[ecrea] EU Kids Online Alert

Welcome to the 4th Alert from EU Kids Online

>
>
>Contents: Risk Findings, Preview of the 
>comparative analysis report, Israeli Children 
>Go-on-line, Media analysis project, The Internet 
>Governance Forum, Safer Internet Day 2008, Dissemination
>
>
>Growing body of research on online risk in Europe
>
>
>
>Risk findings
>
>
>
>EU Kids Online has been tracking the online 
>risks faced by children across countries. In 
>some countries, research has produced several quantitative estimates of risk.
>    * It appears that high risk countries are 
> those that, on the one hand, are new to the 
> internet (Poland, Czech Republic) and, on the 
> other hand, are experienced with the internet (UK, The Netherlands).
>    * The next riskiest are Iceland, Ireland and 
> Estonia  all small northern European countries.
>    * The low risk countries, research suggests, 
> are Germany, Norway, Denmark, France and Italy.
>    * Unfortunately, few quantitative estimates 
> exist for childrens experiences of online risk 
> in some countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, 
> Denmark, Greece, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain.
>
>
>
>
>
>EU Kids Online has been tracking the online 
>risks faced by children across countries. In 
>some countries, research has produced several quantitative estimates of risk.
>
>·         It appears that high risk countries 
>are those that, on the one hand, are new to the 
>internet (Poland, Czech Republic) and, on the 
>other hand, are experienced with the internet (UK, The Netherlands).
>
>·         The next riskiest are Iceland, Ireland 
>and Estonia  all small northern European countries.
>
>·         The low risk countries, research 
>suggests, are Germany, Norway, Denmark, France and Italy.
>
>·         Unfortunately, few quantitative 
>estimates exist for childrens experiences of 
>online risk in some countries: Austria, 
>Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain.
>
>
>
>Comparing across risks, rather than across 
>countries, research suggests that some risks are 
>more prevalent and/or more homogenous across 
>countries, than others. Our findings show an 
>approximate ordering of online risks to teenagers as follows:
>
>
>
>·         Giving out personal information: this 
>is most common risk  around half of online 
>teens, with considerable cross-national variation (13% to 91%)
>
>·         Seeing pornography: the second most 
>common risk at around 4 in 10 online teens 
>across Europe, but again considerable cross-national variation (25% - 71%)
>
>·         Seeing violent or hateful content: the 
>third most common risk at approximately one 
>third of teens and, apart of a figure of 90% 
>among social networking teens in Ireland, a fair 
>degree of consistency across countries
>
>·         Being bullied/harassed/stalked: 
>generally around 1 in 5 or 6 teens online, 
>though there is also a group of high risk 
>countries here (Poland, possibly Estonia) and one low risk country  Belgium
>
>·         Receiving unwanted sexual comments  - 
>only around 1 in 10 teens in Germany, Ireland 
>and Portugal; but closer to 1 in 4 teens in 
>Iceland and Norway (and 1 in 6 in Sweden), 
>rising to 1 in 3 in the UK and 1 in 2 in Poland
>
>·         Meeting an online contact offline  
>the least common but arguably most dangerous 
>risk; there is considerable consistency in the 
>figures across Europe at around 8% (1 in 12) 
>online teens going to such meetings; the 
>exceptions are Poland (23%) and, especially, the Czech Republic (65%).
>
>
>
>Interim conclusions (these will be developed in 
>our forthcoming report, due September 2008):
>
>
>
>·         There are considerable cross-national 
>variations in the incidence of risk.
>
>·         There seems to be more cross-national 
>variation in the more common risks, and more 
>homogeneity for the less common risks.
>
>·         Poland is a striking outlier, 
>reporting high levels of risk across several 
>categories and being highest for seeing porn, 
>being bullied, receiving unwanted sexual 
>comments, second highest for stranger danger, 
>and third highest for giving out personal information.
>
>·         In some countries it is particular 
>risks that are stand out, but they are not high 
>risk across all risks e.g. Ireland for seeing 
>violent and hateful content and giving out 
>personal information, Czech Republic for giving 
>out personal information, Estonia for being bullied.
>
>·         The only country that is somewhat 
>(comparatively) a low risk outlier on a few 
>items is Italy  on porn, seeing hateful 
>content, although the actual figures are not so 
>striking as the high risk outliers, and this is 
>partly because the population surveyed was much younger (7-11 year olds).
>
>.
>
>
>
>Preview of the comparative analysis report
>
>
>
>The above findings illustrate the first step in 
>our ongoing work of systematic comparison and 
>interpretation of findings within EU Kids 
>Online. It is one step to identify a pattern, as 
>in the data above, but quite another to 
>interpret these patterns. The report, due in September 2008, will ask:
>
>
>
>·         Where, and to what extent, are there 
>European commonalities or differences regarding 
>childrens online experiences, risks and opportunities?
>
>·         What common European responses and 
>patterns exist and what factors explain these? 
>Where there is variation, how is this to be explained?
>
>
>
>To explain the observed patterns of findings, 
>researchers in the network are assembling 
>national information concerning, for example:
>
>
>    * The internet (e.g. internet and media 
> content for children, the nature of internet 
> regulation and promotion, factors shaping 
> public discourses about the internet).
>    * Media coverage of children and the 
> internet (which is also a separate 
> empirical  sub-project within the broader project)
>    * The education system (including internet access and use within schools)
>    * Wider country-specific factors (e.g. 
> social structures and social change, the role of the state), etc.
>
>
>
>One challenge involves looking for ways to seek 
>and manage the softer data, this background 
>information about the countries concerned, in 
>order to explore whether these factors influence 
>findings such as those outlined above.
>
>
>
>
>
>Israeli Children Go-on-line
>
>
>
>Dafna Lemish and Rivka Ribak designed a parallel 
>project to the UK Children Go Online project 
>directed by Sonia Livingstone. The sample 
>consisted of 532 children (9-18 year olds), 80% 
>Jews, 20% others, mostly Arabs, a group who are 
>often excluded in Israeli studies.
>
>
>
>Professor Dafna Lemish, of Tel Aviv University, 
>presented their findings to the EU Kids Online 
>network at its last meeting in Brussels in 
>November 2007. Their PowerPoint slides are 
>available (in the section headed PowerPoint 
>Presentations) on our website: 
><http://www.eukidsonline.net/>www.eukidsonline.net
>
>
>
>In fact, translation the project from one 
>country to another was far from straightforward 
>since risk cultures are very different. For 
>example, Internet safety meant mainly 
>political safety for Israeli parents  they 
>were concerned about the Internet being used by 
>terrorists to contact their children. Hence it 
>was not paedophiles that came first on the list.
>
>
>
>The research team were surprised to find that 
>gender differences still existed (the access gap 
>is closing, but activities are still gendered). 
>There was no difference according to religiosity 
>or income. When the children were asked which 
>ICT they would miss most, the internet was named 
>by more than in the UK study, being nearly as 
>important as TV. As in the UK study, the 
>perceptions of parents and children regarding 
>parental rules and restrictions differed 
>considerably. As has been found elsewhere, 
>Israeli children thought that they were more skilful users than their parents.
>
>
>
>The survey found the children to be willing to 
>give out personal info  in fact, more willing 
>to do as they grew older. As children grow 
>older, risk-taking increases generally, and it 
>does not appear that they become more cautious 
>as they get older because they are more aware. 
>On the other hand, the children gave out 
>information about themselves but not about other 
>people (e.g. they did not give out credit card 
>information at all, nor information about 
>friends or parents). In the in-depth interviews 
>they explained why they gave out information  
>they were trying to make friends of own age, to 
>make romantic contacts, etc. Specific findings 
>regarding online risk were as follows:
>
>
>
>·         61% of high school children who use 
>the Internet had talked to someone only online.
>
>·         36% of high school children who use 
>the Internet had met someone face-to-face who they had first met online.
>
>·         41% of those 36% would tell their parents when they did this.
>
>·         6% of those 36% were accompanied to such meetings.
>
>·         26% of those 36% reported back to parents after the event.
>
>·         95% of high school children who use 
>the Internet use IM (Instant Messaging) with friends.
>
>·         30% of high school children who use 
>the Internet used IM with strangers.
>
>
>
>Findings regarding content-related risks showed 
>that pornography is the main concern in Israel, 
>and that the internet is where children are most 
>likely to encounter porn. Exposure to 
>pornography increases with age, and is more common among boys.
>
>
>
>70% reported being exposed in media to stories 
>about dangers on the Internet and many could say 
>what they had heard. There was an event give 
>years ago when a boy talking to women in a forum 
>had been lured to his death by terrorists: 10 
>and 11 year olds could still report this, 
>showing it to be a formative story in their experience.
>
>
>
>Children said they were exposed to various forms 
>of problematic contact, more than their parents 
>reported. Parents claimed to check what children 
>saw, but children said they do not.
>
>
>
>Turning to the benefits, the findings showed 
>that the internet is major source of help for 
>homework  more than books and parents. Parents 
>thought it was good for teaching English. 
>Overall there was considerable appreciation of 
>the internet. Many visited news sites  notable 
>since in Israel, news is related to everyday 
>survival. The major surfing language was Hebrew 
>but others also surf in their native language - 
>e.g. Russian; usually they did not surf in English.
>
>
>
>What did parents want more in order to make the 
>internet safer? In the UK they wanted 
>legislation first, but in Israel legislation is 
>low on list. First, they wanted better teaching, 
>better guidance in schools. Second they wanted 
>more information for parents: as parents agreed 
>it was their responsibility to supervise 
>children, and 90% said they could trust their children online.
>
>
>
>
>
>Media analysis project
>
>
>
>EU Kids Online is undertaking a media analysis 
>in order to see how children and the internet 
>are represented in the press of different 
>countries. This will address questions such as: 
>Do the media contribute to shaping parents and 
>childrens perceptions of risks and 
>opportunities online? Does press coverage 
>stimulate research or help to shape research 
>questions? To what extent does research result 
>in press reports regarding online risks to children?
>
>
>
>During October-November 2007, we collected and 
>coded newspaper articles (both in national and 
>regional, quality and popular press) in 14 of 
>the EU Kids Online countries. The analysis of 
>this material is currently taking place, but it 
>is already clear that press coverage is quite 
>diverse: in some countries there is far more 
>coverage of children and the internet than in 
>others; in some the balance of coverage is 
>neutral in tone, but in others coverage is often 
>negative. This reflects both the effort to raise 
>awareness of potential online dangers and also 
>the newsworthiness of negative stories. There 
>are also differences between countries in terms 
>of whether they predominately covered national or international stories.
>
>
>
>
>
>The Internet Governance Forum
>
>
>
>This is a UN-organised Forum designed to inform 
>the UN about the regulation of the internet and 
>to foster cooperation between the regional and 
>international level. This second meeting was in 
>Rio in November 2008. About 2000 people 
>attended, including industry, researchers, NGOs, Government staff.
>
>
>
>The EU Kids Online delegation was asked to 
>present their work on online risk and safety, an 
>issue not hitherto high on the Forums agenda. 
>In their panel they give a short presentation of 
>the objectives and framework of the EU 
>KidsOnline project followed by the key issues 
>from the first report. The team also gave a 
>presentation at a pre-conference meeting 
>arranged by the EU Commission and attended by 
>about 50 people and succeeded in generating 
>interest and making the issues in this field more visible.
>
>
>
>
>
>Safer Internet Day 2008
>
>
>
>Once again media interest in Safer Internet Day 
>and the events related to it varied considerably 
>by country. Below we pick out some examples 
>reported by our national teams across Europe:
>
>
>
>Safer Internet Day received a good deal of 
>publicity in the Czech mainstream media, mainly 
>because of joint activities of the Czech Safer 
>Internet node and the Czech Ministry of 
>Interior. They organised a thematic seminar and 
>a press conference where they announced some new 
>projects aimed at enhancing children's safety 
>online in the Czech Republic. Several commercial 
>players in the field of Internet and mobile 
>technologies also used the day to present their 
>contribution to achieving these goals.
>
>
>
>The Estonian EU Kids Online team launched their 
>webpage on this day, generating interviews on 
>four Estonian radio channels, and a Russian 
>radio channel. The Minister of Economy and 
>Communication related Safer Internet Day to the 
>Estonian electronic ID-card that the Government is currently promoting.
>
>
>
>In Greece a Safer Internet Day celebration gala 
>was held at the Ministry of Education building, 
>with prizes awarded to schools. There was 
>substantial press, radio and TV coverage of this event.
>
>
>The EU Kids Online team in Portugal wanted both 
>to make the media aware of Safer Internet Day 
>and to start some initiatives to hear the voices 
>of young Internet users on this issue. Hence, 
>they joined other agencies in promoting 
>workshops on this day that involved adolescents. 
>More than 40 news reports in radios, TV news and 
>popular newspapers were identified by a 
>media-clipping system. They focused mainly on 
>the discussion of social networks by young people in these workshops
>
>
>
>
>
>In Spain the EU Kids Online project featured in 
>some news items and there were various radio stations interviewed the team.
>
>
>
>On Safer Internet Day the Media Council in Sweden launched the project
>'My life 2.0' about young people's everyday and social life on the Internet.
>Youths aged 12-18 will be invited to write 
>personal digital stories about life on the net. 
>It is hoped that this will create a basis for a 
>dialogue between young people and adults.
>
>
>
>Safer Internet Day in Italy coincided with two 
>large police operations against paedophiles. 
>These received considerable coverage in the 
>press and TV, and Safer Internet Day was 
>mentioned at the end of these reports, largely 
>drawing on press releases. The media report 
>research conducted by Doxa for Save the Children 
>Italy on social networking among children. The 
>findings most highlighted by the media have 
>stressed the concern for children being left 
>alone in front of their screens, the risks 
>associated with meeting strangers online and 
>children giving out personal information.
>
>
>
>In Germany, as in some other countries, the 
>Safer Internet Day was not mentioned in the 
>press, but instead appeared on the online 
>versions of the newspapers. There were some 
>short reports on radio and TV, in addition to 
>being on the websites of these media.
>
>
>
>
>
>Dissemination
>
>
>
>This year EU Kids Online researchers will 
>present, or have submitted presentations, of 
>project findings at a range of international 
>academic conferences, including the 
>International Communications Association (May, 
>Montreal), the IAMCR (Stockholm, July),  the 
>Association of Internet Researchers (October, 
>Copenhagen) and The European Communication 
>Research and Education Association (November, Barcelona).
>
>
>
>In addition, special issues of the Journal of 
>Children and the Media and the International 
>Journal of Media and Cultural Politics will be 
>devoted to EU Kids Online and related research.
>
>
>
>The article Livingstone, S., and Haddon, L. (in 
>press) Risky experiences for European children 
>online: Charting research strengths and research 
>gaps. Children and Society is now available on 
>the website <http://www.eukidsonline.net/>www.eukidsonline.net.
>
>Contact details
>
>Please feel free to forward this message to 
>other who may be interested. Anyone who wishes 
>to be added to the list should email Panayiota 
>Tsatsou at <mailto:(P.Tsatsou /at/ lse.ac.uk)>(P.Tsatsou /at/ lse.ac.uk).
>
>Professor Sonia Livingstone and Dr Leslie Haddon
>Department of Media and Communications
>London School of Economics and Political Science
>Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK
>fax: +44 (0) 20 7955 7248
>email: 
><mailto:(s.livingstone /at/ lse.ac.uk)>(s.livingstone /at/ lse.ac.uk) 
>/ <mailto:(leshaddon /at/ aol.com)>(leshaddon /at/ aol.com)
>
>

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Nico Carpentier (Phd)
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Vrije Universiteit Brussel - Free University of Brussels
Centre for Studies on Media and Culture (CeMeSO)
Pleinlaan 2 - B-1050 Brussels - Belgium
T: ++ 32 (0)2-629.18.56
F: ++ 32 (0)2-629.36.84
Office: 5B.401a
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Katholieke Universiteit Brussel - Catholic University of Brussels
Vrijheidslaan 17 - B-1081 Brussel - Belgium
&
Facultés Universitaires Saint-Louis
Boulevard du Jardin Botanique 43  - B-1000 Brussel - Belgium
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http://mcgraw-hill.co.uk/html/0335222102.html
----------------------------
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<http://www.c-s-p.org/Flyers/Participation-and-Media-Production--Critical-Reflections-on-Content-Creation1-84718-453-7.htm>http://www.c-s-p.org/Flyers/Participation-and-Media-Production--Critical-Reflections-on-Content-Creation1-84718-453-7.htm 

----------------------------
European Communication Research and Education Association
Web: http://www.ecrea.eu
----------------------------
ECREA's Second European Communication Conference
Barcelona, 25-28 November 2008
http://www.ecrea2008barcelona.org/
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E-mail: (Nico.Carpentier /at/ vub.ac.be)
Web: http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~ncarpent/
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