Many positive reports on e-safety are emerging from the trenches of researchers, and professional caregivers across the world.

Reading up on my “e-satefy literature” I fell upon the the Byron Review – Children and New Technology (2008) And I’m happy to see that conclusions are pointing towards a well considered approach to protecting Kids online.

In a positive approach rather than a “scare parents to death about letting their kids go online approach” – she writes:

"Through the right combination of successes against these three objectives – reducing availability, restricting access and increasing resilience to harmful and inappropriate material online – we can adequately manage the risks to children online. (…) Findings from the evidence set out in Chapter 3 (the full report – read here) show that the potential risks online are closely correlated with potential benefits. Data is beginning to reveal risks to young people in terms of increased exposure to sexually inappropriate content, contributions to negative beliefs and attitudes, stranger danger, cyberbullying and access to inappropriate content from sites which may promote harmful behaviors”

Further more – Byron points out that getting wise on e-satefy means handling three aspects.

1. reducing availability
2. restricting access
3. increasing resilience to harmful and inappropriate material online

Byron points to the fact that many parties are involved in this work. Ranging from schools, governments, commercial partners – and of cause the parents at home.

She writes – “While the extensive network of agencies that engage with children can play a key role in e-safety, parenting and the home environment remain paramount. Any comprehensive, package of reform to minimise risks to children on the internet must help parents – who are in the best position to know and understand the individual differences between their children – develop their skills around e-safety.

The evidence suggests that there is a need to put in place a range of policies and initiatives to increase the quality, availability and delivery of parenting support and family support regarding e-safety. In particular, this support should focus on measures that raise parents’ e-skills and confidence to enable them to protect their children effectively themselves.

You can read more about Dr. Tanya Byron at wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanya_Byron