Keeping MK's young people safe online

Milton Keynes Safeguarding Children Board (MKSCB) will take part in the awareness day on February 9, which sees hundreds of organisations get involved to help promote the safe, responsible and positive use of digital technology for children and young people. 

The theme of this year’s Safer Internet Day is ‘Play your part for a better internet’, offering the opportunity to focus on both the creative and positive things that children and young people are doing online, as well as the role that we all play in helping to create a better internet.

Cllr Norman Miles, Lead Member for Children and School Improvement, said: “I’m pleased to see the Safeguarding Children Board supporting Safer Internet Day.

“The world we live in is becoming a more digital one and our young people are therefore spending an increasing amount of time online.

“It’s important for us to move with the times and make sure we are informed of any potential risks and issues in order to continue to keep our young people safe.”

Over the past few months, MKSCB have been working with a group of young people to promote Safer Internet Day in Milton Keynes and learn what issues their peers have experienced online.

The young people said: “We enjoy using the internet and want to promote positive use of the internet to other children and young people.”

This group of young people are encouraging schools across Milton Keynes to take part in the #ShareAHeart campaign across the week 8-12 February 2016.

They believe that it is important that all students learn about internet safety, as much of their lives are experienced online and for them to think about how they could promote respect and kindness. The heart, a universal sign for love, will be used to promote respect and kindness online on safer internet day. They will be asking students to share what they love about the internet and encourage them to post their thoughts on social media using the hashtag #ShareAHeart. Any photographs of displays by Milton Keynes schools shared with MKSCB via [email protected] will be displayed at The National Museum of Computing based at Bletchley Park.

To find out more information about Safer Internet Day and how to get involved, visit www.saferinternet.org.uk or email [email protected].