Preparing for Safe Internet Use

Although a new experience for many, the Internet is no more than another medium with associated risks, and general risk avoidance strategies are applicable. It remains true that good advice online has its roots in good advice offline.

Every aspect of life brings its own risk and schools cope by: -

• identifying the risks
• understanding the context
• assessing the level of risk
• introducing strategies to maximise the gain, whilst limiting the risk
• integrating new concepts into the curriculum
• sharing best practice

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Identifying the Risks

The safety risks of the Internet that could affect those in education relate to:

Personal Safety

• Feeling uncomfortable

There are websites, newsgroups, chat rooms, and other places online that could upset or embarrass. These may cover sex or violence, encourage offensive attitudes or discuss other activities that are inappropriate within school.

The most serious risk to pupils involves the possibility of someone being hurt, exploited or abused as a result of personal information being posted online. Online pictures, names, addresses, or age can be used to trace, contact and meet a pupil with the intention of causing harm.

Staff should be aware that this risk need not be immediate, since there can be a long period of building up a relationship, referred to as the "grooming process".

Legal Issues

• Harassment

Receiving upsetting or unpleasant messages on the Internet can cause a great deal of stress.

Some messages, for example where lies are told about someone, may be unlawful and give rise to claims for damages.

As well as causing problems within the school environment, those who annoy other users are at risk of being in trouble with other Internet users, the Internet Service Provider or ultimately the police.

Purchasing goods online generally requires credit card details. Schools should be aware that credit cards are not generally available to those under 18 years of age. The contract between the credit card company and the individual whose name appears on the card is a personal one, and others would not be authorised to use it.

Schools should ensure that staff and pupils do not breach the difficult laws surrounding copyright and IPR. More detailed information regarding copyright can be found at:
http://www.svtc.org.uk/resources/scet/ceda/index.htm

• Viruses and Hacking

Introducing viruses to computers, or attempting to break through network security is a serious offence, and schools should be aware of the issues and the risks. Further information can be found at:
http://www.scet.com/educ/pubs/ethics.asp

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Understanding the Context

Many different methods of communication are possible on the Internet; some use specific software and all involve text and/or graphics.

As the technology develops, and users and providers become more proficient, the boundaries between the different Internet services are blurred. For example, email is used in chat rooms, web pages include discussion areas and newsgroups can have files attached.

Each Internet service has its own educational value, risks, and recommended ways of dealing with problems, and these are detailed in the following pages. They are not exhaustive and many apply across Internet services. Schools should consider the sum of the advice in these guidelines across all areas.

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Assessing the Level of Risk

The Web

Of all Internet activities, the web is currently the most popular application, allowing access to graphics, files and online discussion that have been published for worldwide use.

Accessing information on the web

Websites provide the opportunity to access information worldwide. It is possible for pupils to read newspapers, tour museums, check out libraries, visit foreign countries, play games, look at pictures, or do research.

Personal Safety

• Feeling uncomfortable

Some websites contain offensive material, either in their content or in advertising banners shown on them.

• Child protection

Websites sometimes ask for information. The site may ask for personal information before it will let a user in. At best, the details will end up in some database, probably to be used to try to sell something to the user. At worst, these personal details could be used to trace and harm someone.

Legal Issues

• Credit cards

Many adult websites use credit card details as a way to bar young people from inappropriate material. It would be technically possible for a young person to use those details to register with such a site, use a period of "free" access, so that nothing appears on the credit card statement, and then unregister. Such a technique means that a range of users could use one adult's details without the card owner's knowledge. Those responsible for the sites have no way of checking identity.

• Schools should consider filtering software, ratings systems, child-friendly search engines, or monitored network systems, to avoid inappropriate web material being received.
• Letting pupils know that school staff supervise and monitor usage will reduce any inclination to visit dubious sites.
• All Internet users should be made aware of the potential problems of giving out information. Never divulge anyone else's personal information, and only supply minimal, untraceable details, such as a first name, to an enquiring website.
• Use of an adult's credit card details should not take place on school premises.

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Publishing on the school website

Schools are contributing to this rich vein of online information by publishing information on the web about their activities. These websites are available to Internet users across the world.

A school website encourages communication with a wider audience including schools in other countries, parents, past pupils, business and the community, and provides up to date information about the school's activities.

The development of such a site by pupils and staff is truly cross-curricular.

Personal Safety

• Feeling uncomfortable

If a website includes a pupil's picture, then this could be downloaded from the web, and edited in an unpleasant or embarrassing way. This new image could be circulated via newsgroups or on another webpage.

Parents have concerns that information about their children may be made available worldwide by schools, and that their children can be identified and traced.

Schools could find themselves the centre of unwarranted media attention if the content of a school's website is not carefully overseen. For example, search engines deal with words individually rather than in context, and deliver sites to the browser based upon those individual words. A website that included the phrase "Ourtown school is a single sex education establishment", could be proffered to a web user who was looking for occurrences of "sex".

A pupil could be traced if their name and picture appear on the school's website. It would be possible for them to be contacted by someone wishing them harm.

• Education Authorities should be approached for guidelines concerning parental permission for publishing pupils' pictures on the web.
• Schools may wish to consider whether pupils are put at risk when pictures of them appear on the school website.
• References to specific pupils should only be made if they do not conflict with the school's Personal Safety Programme and Child Protection Guidelines.
• School website developers should take special care that pupils' safety and justifys are not compromised.
• The methods that search engines use to index the contents of websites should be borne in mind when producing text for a school website.

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Email and Newsgroups

Users can send and receive messages and attached files, either privately by email or publicly in a newsgroup. A newsgroup also makes it possible to follow a global discussion between other people.

• Email has opened up communications between schools, regardless of location.
• Time differences no longer inhibit classroom partnerships across the world.
• Email makes it possible for teachers to link with colleagues, or with other experts, to develop and exchange curricular materials.
• Newsgroups exist on almost every imaginable subject, and provide useful resources to get questions answered and to share information.

Personal Safety

• Feeling uncomfortable

Email or newsgroups that contain unpleasant messages could cause concern; examples include the advertising of unsavoury goods and activities, or suggestions that users visit inappropriate websites.

Files with upsetting contents or images could be attached to emails or newsgroup messages.

Every email contains a return address, but this can be falsified. The "header" part of an email provides more, and true, information about who sent the message and where it came from, but can be difficult for new users to decipher.

• Child protection

Email and newsgroups provide an environment where close relationships can develop quickly, without a check of the new contact's integrity or intentions.

In a newsgroup, even if responding to a particular individual's posting, the message is usually available for anyone to view. The biggest risk is that a pupil might post something that reveals traceable information about them. There is a chance that someone undesirable could use this, contact the pupil and cause them harm.

The apparent privacy of email means that it is relatively easy for a stranger to make contact without anyone else's knowledge.

Legal Issues

• Harassment

Posting something to a newsgroup makes an email address public. Even if nothing revealing is said, the address will be available, and it is possible for people to send unrequested email.

Some people and companies use email to send messages to thousands of people at a time, encouraging them to buy goods, do something, visit a website or provide information. This is known as "spamming" and can be intrusive and annoying.

In the ephemeral world of email it can be tempting for users to include "careless chatter" about others. If such chatter includes untrue statements about someone, this could give rise to a claim for damages for defamation or libel. Users should remember that it is technically possible for emails to be intercepted, forwarded and/or printed out.

• Teachers and managers should understand email "headers" since this is critical if there are reasons to question the origin of an email.
• Schools should ensure that only appropriate newsgroups are available to pupils.
• The school approach to a pupil or colleague who receives unpleasant emails should be supportive and non-judgemental.
• The school approach to a pupil or colleague who sends inappropriate emails should be clear and effective in halting such practice. It should also be seen to be effective.

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Chat Rooms

Chat rooms enable users to engage in a live "conversation" with people across the street or around the world. They are similar to telephone conferences except that messages are typed instead of spoken. Usually, everyone in a chat room can see all the other participants' contributions.

Chat rooms are more popular with younger people and have not yet reached their curricular potential. Currently viewed by schools as a home-leisure pursuit rather than an educational communications medium, we can expect to see the role of chat rooms in schools change in coming years.

• Prejudices and stereotyping can be reduced in groupwork where there is neither a visual nor a vocal link between the participants.
• It can be really helpful, particularly in adolescence, to talk openly with others of the same age, whom you know and trust, about some of the difficult issues of growing up.
• Expertise gained from home use could be capitalised on within school.

Personal Safety

• Feeling uncomfortable

Receiving unpleasant messages can cause distress.

Users do not know who else is there, so it can be dangerous to say things in a chat room that wouldn't be appropriate in public. To some, this can appear exciting.

• Child protection

People do not necessarily tell the truth about who they are.

Providing personal information could lead to the user being traced and contacted by someone with harmful intentions.

Careless chatter could lead to others using that information and causing harm.

Some chat rooms are moderated and the moderator can remove someone who is acting in an inappropriate manner, but only after the damage has been done.

The moderator cannot protect a user from going into a private chat area with a person who might cause harm or prevent anyone from typing information that could put them at risk or in danger.

• Users should be aware that discussion can move off-topic and should be advised to avoid any chat room topic area that makes them feel uneasy.
• Curricular development programmes should explore the possible contribution of chat rooms to the learning process. One such related resource is The Cloakroom. (See Resources for further details)
• Schools should be prepared and confident to deal with chat room issues that arise in school or elsewhere.
• Personal Safety Programmes should include reference to chat room participants.

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