A comprehensive package of measures to help children and young people make the most of the internet and video games, while protecting them from harmful and inappropriate material was launched today with the publication of the eagerly anticipated Byron Review into Children and New Technology.

In launching her independent Report today, Safer Children in a Digital World, Dr Tanya Byron, a clinical psychologist and mother of two, set out an ambitious action plan for Government, industry and families to work together to support children’s safety online and to reduce access to adult video games.

Since being asked by the Prime Minister in September 2007 to lead an independent review, Dr Byron has engaged in a rigorous process and has been widely complimented for setting new standards in engagement with the public and industry on such an important debate. As a result of these efforts, Dr Byron has been able to set out a detailed analysis of the evidence of the risks and benefits of new technologies, examine this evidence against child and brain development theory and research and provide a comprehensive evaluation of the work already being done to protect children when online or playing video games.

Dr Byron concludes that while new technologies bring incredible opportunities to children and young people, parent’s general lack of confidence and awareness is leaving children vulnerable to risks within their digital worlds. Many parents seem to believe that when their child is online it is similar to them watching television – Dr Byron is keen to emphasise that in fact it is more like opening the front door and letting your child go outside to play, unsupervised. Digital world risks are similar to real world risks but can be enhanced by the anonymity and ubiquity that the online space brings.

In order to improve children’s on-line safety, Dr Byron makes a number of ground breaking recommendations including:

• The creation of a new UK Council for Child Internet Safety, established by and reporting to the Prime Minister, and including representation from across Government, industry, children’s charities and other key stakeholders including children, young people and parent panels.

• Challenging industry to take greater responsibility in supporting families through: establishing transparent and independently monitored codes of practice on areas such as user generated content; improving access to parental control software and safe search features; and better regulation of online advertising.

• Kick starting a comprehensive public information and awareness campaign on child internet safety across Government and industry, and which includes an authoritative ‘one stop shop’ on child internet safety.

• Setting in place sustainable education and children’s service initiatives to improve the skills of children and their parents around e-safety.

On video games, Dr Byron recommends a range of high profile and targeted efforts to help inform parents what games are right for their children, such as:

• Reforming the classification system for rating video games with one set of symbols on the front of all boxes which are the same as those for film.

• Lowering the statutory requirement to classify video games to 12+, so that it is the same as film classification and easier for parents to understand.

• Clear and consistent guidance for industry on how games should be advertised.

• Challenging industry to provide sustained and high profile efforts to increase parents understanding of age ratings and improved parental controls.

Dr Byron said:
“The internet and video games are now very much a part of growing up and offer unprecedented opportunities to learn, develop and have fun. However, with new opportunities come potential risks. My recommendations will help children and young people make the most of what all digital and interactive technologies can offer, while enabling them and their parents to navigate all these new media waters safely and with the knowledge that more is being done by government and the internet and video game industries to help and support them.

“We live in an increasingly risk averse culture where we are limiting our children’s out of home experiences because of fear of harm. However, risk taking is a developmental imperative of childhood - young people and children will always want to explore boundaries by taking risks, and they will sometimes play this out, at home, in the digital world with many parents unaware of this. In the same way that we teach our children how to manage ‘real world’ risks, for example crossing roads, in stages and with rules, supervision and monitoring that changes as they learn and develop their independence, we need to engage with children as they develop and explore their online and gaming worlds.

“This is also about overcoming the generational ‘digital divide’ where parents do not feel equipped to help their children because they didn’t grow up with these sophisticated technologies themselves and therefore don’t understand them; this can lead to fear and a sense of helplessness. This is compounded by children and young people’s greater skill and confidence in using new technology.

“But by putting in place the right roles and support for children, young people and families we can reduce much of the anxiety that currently exists by taking a joint and shared responsibility with everyone – industries, government, education, child welfare organisations and law enforcement - playing their part.

A useful way for us all to think about this is to look at how we protect children in places of benefit and risk in the real (offline) world: public swimming pools. Here there are safety signs and information; shallow as well as deep ends; swimming aids and lifeguards; doors, locks and alarms. However children will sometimes take risks and jump into waters too deep for them or want to climb walls and get through locked doors – therefore we also teach them how to swim. We must adopt the same combination of approaches in order to enable our children and young people to navigate these exciting digital waters while supporting and empowering them to do so safely.”

Source: By UK Department for Children, School and Families