A new report shows that scaring children about online dangers and blocking access to social-networking sites can do more harm than good.

by Rune H. Rasmussen

According to the report "Youth Safety on a Living Internet", parents, teachers, government agencies, and other organisations should promote online citizenship and media-literacy education, and actively encourage the participation of children in the process.

The report was produced by the Online Safety and Technology Working Group, which was tasked by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration in the U.S. to explore online safety.

Teaching is the key to a safe online environment
Teaching children civil, respectful behaviour online and offline is the key to fostering a safe Internet environment, the report says. It urges the government to promote nationwide education in digital citizenship and media literacy and recommends that the government create a Web-based clearinghouse for youth-risk and social-media research.

The report also recommends that an approach to risk prevention based on social norms is promoted, and that "scare tactics" are avoided. Dangerous online behaviour mirrors unsafe offline behaviour and similar notions of etiquette and safety should apply, the report says.

Schools often filter sites or block social networks, believing it is in the best interest of the students. However, computer savvy students can easily get around firewalls and filtering technology, while blocking sites can have a negative effect on student safety, the report warns.

Other dangers
In addition, the report addresses some misperceptions about online dangers. For instance, sexual predation exists "but not nearly in the prevalence once believed," according to the report. The report cited research funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, that show there is a very low statistical probability that a young person will be physically assaulted by an adult whom they first encountered on the Internet.

The report also says:

"Other risks, such as cyberbullying, are actually much more common than thought--starting as early as second grade for some children. Bullying and harassment, most often by peers, are the most frequent threats that minors face, both online and offline."

Nine percent to 35 percent of young people report being the victim of "electronic aggression", according to a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control.

"Meanwhile, 'new' issues such as 'sexting' garner a great deal of media attention, though recent studies suggest it is not quite as common as initially believed," the report says.

Source:

CNet
Scare tactics, blocking sites can be bad for kids

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