SPEAKING NOTE

Introduction

When we think of the internet, we immediately think of the way it is

dramatically changing our lives: the world’s knowledge at our fingertips;
the speed with which we can share information; the ability to work and
create with people from all over the world. Children have made this new
environment a natural home, learning its skills quickly, inhabiting it far
more quickly than we have, astonishing us with the directions that they
are pushing this new technology. For many children, the internet is not
simply a device, or a technology, it’s a part of their world, seamless with
the physical world that lies outside of chat-rooms, blogs and websites.

In this light, it seems strange to linger on the dangers of this new world,
perhaps even a little perverse that we should act so protectively of
children and young people about the risks of communicating and living
online. Some might argue that we are over-reacting, letting our own
unfamiliarity with the possibilities of such a radical change in our lives
make us see demons in the shadows. As parents and carers, as those
who help children become successful learners, confident individuals,
effective contributors and responsible citizens, at times, the question
arises: are we over-reacting?
But while it is the prerogative of children and young people to explore
and enjoy these new possibilities, it is our responsibility to ensure they
do so safely. What we are experiencing in not new. Whenever our world
is transformed by new technologies, issues of safety are never been far
behind. Think of the motor vehicle. In 1894, the first motorcar was
introduced into Great Britain; and within 2 years, the first traffic lights and
audible warnings were introduced and the first speeding ticket issued.
Indeed, the concerns we’re expressing are as natural a response to
these amazing developments as the sense of vertigo and wonder at the
pace of change.

All of us here are aware of online dangers. They range from serious
threats to the physical well-being of our children through the acts of
predators, to their emotional health through the damaging effects of
cyber-bullying, to the financial harm that can come from online fraud. I
don’t want to dwell on these dangers – we will hear more about them as
the day progresses. And I don’t want to dwell on the fear that’s
associated with these dangers, as well as the lack of fear, of caution,
that some young people have towards the internet and their parents and
carers have about the potential vulnerability of their children.

Instead, I want to speak briefly about what we are doing, what we will
continue to do, in striking the right balance in how children and young
people approach this new technology and how they can revel in the way
it can enrich their lives without leaving themselves exposed to these
dangers. In setting the tone of the conference, I want to focus on the
practical steps we can all take to maintain the internet as a powerful tool
in our children’s development.
Scottish Child Internet Safety Strategy

In February last year, the Scottish Government set out its strategy for
child internet safety. We did so against a background of wider UK action
following the Byron Review and the establishment of the UK Council for
Child Internet Safety. Our approach has been to influence and support
actively the work that goes on at UK level while identifying the actions
that we can take in Scotland to make a difference.

Our strategy set out 3 key strands of activity, and in all 3, we have
achieved much over the past year. The first strand has been giving
everybody the skills, knowledge and understanding to help children and
young people stay safe online.

• So we have introduced the first dedicated, Scottish online resource

for education professionals, which facilitates the sharing of best
practice around learning focused on child internet safety and
responsible use and provides materials that can be used in the
classroom.

• We have delivered a national campaign to raise awareness of child

internet safety amongst parents and other adults.

• And we have published new National Child Protection Guidance

which, for the first time, includes a dedicated section on internet
safety and responsible use that discusses the potential risks to
children and young people.
The second strand of our strategy has been inspiring safe and
responsible behaviour.

• As part of this, we ran a national competition to design learning

resources on child internet safety, focusing on materials developed
by children and young people themselves.

• And we have supported the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement

Agency in delivering a series of events to improve understanding
of child internet safety issues amongst police officers and other
partner agencies.

The last strand has been creating a safer online environment. As well as
working with our UK partners in taking this forward, we have been
working with the games industry in Scotland to identify how best we can
work collectively to promote the need for safe and responsible gaming
by young people.

This is what we have been doing over the past year. Today, I am
pleased to publish our second year action plan, setting out how we
intend to build on these and other achievements.
Our approach has not changed, but our actions will. To give everybody
the skills, knowledge and understanding to help children and young
people stay safe online, we will work with the Scottish Qualifications
Authority to update existing accredited learning materials on internet
safety and responsible use. This will provide a comprehensive, best-
practice foundation for supporting education professionals. And working
with the new inspection body, Social Care and Social Work Improvement
Scotland, we will ensure that child internet safety is embedded in the
future scrutiny arrangements of our children’s services, so that we have
in place a clear means of driving continuing improvements across
Scotland.

To inspire safe and responsible behaviour, we will undertake a detailed

consultation with young people in order to understand better how we can
raise awareness on using the internet safely and responsibly and what
further support is needed from us. And we will complete a series of
regional events to improve understanding of child internet safety and
responsible use issues amongst parents and other adults.

Finally, to create a safer online environment, we will work with our

partners on the UK Council for Child Internet Safety, especially to
support the management of online content through the effective use of
parental controls. And we will work with the Child Exploitation and Online
Protection Centre to develop a central resource centre across the UK on
online safety issues through a one-stop shop.
Conclusion

Many of the actions I have set out are not ones taken by the Scottish
Government alone. The approach is certainly not one that sits with any
one organisation. Just as the internet has been a powerful tool for
sharing and collaboration, so too has the need to ensure internet safety
brought together a wide range of partners, at Scottish, at local, at UK
and increasingly at international level. This cooperation has been
fundamental to what we have achieved over the last year and what we
will do in the coming year. This conference today demonstrates that
shared commitment to finding practical, effective ways to enabling
children and young people to pursue the possibilities of the internet with
freedom, with vigour, and with caution. I am pleased to be speaking
here, and wish you a very successful day.

Thank you.

1,250 words
12 minutes