Today is Safer Internet Day 2013 – find out how to Connect with Respect

Today – Tuesday 5th February – is Safer Internet Day, an international day each year to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology.

Safer Internet Day is organised by the UK Safer Internet Centre in February of each year to promote safe responsible use of online technology and mobile phones for children and young people. Safer Internet Day 2013 – the tenth edition of the event – has the theme of Online Rights and Responsibilities, encouraging users to ‘Connect with Respect’.

To mark this year’s Safer Internet Day, 24,000 school children have set out their vision for how to make the internet a safer and more enjoyable place, as part of the largest schools survey about internet safety conducted in the UK.

The ‘Have Your Say’ research, commissioned by the UK Safer Internet Centre, asked primary school (7-11s) and secondary school (11-19s) children what they enjoy most about the internet, as well as which aspects of being online that they find concerning.

Key findings

Communicating online

• The majority of 7-11s (86%) use some form of online communication tool
• 96% of young people age 11-19 use some form of online communication tool

Offensive material

• 27% of 7-11s and 41% of 11-19s came into contact with something online in the last twelve months that they deemed to be hurtful or unpleasant – including scary videos, pictures and chainmail; ‘rude’ things and swearing; violent films or games
• 31% of 7-11s and 23% of 11-19s cited gossip or mean comments being shared online as something that stopped them enjoying their time online

Feeling safe online

• This is the most important internet right for over half (57%) of the primary age group and nearly two-thirds (63%) of secondary age pupils
• 58% of 7-11s and 74% of 11-19s using social networks said they changed their privacy settings from the default settings
• Over 4 in 10 (42%) primary age social network users and almost 1 in 10 (9%) secondary age social network users were not sure if they had changed the settings or didn’t know how to
• 36% of 7-11s and 24% of 11-19s said they have reported something online

Support networks

• 32% of 7-11s and over half (53%) of 11-19s would tell a friend if something upset or worried them online
• Four-fifths (79%) of 7-11s and two thirds (66%) of 11-19s said they would tell their parent or carer if something worried them online
• 80% of 7-19s said they had been taught about staying safe online in the last year
• But over a third (35%) of 7 year olds and almost half (45%) of 16-19s say they have not been taught about staying safe online

Watch the Safer Internet Day 2013 Connect with Respect film

BT and Safer Internet Day

As well as our work with child safety organisations, we have lots of ways to help you and your family stay safe online:

• Find out how to avoid online fraud and email ‘phishing’ scams, protect your computer from hackers and viruses, and make sure your kids are safe online
• Review your internet security software, privacy settings and parental controls
• If you’re a BT Broadband customer, get free parental control software and download our free internet security software if you have BT Broadband Option 2,3 or BT Infinity
• Help someone get online safely with Get IT Together

BT NetProtect Plus Online Security

We’ve teamed up with leading security company McAfee® to provide online security with your BT Broadband, so you can enjoy the web without the worry.

Find out more

Spread the word

Once you’ve made sure you’re doing all you can to protect your kids online, why not help spread the word? You can encourage a family member, friend or colleague to review their internet security software, privacy settings and parental controls.

Our partners

We’re also working with the following partners to bring you get the best information on staying safe online:

The UK Safer Internet Centre is a partnership of three leading charitable organisations, Childnet International, the South West Grid for Learning (SWGfL) and the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). These organisations are committed to working to make a safer and better internet). All partners recognise the unparalleled opportunities the internet offers and actively encourage its positive use for social, leisure, economic and educational advancement. The partners all work towards the Childnet target; to make the Internet a great and safe place for children. The UK Safer Internet Centre is online at www.saferinternet.org.uk.