Internet safety in emerging educational contexts

Concern has arisen for the safety of children using the Internet to support their education outside the school context. Inappropriate material such as pornography, inflammatory and racist writings can be accessed both by accident and with deliberate intent to view. Children are also perceived to be at risk from approaches by strangers, particularly in web-based chat rooms. A survey of the international literature in this area highlighted worldwide concern for the safety of young Internet users and it was generally agreed that schools have a fundamental role in ensuring their safety. The survey findings indicated that a thorough audit of Internet Safety teaching and practices was a vital stage in examining these practices and informing future planning. This paper reports on the consequent audit of Internet Safety practices in over 500 schools from 27 Local Education Authorities (LEAs) across England, commissioned by Becta and conducted during the Summer term 2002. Independent, state and special schools were included in the survey at both primary and secondary levels. ICT advisors from the sampled LEAs and representatives of Internet Safety organisations were also invited to complete a linked questionnaire. A number of recommendations for Internet Safety teaching, in particular, ensuring that children are aware of safe practices for surfing the Internet in less regulated contexts outside the school, will be presented based on the evidence gathered in the survey. Additionally emerging concerns for Internet Safety practices in schools such as the technical and moral difficulties of filtering Internet access via mobile technologies will be highlighted. 2003 Published by Elsevier Ltd.