Online Child Safety Law, Technology and Governance
This work explores the growing convergence between youth culture and digital communication technologies and the corresponding challenges posed to policymakers, examining the current governance debate on online child safety.
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Online Child Safety
10.1057/9780230361003 - Online Child Safety, Joseph Savirimuthu 9780230_241527_01_prexxiv.indd i
10/31/2011 6:03:18 PM
within the category of vulnerable and incompetent individuals (Byrne et al., 2009). It may very well be that better targeting of children who are likely to benefit from specific online safety resilience measures should be regarded as a policy priority and resources allocated appropriately in supporting any initiatives. It is beyond the purpose of this book or the chapter to address the online child safety governance issues that impact those children who come within this category of “at risk” individuals (Chamberlain et al., 2010; Mencap, 2007; Office of the Children’s Commissioner, 2006). The interaction between information security literacy and media literacy For media literacy to fulfil the standards envisaged in the UNCRC and the values highlighted in the Tunis Commitment, three areas needed to be addressed when deploying a hybrid of “regulators” (e.g. State, industry, civil society, parents and educators) and strategies (e.g. mandatory, self- and coregulation) (Ofsted, 2010). First, the measures must aim to enhance ICT competences and knowledge of Web 2.0 technologies (functional literacy). Knowledge and understanding of the tools for using web browsers, instantaneous modes of communication and the affordances of Web 2.0 technologies are a pre-requisite to equipping children with the strategies for risk management (ITU, 2009b). Children will not be able to make informed decisions about how best risks can be managed in a safe and responsible manner if they do not have an understanding of Web 2.0 affordances and terminology. Drawing on studies and surveys under the UK Children Go Online programme, it was suggested that children do not possess the same analytical or evaluative skills with regard to engagement with digital content, when compared with adults (Livingstone, 2003a,b; Livingstone et al., 2005a,c). This, it should be noted, is not always related to online safety and covers generic media literacy issues. The second matter to be addressed is that relating to raising children’s awareness of the nature of digital information and problems associated with authentication and reliability (information security literacy). Whilst the promotion of functional literacy skills is important, safety and awareness raising strategies need to be seen as something more than requiring a technical solution to managing safety and online risks. The term “information security literacy” is not used in the sense of overcoming a child’s perceived lack of cognitive and developmental ability to critically evaluate online information. We can understand “informational security literacy” as a phrase used to denote an awareness and appreciation of the particular attributes of Web 2.0 affordances and the properties of digital information, which if misused, can potentially expose a child and its peers to online safety incidents (Butterfield, 2010). A lack of awareness of the functionalities of inform
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