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“Dizzywood’s unique virtual environment offers our kids a wonderful environment in which they can learn important lessons through activities that require thoughtful decision-making. We hope the success of this program offers a model for other youth programs to follow.”  The partnership reinforces the findings of two recent studies of elementary school students conducted by UC Davis. The studies observed that children find ways to transform their experiences with technology into fun, highly organized group activities and that technology-based activities can be explicitly designed to foster social reflection and advanced planning among young children. 

They define sexting as - "sending, receiving and/or posting sexy messages/photos (e.g. photos of themselves in their underwear, or without clothes, messages of a sexual or suggestive nature) online and via cell phone/email."

he survey was self-selecting, i.e. girls volunteered to take it after seeing it promoted on the homepage. This always biases the results.

But I also know how freaked out parents are about all of these issues — and unfortunately, the way this survey is being spun, along with a lot of the media coverage, only perpetuates a culture of fear around these issues.

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is organising on 5 May 2009 (pm) a public presentation on protecting children from harmful content and conduct online. The issue of child protection in regards to online technologies is of major and continuing concern to policy- and law-makers, the wider ICT industry and its end-users. In spring 2008, the EESC unanimously adopted its most recent of several opinions on this topic

This is a follow up to the post on the Meeting on 5th May here.The Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a multiannual Community programme on protecting children using the Internet and other communication technologies represents the latest in a series of initiatives introduced by the European Parliament and Council to promote children’s safety and well-being in the information society.

Cybersmart Detectives is an innovative online game that teaches children key internet safety messages in a safe environment. Children work online in real time liaising with community professionals to solve an internet-themed problem. The activity is based in the school environment, and brings together a number of agencies with an interest in promoting online safety for young people, including State and Federal Police, internet industry representatives and child welfare advocates. In the scenario, children play the role of a school Deputy Principal concerned about the welfare of a new student, who may be being bullied by someone they have met in an internet chat room. Guided by a series of clues, children work collaboratively in teams to solve the mystery of what is worrying the student, and why. 'Cybersmart Guides' respond to the questions and theories posed by the students, and guide the teams through each of the 'clues'. As the scenario unfolds, the children discuss the risks of certain online and offline behaviours, and ways of managing those risks. Although the scenario presented in the activity is simulated, the sense of urgency that excites a class of children taking part is very real. By the end of the activity children will have learned some valuable lessons about some of the risks associated with internet use, especially useful tips for chatting safely online. More importantly, the issues that lie behind the story will have been discussed with professionals who deal with similar issues on a daily basis. Cybersmart Detectives was initially developed by UK-based child advocacy agency Childnet International, and until 2005, operated under the name of Net Detectives. The activity is now independently operated by E-ngagelive. The Australian Communications and Media Authority ( ACMA ), by agreement with E-ngagelive , has adapted the activity for use in Australian schools under the name Cybersmart Detectives.