“The views of children and their representatives on Internet safety were put forward by Eurochild, ECPAT International, and Terre des Hommes Netherlands, who organized the event “Speaking Up for Child Safety Online” on 8 April in Brussels.
The participants of the event, including a representative of the Advocacy Department of ARSIS – Association for the Social Support of Youth, came to the common conclusion that it is both necessary and urgent to establish safety regulations on the Internet, without negating privacy.
The event was attended, in person and online, by more than 250 delegates from the European Parliament, and the European Commission, as well as representatives from leading technology sectors, and sought ways to contribute to the ongoing debates across the European Union on this issue.
“Children avoid reporting their online experiences to their parents and carers”. This is the main conclusion of a collective survey carried out by the organizers with the participation of 500 children and their 6,000 representatives from 15 countries in the EU, Asia, and South America.
It is telling that while almost 90% of the caregivers interviewed in the study believe that they are somewhat aware of their children’s online activities, the children in the study revealed the opposite: they prefer to keep their online activities to themselves and avoid talking to adults about online risks.
Participants at the event stressed the importance of behavioral and collaborative approaches to Internet safety. It was said that it is only through collective action that the vision of a safer and more inclusive digital future for all children is possible. Protecting, empowering, and respecting children online is a key priority for the European Commission as we move towards a Europe where we want to be fit for the digital age.
ARSIS' Advocacy program "Improving Living Conditions for Unaccompanied Minors (UAMs) and Defending their Fundamental Rights" is implemented since 2021 in collaboration with and with the funding of the organization "German Doctors e.V."
