IoS investigation: Children & the Net


1 in 12 teenage users has met a stranger via the internet
6 in 10 have personal profiles on networking sites
50,000 paedophiles are online at any one time
Two-thirds of 12 to 19-year-old users hide online activities
MPs call for 'e-safety' lessons in British schools
By Sophie Goodchild and Jonathan Owen
Published:06 August 2006




Schoolchildren are to be taught about the dangers of the internet amid growing concern at the threat posed by paedophiles targeting chatrooms and social networking sites.

A "family-friendly" system of "kite-marking", on government-approved websites and computer software, is one of several measures being considered by the Home Secretary, John Reid.

Children will also receive lessons in "e-safety" in the drive to educate young people to protect themselves in cyberspace.

The moves follow a far-reaching investigation by The Independent on Sunday into the scale of the threat to children, revealing that there are more than 50,000 abusers surfing the net at any time. One in 12 teenagers hasmet face-to-face a stranger they first encountered online.

The IoS investigation reveals that abusers are obtaining the names and addresses of potential victims by hacking into "buddy lists".

The classes, which will be part of the national curriculum, will be rolled out nationally from September after being piloted in a number of schools.

The Government's internet child protection watchdog, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, will also launch a national campaign warning of the dangers of sharing information online.

Paedophiles are also hijacking innocent images of toddlers and infants in online family albums and using them to create images of child abuse.

In some cases, offenders are using ****ographic images to "normalise" child sex and convince victims that it is not taboo.

Children are unwittingly leaving themselves open to abuse by revealing personal details about themselves, say children's charities. The rise in popularity of sites such as Bebo and My Space has made young people vulnerable to exploitation. Companies running the sites are working with police to improve security, but child protection experts say that more must be done.

"Although grooming via the internet is not a new occurrence, the simplicity with which anybody can find out hugely personal details and pictures at the click of a button means that children are unwittingly laying themselves open to abuse," said Nikki Kerr, from Kidscape.

Record numbers of teenagers and children are signing up to "friendship" sites, which are replacing traditional meeting grounds such as the park or after-school clubs.

A spate of high-profile cases in which children have been targeted over the internet include that of Mark Bedford, whose alleged victims include more than 40 girls in Kent and the South-east of England. The 21-year-old Canadian who is facing child ****ography charges used the pseudonym Supalover666.

Simon Thomas, a church minister from Hythe in Hampshire and father of four, was sentenced on Monday to life in prison for exposing himself to boys online.

MPs are also calling for an international "children's charter", which would outline new standards for internet providers and protect children from abuse on the web.


Schoolchildren are to be taught about the dangers of the internet amid growing concern at the threat posed by paedophiles targeting chatrooms and social networking sites.

A "family-friendly" system of "kite-marking", on government-approved websites and computer software, is one of several measures being considered by the Home Secretary, John Reid.

Children will also receive lessons in "e-safety" in the drive to educate young people to protect themselves in cyberspace.

The moves follow a far-reaching investigation by The Independent on Sunday into the scale of the threat to children, revealing that there are more than 50,000 abusers surfing the net at any time. One in 12 teenagers hasmet face-to-face a stranger they first encountered online.

The IoS investigation reveals that abusers are obtaining the names and addresses of potential victims by hacking into "buddy lists".

The classes, which will be part of the national curriculum, will be rolled out nationally from September after being piloted in a number of schools.

The Government's internet child protection watchdog, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, will also launch a national campaign warning of the dangers of sharing information online.

Paedophiles are also hijacking innocent images of toddlers and infants in online family albums and using them to create images of child abuse.

In some cases, offenders are using ****ographic images to "normalise" child sex and convince victims that it is not taboo.


Children are unwittingly leaving themselves open to abuse by revealing personal details about themselves, say children's charities. The rise in popularity of sites such as Bebo and My Space has made young people vulnerable to exploitation. Companies running the sites are working with police to improve security, but child protection experts say that more must be done.

"Although grooming via the internet is not a new occurrence, the simplicity with which anybody can find out hugely personal details and pictures at the click of a button means that children are unwittingly laying themselves open to abuse," said Nikki Kerr, from Kidscape.

Record numbers of teenagers and children are signing up to "friendship" sites, which are replacing traditional meeting grounds such as the park or after-school clubs.

A spate of high-profile cases in which children have been targeted over the internet include that of Mark Bedford, whose alleged victims include more than 40 girls in Kent and the South-east of England. The 21-year-old Canadian who is facing child ****ography charges used the pseudonym Supalover666.

Simon Thomas, a church minister from Hythe in Hampshire and father of four, was sentenced on Monday to life in prison for exposing himself to boys online.

MPs are also calling for an international "children's charter", which would outline new standards for internet providers and protect children from abuse on the web.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5238992.stm

A virtual ID card designed to improve children's net safety has been launched in the UK, US, Canada and Australia.

The NetIDMe card can be swapped by children online when using chatrooms, instant messaging and social networks.

Parents and children can apply for the card using credit card details and a form countersigned by a professional who knows the child concerned.

It is hoped that the card will make it harder for adults to pose as children when online.

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) has said one in 12 children met up with someone encountered first online.

Online friends

The ID scheme was set up by UK businessman Alex Hewitt after he discovered that his daughter could only verify the age and identity of a third of her 150 online friends.
He said: "People want to feel safe online and know the people they are talking to are who they say they are."

The company said it would also use software techniques "similar to those used by the passport agency" to authenticate applications for the ID card.

The system can only work if two children messaging each other online have both signed up to the scheme.

Children swap their assigned NetID nicknames and take turns to log onto the service's website.

The IDs are confirmed only if both parties have entered their e-mail address and passwords into the service. The card costs £10 a year and Mr Hewitt said he hoped it would "substantially reduce" the risk of young children being targeted by adults.

Jim Gamble, chief executive of the Ceop Centre, said: "Any measure that can help identify the real age of someone online is one more step to deterring people from assuming different online identities to exploit, groom and abuse children over the internet."

Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Porter, head of interventions, of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, said technology could not guarantee complete protection.

He said: "We would advise all parents and young people to remain vigilant to potential dangers and ensure no personally identifiable information is shared with online strangers."