For Safer Internet Day, Tuesday 8 February, the UK Safer Internet Centre hopes to inspire a national conversation about using technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively.
Last year, the Safer Internet Day campaign reached 51% of children in the UK aged 8-17 years old – and 31% of teachers who engaged with the day said that it led to disclosures about potential safeguarding issues online.
This year, Safer Internet Day will be celebrated with the theme ‘All fun and games? Exploring respect and relationships online’. The UK Safer Internet Centre has produced new educational resources for delivering this theme with 3-18 year olds.
Children and young people are passionate about the internet and the opportunities it offers them. They are active and innovative technology users who play a key role in shaping the interactive entertainment spaces they are a part of. From gaming to livestreaming, young people are seeking out connection, community, and collaboration, but there are also emerging safety issues which need addressing.
Working with young people is key to equipping them with the skills they need to keep themselves and others safe in these spaces. Here are three approaches that can be used to challenge them to foster supportive relationships and respectful communities when online.
Initiate conversation and start with the positives
We often hear from young people that they can find online safety lessons and messages in school boring or outdated. This doesn’t match up to the fast paced and exciting online world they’re familiar with and can lead to a lack of engagement. Safer Internet Day is an opportunity to celebrate everything the internet has to offer and particularly the positive experiences young people are enjoying.
Initiate conversations in school by asking young people to share their favourite games or apps, discuss their favourite online experiences or talk about the ways the internet has changed the world for the better. By getting started on a positive note, you’re better placed to bridge into the key safety messages and young people will feel like their experiences have been recognised and acknowledged as opposed to dismissed.
All the education materials produced for Safer Internet Day 2022 include activities that are designed to draw out young people’s positive online experiences. One of our favourites is Gaming and Me which can be found in the Activity Menu for 11-14 year olds.
Encourage empathy and consider different perspectives
One challenge for young people navigating online friendships and relationships is that it can be hard to know what other online users are feeling, especially in the absence of facial expressions, body language and tone of voice which help us when communicating face-to-face.
Providing activities which actively encourage young people to reflect on how different people might feel or respond to online conflict will help them practise important strategies that can help them manage their relationships online.
All the education materials produced for Safer Internet Day 2022 include specially created scenarios and personas which will help young people put themselves in someone else’s shoes. We particularly recommend Hot Seat from the Activity Menu for 14-18 year olds and the Safer Internet Day Quiz from the Activity Menu for 7-11 year olds. (An interactive version of this quiz is coming soon!)
Peer-to-peer learning and knowledge sharing
Encouraging young people to think about different perspectives online doesn’t have to rely on scenarios or drama activities. Even in a small group of students, you will find lots of different attitudes, experiences and levels of expertise! Online safety is a fantastic opportunity to encourage peer-to-peer learning opportunities and to empower young people to share the knowledge and understanding they already have.
If you work with younger children, have a look at Getting into character from the Activity Menu for 3-7 year olds and involves students presenting online safety advice to camera.
In all the Safer Internet Day materials you’ll also find advice and guidance for establishing a safe learning environment with students of any age. This is important to ensure students know your classroom is a safe space to share and provides a great opportunity to model respectful communication in a controlled, offline setting.
Your educational setting can showcase what you are doing for Safer Internet Day 2022 by registering as a supporter here and by downloading the social media pack for the day.
Finally, we know the most effective online safety messages will be repeated at home as well as in school. Encouraging families to celebrate Safer Internet Day 2022 together is a great way to get conversations started. Why not share our tailored advice for parents and carers with your community to get the ball rolling?
