Assistance for Parents and Pedagogues to Protect Children in the Digital Jungle is Needed

Berlin, 11 February 2008 - An international experts' survey assigns the task to prevent children from encountering unwanted and harmful content on the Internet with highest priority to parents and pedagogues, while policy makers, companies, and the police are seen as carers with less relevance.

Inadequate sexual content is named by 68% of the respondents as most harmful followed by unsuitable contacts (58%) and violent content (56%). With social networking communities becoming the most popular area of the Internet for young people, being a victim of privacy fraud becomes most likely. 50 % of the respondents to the survey carried out by the German-based Stiftung Digitale Chancen within the Youth Protection Roundtable in 26 European countries judge this as a significant threat.

"In social community sites approved technologies like filter software are less effective. Therefore it is more then ever up to parents and pedagogues to protect children. But for many adults the digital world is unexplored terrain. While children are on an expedition through the digital jungle, their adult carers need support and advice to preserve them from unexpected risks and light-headed online behaviour," says Prof. Dr. Herbert Kubicek, Scientific Director of Stiftung Digitale Chancen.

Therefore the Youth Protection Roundtable develops guidelines for a safe and secure use of the Internet by children and youth. The project builds on dialogue and exchange of views between technical experts and children's welfare specialists to find suitable solutions for youth protection online.

The YPRT is a network of 32 international partners funded by the European Commission within the Safer Internet Programme.

Please find the complete survey results and printable graphics at www.yprt.eu/survey.