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Start date:
Jan 2005
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End date:
Apr 2011
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Funder:
John Fell OUP Research Fund and Oak Foundation
Work and activities by OII faculty and associates on issues surrounding online child safety and protection.
Overview
Almost since its inception, the OII has engaged in some of the most significant policy debates around child protection and the Internet. Starting from the fundamental belief that the Internet offers children and young people unique opportunities for education and the development of key social, motor and media literacy skills, much of our work has focused on supporting the development of proportionate and effective policy responses to recognized risks of Internet use. One of the OII’s earliest policy reports, presented at the European Commission, identified regulatory options for controlling risks posed by 3G mobile phones, whilst a current project seeks to inform policy too often driven by media headlines by exploring evidence of actual harms resulting to children and minors as a result of Internet use. We have also sought to capitalise on the OII’s status as a neutral and independent forum for debate, bringing together key policy players to discuss issues such as the recommendations of the Byron Report, or the challenge of balancing and protecting different human rights in the child protection context. In each case, our activities have been driven by a desire to inform and support evidence-based policy-making in this vital area.
Evidence on the extent of harms experienced by children as a result of online risks: A critical synthesis of research
The quantity and quality of academic literature detailing the risks and opportunities of online activity for children and young people has risen substantially in the past ten years. Whilst this has done much to increase our understanding of what children of different ages do online, what risks they face and also what strategies are employed by parents and educators to minimize risk, there is still relatively little empirical evidence on the links between perceived risks and actual harms, or the efficacy of different interventions. This project undertakes a critical synthesis of the evidence to date from across social and medical sciences and including data from professional as well as academic sources. In reviewing the available research and data, we hope to make three different assessments:
- The scope of the actual harms experienced by children and young people as a result of their online activity (e.g. psychological, physical, social, economic).
- The scale of the actual harms experienced by children and young people as a result of their online activity and the frequency of their occurrence.
- The efficacy of existing interventions in limiting either children’s exposure to the risks associated with these harms, or even in limiting the harms themselves.
Project outputs will include a summary report for policy and practitioner communities as well as more conventional academic journal articles. This work is supported by the Oxford University Press’s Fell Fund (Decmber 2011-June 2012).
Child Protection, Free Speech and the Internet: Mapping the Territory and Limitations of Common Ground
In 2009, the OII was awarded a grant by the Oak Foundation (Principal Investigator, Victoria Nash) to facilitate a dialogue between child advocacy NGOs concerned with children’s and young people’s use of the Internet and related digital technologies, and NGOs who work or campaign to protect free speech and free expression on the internet and related digital technologies. Advocates of online child protection and freedom of expression both share a deep-seated belief in the vital importance of protecting basic human rights which are grounded in fundamental values of human autonomy and dignity. Yet a shared belief by both camps in the importance of state protection of these core human freedoms is often clouded by perceived (and real) opposition in the actual practice of law, policy and regulation. This has consequently restricted the policy options available for dealing with threats to both child safety and free speech online, and has often resulted in non-governmental organisations representing these interests being portrayed as necessary opponents. In practice this has meant that proponents of both child safety online and freedom of speech have found their efforts to promote basic human rights through self-regulatory, regulatory and policy frameworks have been hindered at local, national and international levels.
The grant enabled us to hold two policy forums, in 2009 (Child Protection, Free Speech and the Internet: Mapping the Territory and Limitations of Common Ground) and 2011 (Child Protection, Free Speech and the Internet), bringing together high-level members of representative NGOs to discuss both familiar and newly-emerging policy issues with a view to promoting a better understanding of the different groups’ positions and sharing perspectives and information. Both forums were successful in developing new relationships of trust between participants from the different groups, enhancing understanding of both areas of consensus and disagreement, and facilitating frank discussion on difficult policy concerns. We hope to continue with this model of engagement in the future.
Support
This work has been supported by the Oak Foundation and Oxford University Press’s Fell Fund.
This project is ongoing.
People
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Dr Victoria Nash
Oxford Internet Institute
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Dr Monica Bulger
Oxford Internet Institute
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Dr Vera Slavtcheva-Petkova
Oxford Internet Institute
Publications
Articles
- Livingstone, S. and Helsper, E.J. (2006) Does Advertising Literacy Mediate the Effects of Advertising on Children? A Critical Examination of Two Linked Research Literatures in Relation to Obesity and Food Choice. Journal of Communication 56 (3) 560-584.
- Livingstone, S. and Helsper, E.J. (2007) Gradations in digital inclusion: Children, young people and the digital divide. New Media & Society 9 (4) 671-696.
- Slavtcheva-Petkova, V., Nash, V.J., and Bulger, M. (2014) Evidence on the extent of harms experienced by children as a result of online risks: implications for policy and research. Information, Communication & Society.
Chapters
- Ahlert, C., Nash, V. and Marsden, C. (2005) Implications of the Mobile Internet for the Protection of Minors. L’ICT Trasforma la Societa. Milan: Forum per la Tecnologia della Informazione.
Conference papers
- Casarosa, F. (2005) A safer Internet for children: the European regulatory approach, with evidence from Italy and United Kingdom. Paper presented at conference: ‘Safety and Security in a Networked World: Balancing Cyber-rights and Responsibilities’, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, 8-10 September 2005.
- Davidson, J. (2005) Policing The Internet And Protecting Children From Sex Offenders Online: When Strangers Become ‘Virtual Friends’. Paper presented at conference: ‘Safety and Security in a Networked World: Balancing Cyber-rights and Responsibilities’, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, 8-10 September 2005.
- Krone, T. (2005) Developing measures of prevention and enforcement against the backdrop of international difference: Protecting children from online sexual exploitation: in search of a standard. Paper presented at conference: ‘Safety and Security in a Networked World: Balancing Cyber-rights and Responsibilities’, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, 8-10 September 2005.
- McCarthy, J. (2005) ‘But I Was Only Looking…’ Responding Effectively to On-Line Child Pornography Offenders. Paper presented at conference: ‘Safety and Security in a Networked World: Balancing Cyber-rights and Responsibilities’, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, 8-10 September 2005.
Presentations
- Brown, I. (2006) How safe and reliable are information systems? Children: over surveilled and under protected, London, June 2006.
- Slavtcheva-Petkova, V., Nash, V., and Bulger M.E. (2013) Does the Internet harm children’s health? A critical review of the evidence. Annual Conference of the Media, Communication, and Cultural Studies Association (MeCCSA), 9 January 2013, Derry/Londonderry, Ireland.
- Slavtcheva-Petkova, V., Nash, V., and Bulger M.E. (2013) Evidence on the extent of harms experienced by children as a result of online risks: A critical synthesis of research. International Communication Association (ICA) Annual Meeting, 17-21 June 2013, London, UK.
Reports
- Dowty, T. and Brown, I. (2010) Unaccompanied Children Seeking Asylum: Privacy, Consent and Data Protection. Action on Rights for Children.
- Dutton, W.H., Dopatka, A., Hills, M., Law, G., and Nash, V. (2011) Freedom of Connection – Freedom of Expression: The Changing Legal and Regulatory Ecology Shaping the Internet. Paris: UNESCO, Division for Freedom of Expression, Democracy and Peace.
- Nash, V., Adler, J.R., Horvath, M.A.H., Livingstone, S., Marston, C., Owen, G., and Wright, J. (2016) Identifying the Routes by which Children View Pornography Online: Implications for Future Policy-makers Seeking to Limit Viewing. Report of the Expert Panel for the DCMS Consultation “Child Safety Online: Age Verification for Pornography”, 16 February 2016.
Working papers
- Powell, A., Hills, M. and Nash, V. (2010) Child Protection and Freedom of Expression Online. Oxford Internet Institute Discussion Forum Paper No. 17.
Events
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Barely (il)legal: The Problematic Definition of ‘Child’ Pornography
2 June 2011, 15:00:00 - 16:30:00
The advent of the Internet has seen a staggering increase in child exploitation offences. This talk explains how the term 'child' is sometimes problematic, and seeks to find a balance between protecting children and legitimate sexual expression.
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Child Protection, Free Speech and the Internet
5 April 2011, 09:00:00 - 16:30:00
Given the success of our first policy forum on this topic in 2009, we are holding a second invitation-only forum to build on the dialogue between advocates of child protection and advocates of free speech.
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Childhood 2.0: Hazards of Growing Up in a Socially Networked World
4 April 2011, 13:00:00 - 14:00:00
Many children interact online before they can even read, whilst overlooking the dangers of sharing too much with too many. Harry Valetk explores this problem and suggests how enhancements in next-generation technologies could help the situation.
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Europe Online: Empirical Perspectives on the Future of the Internet – An Oxford Internet Policy Seminar
3 March 2010, 12:30:00 - 14:30:00
This seminar opens a series of Brussels based seminars organized by the OII with the support of Google. Bill Dutton, Katia Segers and Leen Haenens will consider countervailing trends concerning the Internet in Britain and children in the Web 2.0 world.
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Child Protection, Free Speech and the Internet: Mapping the Territory and Limitations of Common Ground
2 October 2009, 09:30:00 - 17:30:00
A forum to facilitate a dialogue and identify shared policy goals between NGOs campaigning to protect child protection and children's rights online, and those campaigning for freedom of speech and other civil liberties.
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Anti-Social Networking: Reflecting on the case of Orkut in Brazil
7 February 2008, 15:30:00 - 17:00:00
A seminar to examine the growth of child sexual abuse images in social-networking websites, to evaluate the effectiveness of measures to combat the problem, and to discuss the current state of play in public policy targeting online child abuse.
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Active participation or just more information? Young people’s take-up of opportunities to act and interact on the Internet
11 October 2005, 17:00:00 - 18:00:00
Discussion of key issues of children's Internet use identified by survey research. Interviews with children and parents provide high quality data to address major controversies surrounding the opportunities and risks of Internet use by children.
Videos
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Young People’s Take-up of Opportunities to Act and Interact on the Internet
Duration: 00:42:13
Date: 11 October 2005
Discussion of key issues of children's Internet use identified by survey research. Interviews with children and parents provide high ... Read More Young People’s Take-up of Opportunities to Act and Interact on the Internet
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Beyond Byron: Towards a New Culture of Responsibility
Duration: 01:00:47
Date: 8 June 2008
What new dangers are there for children being brought up in the digital age? Child psychologist Dr Tanya Byron ... Read More Beyond Byron: Towards a New Culture of Responsibility
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Online Risk and Harm in Childhood: A Critical Analysis and New Findings
Duration: 00:45:25
Date: 4 April 2011
After a decade or more in which research has examined the opportunities and risks encountered by children on the ... Read More Online Risk and Harm in Childhood: A Critical Analysis and New Findings
News
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Report Assesses Routes By Which Children Access Online Pornography
16 February 2016
Many UK children are seeing explicit sexual images online and commercial pornography distributors could do more to limit this, says a new DCMS report. The OII's Victoria Nash led a panel of experts who laid out possible measures to mitigate risks.
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Child Protection and Freedom of Speech Online: Mapping the Territory
1 March 2010
Report available for OII Discussion Forum 'Child Protection and Freedom of Speech Online', aimed at finding common ground between advocates of both sides.
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Dr Tanya Byron to give Oxford Lecture for FOSI
9 June 2008
FOSI is partnering with the OII to host a lecture by Dr Tanya Byron and run the second in its international programme of roundtable discussions around her recent Review, Safer Children in a Digital World, the Report of the Byron Review
Press
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The Chris Evans Show
Date Published: 18 June 2013
Source: BBC R2
Victoria Nash commented in a news item on the popular morning show which looked at government plans to ask Internet companies to do more to block harmful online content. [c.33:12 on the clock] (also on seven BBC local radio outlets)
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iPad: Tech Toy of Choice for children Poses Big Challenges
Date Published: 29 November 2011
Source: Wall Street Cheat sheet
As increasing numbers of children have access to an iPad, companies are responding by developing software specifically designed to appeal to children. Victoria Nash comments on welfare concerns about children online.
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1iPad luxury, 2iPads necessity for many families
Date Published: 29 November 2011
Source: Arabian Gazette
As increasing numbers of children have access to an iPad, companies are responding by developing software specifically designed to appeal to children. Victoria Nash comments on welfare concerns about children online.
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IPad-Crazed Toddlers Spur Holiday Sales
Date Published: 28 November 2011
Source: Bloomberg
As increasing numbers of children have access to an iPad, companies are responding by developing software specifically designed to appeal to children. Victoria Nash comments on welfare concerns about children online.
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Safety fears over new register of all children
Date Published: 27 August 2007
Source: Times Online
'Ian Brown, a computer security research fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute, said that the scale of the database posed huge risks'