Children on the Internet: Real Threats of the Virtual World
On Safer Internet Day, the Coalition for Child Online Safety held an educational conference for parents in Kyiv. Children's online safety activities will cover nearly 300 locations across the country.
On February 9, 2010, more than 200 parents of schoolchildren learned how to protect their children from health and life threats caused by internet misuse. The Coalition for Child Internet Safety, founded at the initiative of Microsoft Ukraine, held an educational conference dedicated to Safer Internet Day, celebrated in Europe in over 50 countries. The conference brought together experts from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, public organizations, and business representatives, who shared with parents specific examples of Ukrainian children and teenagers who have become victims of crimes committed online.
Safer Internet Day is celebrated in Ukraine for the second year. As Dmytro Shymkiv, CEO of Microsoft Ukraine, noted: "While previously the Coalition's primary goal was to raise public awareness about internet safety, in 2010 we want to specifically address parents. Ukrainian parents don't fully understand the significant role the internet plays in their children's lives and don't take their online safety and privacy seriously enough. A careless attitude toward the dangers of the virtual world can have very real consequences: from financial losses to psychological and physical abuse of children."
Ruslan Pakhomov, Head of the Cybercrime Unit at the Department for Combating Human Trafficking Crimes of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, shared his experience combating crimes committed against children online: "Ukrainian law enforcement agencies are keeping pace with the times and developing their capacity to combat the realities of the criminal world. Recently, a special unit was formed to identify and document crimes committed using high-tech information technology and telecommunications networks. With the support of Coalition members—Microsoft Ukraine, the American Chamber of Commerce, and Webmoney—we actively communicate and learn from the experience of our international colleagues. However, without public understanding and support, our work will be ineffective. Parents are primarily responsible for the safety of their children; they must teach them cyberculture and online safety rules."
It's worth noting that Ukraine has created fertile ground for cybercrime. According to research, 27% of Ukrainian children aged 6 to 17 confirmed that they had been contacted online by strangers, and 30% of these children had actually made contact. Moreover, children not only readily contact strangers but also disclose personal information about themselves: 28% had sent theirs. This is why one of the Coalition's most important initiatives is the educational program "Onlandia – Children's Internet Safety," which has trained approximately 30,000 children and adolescents and over 7,000 teachers and parents. As a result of the Coalition's efforts, the Ministry of Education and Science (MES) has included the topic of internet safety in the school curriculum for grades 5–12 since the 2009–2010 academic year.
In February 2009, the Coalition's member, the Ministry of Education and Science, recommended that Ukrainian schools hold informational events for parents and children on family online safety in honor of Safer Internet Day. Volunteer trainers from the Coalition will conduct trainings and seminars in nearly 300 Ukrainian towns and villages on this day. Artur Kocharyan, trainer and coordinator of the "Onlandia – Children's Internet Safety" program, said: "The internet has become an integral part of our children's lives. The Coalition's goal is to make it a positive place for socialization, learning, and participation in public life. However, the positive aspects of the internet should not be overshadowed by security risks. We want to make it clear to parents that they can only help their children by first mastering the virtual world themselves. To this end, the Coalition, with the support of Microsoft, is holding Safer Internet Day and a number of other educational initiatives throughout the year."
Since its founding in 2008, the Coalition has carried out hundreds of activities aimed at protecting children online. Key among these is the launch of the educational website "Onlandia – A Safe Web Country," where anyone can obtain necessary information, join the movement, and contribute to solving the problem. The site's popularity is constantly growing, with up to 7,000 unique visitors per month, allowing more and more people to become informed about the problem and take the first steps toward improving the situation. More than 1,300 people have joined the online petition for a safer internet on "Onlandia." The site also launched Ukraine's first safe email service for children, based on Live Mail, free of ads and spam. A WAP version of the site was also launched in September 2009.
Since its inception, the Coalition has welcomed new, strong partners who share its vision and possess the resources to implement the organization's goals. For example, in February 2010, new partner McDonald's distributed Onlyandiya materials in Happy Meals, enabling an additional 100,000 Ukrainian families to receive information on internet safety. In February, the Onlyandiya website will be updated with new educational modules, enabling parents to learn more about using social media and the importance of protecting their privacy when communicating online.
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About Safer Internet Day
Safer Internet Day is celebrated on the first Tuesday in February. The idea for the celebration came from the European Commission (January 2004), supported by the European non-profit organizations European SchoolNet and Insafe. The main coordinator of the day is Insafe (European Safer Internet Network).
In 2009, Safer Internet Day was celebrated through 500 events held in 50 countries around the world. In Ukraine, Safer Internet Day was first celebrated in February 2009 at the initiative of the Coalition for Child Internet Safety.
About the Coalition for Kids' Online Safety
The coalition was founded by Microsoft Ukraine as part of the Partnership in Education program. The members of the Coalition are the non-governmental organizations All-Ukrainian Network to Combat Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (a member of the international organization ECPAT), the International School of Equal Opportunities, the International Center for the Protection of Children from Exploitation and Abduction, the International Organization for Migration, the Institute of the Information Society, the Internet Association of Ukraine, La Strada – Ukraine, the Open World of Information Technologies (IDEA) project, the United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the companies Microsoft Ukraine, Hewlett-Packard, Volia, Astelit (life: trademark), Ukrtelecom (OGO! trademark), Kyivstar, McDonald's Ukraine, PressCom, Vega telecommunications group, ESG communications group, WebMoney Transfer payment system, the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, Edipress Ukraine publishing house, Gala Radio and musician Svyatoslav Vakarchuk.
The coalition is implementing the "Children's Internet Safety" program, which includes a range of activities aimed at educating children, teachers, and parents about internet safety, as well as creating an appropriate legislative and regulatory environment.
