online experiences, look at issues such as social networking, gaming sites and more traditional chat rooms and offer vital "safety first" advice to children, young people and their parents.
50 people have been specially trained in Northern Ireland.
Jim Gamble, Chief Executive of the CEOP Centre, and former head of anti-terrorist intelligence in Northern Ireland, explains the rationale:
"The internet is now integral to the lives of our children. It is omnipresent and in many households now acts as a new member of each family. Yet for many parents what their children are doing online is a mystery. Children themselves however continue to push the boundaries with possibilities that are almost endless. So let's be realistic. The internet will not go away and we encourage everyone to use it and maximize it for all the legitimate opportunities it creates.
"But where children go then the predator will follow and in the same way as we safeguard our playgrounds, our parks, our streets, we must secure in whatever way possible the public place that is the internet.
"Empowering children is one critical way of doing that. Saying to them have fun, while making them aware of the dangers and allowing them to walk into a virtual police environment if they feel threatened makes massive sense. It is a simple approach but one that is vital and if used in the right way - as recent investigations have shown - will allow us to protect children in a way that is proactive, dynamic and above all powerful in bringing the offender to account.
"So our message is clear. We are encouraging a "can do with caution" rather than a "can't do because of fear" approach and saying to children and young people of all ages, and their parents, lets work together in cracking down on this horrendous crime.
"For the potential offender our message is even simpler. As this programme rolls out you will not know if the person you are grooming is now alert to the dangers and only a few clicks away from reporting you to us. That should make anyone think again."
Paul Goggins, Minister for Security and Policing and Chairman of the Organized Crime Taskforce in Northern Ireland welcomed this campaign by endorsing the program and formally opening today's conference.
Paul Goggins said:
"The Child Exploitation and On-line Protection Centre is providing an invaluable service in tackling child sex abuse in both the on-line and off-line environments and I warmly welcome this campaign to Northern Ireland.
"The internet offers tremendous educational, social and recreational opportunities and we want young people to enjoy all it has to offer. However, there are some individuals who are ready to exploit this technology in order to harm children.
"Through Thinkuknow young people across Northern Ireland will learn how to stay safe on-line and more importantly how to protect themselves off-line.
"Today we are sending a clear message to children and parents that the police, schools and child protection agencies are committed to protecting children in the digital environment and providing them with the support they need to protect themselves."
All materials in the education pack - including online resources - have been designed by police and child protection specialists as well as input from the CEOP Centre's dedicated youth panel. The pack includes hard hitting education films, teachers' packs and online resources at www.thinkuknow.co.uk.
The education program -- ThinkuKnow -- is being rolled out to schools, foster homes, youth clubs and other environments on a region-by-region basis and will initially be focused on engagement with 1 million children across Wales, England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The package will include both online and offline resources and all children are being encouraged to visit www.thinkuknow.co.uk with their parents where they will find safety first advice as well as the online reporting mechanism.
Facts and Figures
- 75% of children and young people aged between 9-19 years have internet access at home
- 92% of children and young people aged between 9-19 years have internet access at school
- 84% of children and young people aged between 9-19 years use the internet at least weekly
- 1 in 12 children have met someone offline who they initially engaged with online
- 31% of young people have received unwanted sexual comment online or by text message though only 7% of parents are aware that their child has received such material.
Reference: Livingstone and Bober (2005)
- Internet access in the bedroom is more common amongst children and young people aged 12-15 years compared to 8-11 years.
- Girls aged between 12-15 years are more likely to have access in their bedrooms compared to boys of the same age
- 1 in 5 children researched say they have set up their own website.
Reference: OfCom Media Literacy Audit (2006)
