Promoting Online Safety for Young People

Thousands of children in South Tyneside will take part in activities next week in a bid to boost safety online.

A range of activities and events, including a virtual quiz, will be held to mark Safer Internet Day next Tuesday (9 February). Run, by South Tyneside Council in partnership with schools, the quiz will test young people's knowledge of safety rules and help them to spot online fakes. 

The theme of this year's awareness day is - "An internet we trust: exploring reliability in the online world"and looks at how young people can separate fact from fiction.

The events will focus on giving young people the skills to question and challenge what they see and hear online and helping them to decide what to believe. They will explore how influence, persuasion and manipulation can impact young people's decisions, opinions and what they share online.  Schools will also look at the emotional impact that a misleading online world can have on young people. 

Councillor Moira Smith, Lead Member for Children, Young People and Families, said: "Doing these fun activities is a great way to get the message across to our young people.

"We have a responsibility to teach children how to conduct themselves responsibly in the online world and it's even more important than ever now with so many students learning remotely.  By giving young people the skills to understand that not everything they see and hear is true, we are preparing them to be discerning citizens of the 21st century."

Safer Internet Day is just one of a number of initiatives that the Council's  ICT in Schools team get involved in. Last year, in partnership with Northumbria Police, they ran a series of sessions on cyber security for 10 - 12 year olds while younger children were invited to take part in sessions concentrating on cyber bullying.  These "Choose Kindness" sessions were attended by more than 1,100 children from 15 schools.  To find out more about the help and support offered, visit www.ictinschools.org