EC Safer Internet plus
EC policy context
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Promoting internet for all
Free movement of services
i2010 - a “European Information Society” for growth and employment
Protection of minors and human dignity
Safer Internet plus
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Promoting safe use of internet and online technologies
Fight against illegal and harmful content, and content unwanted by the end user
Network of hotlines (inhope) and awareness nodes (insafe), plus other actions
http://ec.europa.eu/saferinternet
EU Kids Online
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A thematic network examining European research on cultural, contextual and risk
issues in children's safe use of the internet and new media
Funded by the EC Safer Internet plus Programme (2006-9)
The network will identify and compare research carried out in 18 member states
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Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
France
Germany
Greece
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Iceland
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
The Netherlands
The United Kingdom
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Objectives
To identify and evaluate available data on children’s and families’ use of the internet and
new online technologies, noting gaps in the evidence base (WP1)
To understand the research in context and inform the research agenda (WP2)
To compare findings across diverse European countries, so as to identify risks and
safety concerns, their distribution, significance and consequences (WP3)
To understand these risks in the context of the changing media environment, cultural
contexts of childhood and family, and regulatory/policy contexts (WP2&3)
To enhance the understanding of methodological issues and challenges involved in
studying children, online technologies, and cross-national comparisons (WP4)
To develop evidence-based policy recommendations for awareness-raising, media
literacy and other actions to promote safer use of the internet/online technologies (WP5)
To network researchers across Europe to share and compare data, findings, theory,
disciplines, methodological approaches, etc. (WP1-7)
Opportunities & Risks
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Access to global information
Educational resources
Social networking for old/ new friends
Entertainment, games and fun
User-generated content production
Civic or political participation
Privacy for expression of identity
Community involvement/activism
Technological expertise and literacy
Career advancement or employment
Personal/health/sexual advice
Specialist groups and fan forums
Share experiences with distant others
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Illegal content
Paedophiles, grooming, strangers
Extreme or sexual violence
Other harmful/offensive content
Racist/hate material/activities
Advertising/commercial persuasion
Biased or mis-information
Exploitation of personal information
Cyber-bullying, stalking, harassment
Gambling, financial scams
Self-harm (suicide, anorexia, etc)
Invasions/abuse of privacy
Illegal activities (hacking, terrorism)
What do we need to know?
What’s the latest research on…
The incidence of online bullying, harassment, etc, and for which groups?
Risks of access to fast-changing technologies (e.g. user-generated content)
Use patterns, risks, and parental responses among very young children
Why do we know so little about parents’ responses in some countries?
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Interpretative challenges:
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What are the trends over time?
What are the trends comparing online and offline?
Why is the risk in country A more than in country B?
Which works best – filtering or rating, awareness raising or restriction, etc?
Methodological challenges:
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What’s the best way of measuring access to and use of online technologies?
What’s the best way of asking children about sensitive issues (porn, racism, etc)?
Evidence of online risks . . .
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Empirical (quality) research
Prioritise pan-European, or
multinational, evidence
Seek out recent and ongoing
research in each country
Children
Youth
Family
Parents
Home
Online
Internet
Mobile
Electronic…
Contextualise in relation to
other forms of evidence
Conduct some reanalysis of
existing data, where feasible
Monitor research findings
from outside Europe
Risks
Safety
Access/use
Regulation
y
QC1 During the last month, did you use the Internet?
QC4 Does this child, to your knowledge, use the Internet in any of the following places?
17%
BG
29%
24%
EL
26%
27%
PT
38%
36%
PL
ES
36%
47%
41%
45%
CZ
57%
50%
SI
58%
51%
AT
QC1_Yes
QC4_Yes
52%
53%
FR
52%
DE
47%
54%
56%
UK
65%
58%
EE
67%
59%
BE
62%
DK
71%
SE
75%
82%
64%
NL
85%
68%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Internet Use
60%
70%
80%
90%
QC10 Do you think your child has ever encountered harmful or illegal content on the Internet?
50%
45%
45%
40%
35%
33%
29%
30%
28%
25%
25%
25%
Yes
21%
19%
20%
19%
16%
15%
15%
15%
13%
11%
10%
10%
9%
5%
0%
SE
NL
DK
SI
BE
EE
CZ
ES
PL
Country
EL
AT
UK
BG
DE
FR
PT
QC8 Have you set any rules for him\ her about using any of the following
either in your household or elsewhere?
DE
49%
22%
FR
49%
24%
EL
49%
8%
AT
46%
19%
ES
42%
15%
BE
41%
29%
UK
28%
39%
37%
38%
NL
PL
12%
PT
36%
37%
34%
SE
15%
EE
29%
22%
BG
29%
8%
CZ
Yes, for the television
Yes, for the Internet
38%
9%
SI
39%
28%
14%
24%
25%
DK
0%
10%
20%
30%
Rules Set
40%
50%
60%
Why compare countries?
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Nation as object of study - idiographic, understand particular countries for their
own sake, through contrast with others (e.g. Mediappro)
Nation as context of study - test hypothesised generality of findings across
nations to support claims of abstract/universal phenomenon (e.g. SAFT)
Nation as unit of analysis - seek systematic relations among a priori dimensions
on which nations vary, each nation serving as one unit or data source (e.g.
Children and their Changing Media Environment)
Nation as component of international/transnational system - compare nations
shown to be systematically interrelated as a result of some underlying process
(e.g. Eurobarometer?)
(Kohn, 1989)
Working practices
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An EC ‘thematic network’, June 2006 – June 2009
18 national teams, approx. 40 researchers (academic, NGO)
Selected for diversity of country (large/small, North/South, old/new Europe, etc)
Selected for diversity of academic discipline or research specialism
Meetings every 6 months, with occasional small group meetings in between
Work divided into 7 work packages, each with WP leader and phased timetable
Overall network management coordinated by LSE team
Frequent reporting to/liaison with Safer Internet Plus programme project officer
Each national team in contact with national policy makers
Network in contact with European awareness-raising and policy activities
International Advisory Board, for the view from outside Europe
Regular dissemination to academy, policy and public
Planned outputs
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Online data repository – ongoing: 200+ empirical projects included
Report on Data Availability (Summer 2007)
Report on Cross-National Comparisons (Summer 2008)
Best Practice Research Guide (Summer 2008)
Report on Cross-Cultural Contexts of Research (Winter 2008)
Final Report and Policy Recommendations (Summer 2009)
Conference (Summer 2009)
Plus a range of interim reports, electronic alerts, etc
Note – an open invitation to everyone to inform us of any ongoing research . . .
Where are we up to? – year 1
T1 - T6
D1.2 Online Data Repository (200+ empirical projects)
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D6.2 Website
D7.1 Workplan
D7.2 Network Members’ Agreement
T7 - T12
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D1.1 Report on Data Availability
D3.1 Preliminary Report on 3 Country Comparison
D4.1 Preliminary Report: Methodological Issues Review
Plus
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6/12 monthly reports, 6 monthly electronic alerts to contacts
Ad hoc conferences, events, participate in Safer Internet Day, etc
Next steps – years 2 and 3
T13 - T24
D3.2 Report: Cross-National Comparisons
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D4.2 Report: Best Practice Research Guide
T25 - T36
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D2 Report: Cross-Cultural Contexts of Research (T30)
D5 Report: Summary and Recommendations
D6.3 Conference, D6.4 Book, D7.5 Report: Project Evaluation, D6.5 Final Report
Plus
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Continue to update data repository, update website
6/12 monthly reports, 6 monthly electronic alerts to contacts
Ad hoc conferences, events, participate in Safer Internet Day, etc
Thank you
Sonia Livingstone (s.livingstone@lse.ac.uk)
Leslie Haddon (leshaddon@aol.com)
Panayiota Tsatsou (p.tsatsou@lse.ac.uk)
Department of Media and Communications
London School of Economics and Political Science
www.eukidsonline.net