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Greetings from Romania!
Hi! My name is Minodora Brindusa Vanga and I am a high school computer science and programming teacher at National College "Mihail Sadoveanu" of Pascani, Iasi, Romania.

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Euroscola Project Strasbourg - Parlement Europeen , 2016

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                  Online Safety (new and updated edition)

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                  Online Safety (new and updated edition)

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The curriculum does not include Internet safety topics. I want to learn more about the security of the Internet.

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Module 1: An Introduction to Online Safety

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Module 1: An Introduction to Online Safety

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The objectives of the first module (An Introduction to Online Safety) are:
1. Learning the main risks faced by children and young people when they go online;
2. Discovering how schools can support pupils and their parents;
3. Understanding what teachers need to take into consideration with regard to managing their own online reputation;
4. Finding out if there is a statutory requirement to teach/deliver online safety in schools.
1.1 The challenges faced by young people when they are online

The research was carried out with both adults (aged 18-74) and young people (aged 13-17) in 14 countries (Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, USA, UK):

65% of respondents said that they had been a victim of at least one online risk (unwanted contact 43%, treated mean 22%, online harassment (17%)

58% of 13- to 17-year olds had met the perpetrator of the online risk face to face.

People found that the internet overall was a “civil” place, but there were “strong concerns over safety, both today and in the future”.

For more information on the challenges faced by young people when they are online, look at the following references:

Insafe helpline statistics

Net Children Go Mobile research

The full report Power of Image: a report into the influence of images and videos in young people’s digital lives

1.2 The challenges faced by teachers

The Insafe network of Safer Internet Centres (SICs) provides a huge amount of information for teachers which can help them to become more confident in supporting pupils. From guides on addressing issues such as cyberbullying and sexting, to safety and privacy information for the most popular social media services being used by young people, the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) portal provides access to hundreds of SIC resources in different languages.
1.3 Where to find resources and support

A recent UNICEF report found that when adolescents are threatened or feel unsafe online:

54% said that they would tell a friend,

48% said that they would tell a parent,

but only 19% said that they would tell a teacher.

For teachers, there is an endless variety of different types of educational and awareness-raising resources available online. These will help you to address online safety issues in your classroom or school. For example, if you go to the resources section of the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) portal, you will find both resources and videos on many different topics across all EU languages.
1.4 A whole-school approach to online safety

Although in many schools online safety is championed by one member of staff, there should ideally be a whole-school approach, with all members of staff playing a role, along with supporting policies which are understood by everyone in the school community.Good practice is often divided into four key areas: Policy, Infrastructure, Education and Standards, as shown in the PIES model below.
In some countries, there is a requirement to teach online safety as part of the curriculum, but this is not the case everywhere. Ideally, online safety should be:

Embedded within the curriculum in all subjects where relevant (not just ICT or computing).

Based around teaching children and young people to be media literate.

Evaluated within schools to demonstrate impact.

A statutory part of the curriculum so that no children and young people are left vulnerable.

Part of an inspection regime so that schools are held to account.

Delivered in partnership with parents and pupils.

1.5. Campaign for a safer and better internet!

One way to facilitate whole-school interaction is to take part in Safer Internet Day (SID), involving staff, pupils, parents and carers, and even the wider community in your actions.

Every year for the last 15, Safer Internet Day (SID) has been celebrated in February, all across the globe.

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The module's learning objectives are:

1. To consider the various dimensions of media literacy.

2. To understand why media literacy and its different dimensions are important for children and young people.

3. To understand how media literacy links to some topical issues such as fake news, data privacy, and copyright.

4. To come up with ideas on how to develop media literacy with your students.

2.1 What is media literacy?
“Media literacy allows us to exercise critical thinking, while participating in the economic, social and cultural aspects of society and playing an active role in the democratic process.” European Commission, 2017
The 2006 UNESCO Media Education Kit for Teachers, Students, Parents and Professionals provides a traditional view, defining media education in terms of key concepts such as Production, Representation and Audiences.
2.2 Fake news
"Every man should have a built-in automatic crap detector operating inside him.”

Ernest Hemingway, 1954
In the video below, John Spencer talks about the problem of fake news and how your pupils can learn to deal with it:https://youtu.be/xf8mjbVRqao
Media educator Frank Baker compiled a (long but very useful) list of practical recommendations(including lesson plans, handouts and related videos).

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2.3 Data privacy
“On Facebook we’re not the customers. We are the product.”

Douglass Rushkoff, 2011
In a digital age – and perhaps more so than ever before – business interests underlie our online media consumption patterns, which are largely taking place on platforms manufactured by large global corporations. As explained in the video below, we are increasingly giving our data away in return for “free” online services. Or, to use an infamous phrase, “if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product”. https://youtu.be/y1txYjoSQQc
2.4. Copyright, plagiarism, piracy
Studying audiences means looking at how audiences are targeted, but also how individuals and social groups use, interpret and respond to media, and the rights and responsibilities they have in this regard.

Within this context, you may wish to discuss with your pupils issues such as copyright, plagiarism and piracy. The Web We Want handbookprovides a range of resources for both teachers and young people:

● Learn how to protect your own creative rights and those of others in Chapter 6, The artist in you.

● Download additional lesson plans for Chapter 6, The artist in you: Protecting what is ours, "RAP-IT-UP", Artist in you!

2.5 Towards a participatory culture?
In the video below, Henry Jenkins gives an inspiring view on the importance of including the more creative work on new media literacies – as part of broader participatory culture – in formal education, as well. In turn, this may lead to broader civic engagement among young people.https://youtu.be/ZgZ4ph3dSmY
2.6 Additional resources
On media literacy…

Would you like to read more about how online safety and media literacy can possibly meet? Over the years, Insafe network members have created various media literacy resources, often combined with wider campaigning activity. An extensive overview is available in our Better Internet for Kids Bulletin on Media Literacy.
If you would like to delve deeper into the topic of fake news, have a look at the following sources of information:

On fake news…

A Stanford University study of 7,804 students – which was mentioned by John Spencer in his video – summed up young people’s ability to reason about the information on the internet in one word: “bleak”! “

David Buckingham gives – apart from a more in-depth critical analysis of the fake news problem – a number of interesting (and sometimes funny) examples of fake news.

Fact-checking online is more important than ever! Swedish fact-checker Viralgranskaren and IIS (The Internet Foundation In Sweden) released the guide ”Fact checking online” – the guide is in Swedish, but you can look at their video in English.

The BBC has launched a scheme to help students to identify fake news and will be offering support to pupils in schools.

The European Commission has established a high-level group to address the challenge of fake news and disinformation.

The European Commission has established a high-level group to address the challenge of fake news and disinformation.

On data privacy…

Across and beyond the Insafe network, many examples of resources and activities exist which may inspire you to teach about data protection/privacy:

The European Handbook for Teaching Privacy and Data Protection at Schools – from the ARCADES project, available in English, Hungarian, Polish or Slovenian.

Your guide to Digital Defenders vs. Data Intruders – Privacy for kids!, to help young people between 10-14 years to protect their privacy – a booklet from EDRi (European Digital Rights).

Helping schools with data protection compliance, through a self-review kit – from the UK Safer Internet Centre.

That data, actually OUR data, in the Cloud – from the Luxembourg Safer Internet Centre.

The Guide to Online Services on the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) website, providing key information and step-by-step guidelines in multiple languages about the most popular apps, social networking sites and other platforms which are commonly being used by children and young people (and adults) today.

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3.1 Different types of (cyber)bullying

3.2 How does the internet change bullying?

3.3 Developing social and emotional learning skills

3.4 How to set up an effective peer-support scheme

3.5 My well-being and yours online

The module's learning objectives are:

To hear from anti-bullying ambassadors and online safety experts

To learn more about the European Network Against Bullying in Learning and Leisure Environments (ENABLE)

To understand how to develop social and emotional learning skills

To discover how to set up an effective peer-support scheme

To discuss your own role with others

To think about your own well-being and that of others online

3.1 Different types of (cyber)bullying
In the following video, Anti-Bullying Ambassador of the Diana Awards Alex Holmes defines the term cyberbullying and addresses some common questions, such as:

What should you do if you suspect your pupil/child is cyberbullying someone?

What can you do as a teacher and/or parent if your child is being bullied?

https://youtu.be/fjBD9Xlb4Wk
(Cyber)bullying is any behaviour that repeatedly makes someone feel upset, uncomfortable and/or unsafe. This is usually deliberate, and can take forms such as verbal, indirect and physical.

Cyberbullying is the intent to offend, threaten, block or harass others by using technical devices such as the internet and mobile phones.
3.2 How does the internet change bullying?
What is special about cyberbullying? Cyberbullying differs from offline bullying in some important aspects:

Intervention into private life around the clock

The audience is immeasurably large and content is spreading extremely fast

Bullies can act anonymously

Victimisation is not directly perceived

Check out the resources below to find more information and advice on how to tackle this issue:

Cyber-Bullying First Aid App

The #Up2Us Anti-Bullying Kit

Cyberbullying Guidance by Childnet

3.3 Developing social and emotional learning skills

Have you heard about the ENABLE project? - ENABLE (European Network Against Bullying in Learning and Leisure Environments) aims to tackle bullying in a holistic way, helping young people exercise their fundamental rights in the home, school, class and community (i.e. peer group).
In this video,https://youtu.be/z2zfHRb3bpc, you can learn more about the ENABLE project and the approach it is following in order to empower different stakeholders, such as parents, teachers, caretakers, etc. to raise resilient children.
Read more testimonies or have a look at the ENABLE for educators webinar below (optional).https://youtu.be/PSC7GY02Auc
3.4 How to set up an effective peer-support scheme

Moreover, in the following video, you can learn from Ellie Cooper of the Diana Awards how to set up an effective peer-support scheme in your settings.
https://youtu.be/0d_sA4nQ4n8
When talking about cyberbullying with your students, some aspects might appear more challenging than others. Look at the list below and think about which of the items is the most challenging for you and why.

1. Worrying about my students asking me something I don’t know about

2. Encouraging my students to speak their minds when the topic is quite sensitive

3. Switching from lecturing to discussing with my students

4. Finding the right resources and ideas for activities to start the discussion with my students

3.5 My well-being and yours online

Bullying will not go away if we do nothing! But it can if we do something. It is up to all of us to create and shape the online spaces that we like to spend our time in.

In order to stand up against cyberbullying, the Irish Safer Internet Centre (Webwise) launched the awareness-raising initiative Watch Your Space, targeting teenagers. It is devoted to promoting safe, effective use of the internet among young people through awareness-raising resources and campaigns.

Watch the following campaign video called ‘The Promise’ and take a stand against bullying. The following Charter for Action will tell you how. Well-being online is as important as in the offline world; it’s a collective responsibility and we all have a role to play!
https://youtu.be/Etobm4hnwcQ

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Module 4: Online Relationships and Sexting

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Module 4: Online Relationships and Sexting

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The module’s learning objectives are:

1. To gain a better understanding of what it’s like to grow up in this digital age/environment and consider the pressures facing young people

2. To explore the impact that technology can have on relationships

3. To raise awareness of the challenges associated with sexting, something most schools have to deal with, and try to understand why young people engage in this risky practice and what can be done to support them (and also their families)

4. To share information about some of the resources that can be used to educate pupils and parents about sexting and associated issues such as sextortion.

4.1 Online identity
Any internet user is able to experiment with their identity when they go online. The internet, and in particular social media sites, can often provide a great platform to push boundaries and project a slightly different persona.
Some young people can feel pressure to look and behave a certain way when they are online. A recent research report surveyed young people in Denmark, Hungary and the UK and found that 32% of girls and 18% of boys sometimes didn’t post images on social media sites because they were worried about body-shaming. https://youtu.be/tmAtFL4rrbc 4.2 The net effect and online reputation

Several years ago, danah boyd spoke of the net effect, where she described how being online changed the way that people behaved for a number of reasons.
There are six key areas to consider:

1. Disinhibition

2. Persistence and searchability

3. Replicability

4. Invisible audiences

5. Blurring of public and private

A good activity to help students have a better understanding of online reputation is to ask them to Google their own name and use the people search engine https://pipl.com to see how much information there is online about them.

Try scrolling down the Pipl results – were they surprised at how much information was there, or wasn’t there anything? Try the activity yourself first and see how much the internet knows about you! Also, watch this video, which highlights the importance of online reputation. https://youtu.be/zlM-YuUQ3Ms
4.3 Sexting
Sexting is a word which describes the sending of personal sexual content, most commonly nude or nearly nude images. The term was originally used by the Australian press about seven years ago, and since then has become a serious challenge for children, young people and their teachers and parents. danah boyd (a social media expert from the US) noted that teen sexting is a very rational act with very irrational consequences. The video below summarises the issue well, and helps to explain some of the key challenges. https://youtu.be/TJyHmoSeHogWe referred to Project deSHAME back in Module 4.1 - their research found that 6% of 13- to 17-year-olds had had their nude or nearly nude image shared with other people without their permission.The Safer Internet Centres have produced a wide range of resources which can be useful in supporting children and young people who have been involved in sexting, as well as in raising awareness and encouraging some debate about possible consequences.

The Irish Safer Internet Centre has published an excellent resource aimed at younger pupils. It includes an animation and six lesson plans covering the following areas:

1. The law on sharing intimate content

2. When online sharing goes wrong

3. Victim-blaming

4. Peer pressure and non-consensual sharing

5. The influence of media and gender stereotypes

6. Getting help

7. 4.4 Sextortion

Sextortion is a relatively new phenomenon which is causing a great deal of concern. It involves individuals being persuaded to share sexual content, often believing that they are in a relationship (albeit online) with the other person. Once images or videos have been shared, the individuals are asked either to pay a certain amount of money in order to prevent the images being shared publicly, or to send more content, often more extreme. This video provides a brief overview of sextortion and highlights the key issues. https://youtu.be/VPAcTw5PpiE
4.5 Additional Resources
Body Image

Is my image edited? A tool to test whether images have been edited or photoshopped. You can just drop any image or photo into the tool and find out if the original has been altered in any way.

Resources for teachers on body image from Dove – this is a set of 3 downloadable lessons which include videos, worksheets and activities aimed at boosting young people’s body confidence.
Sexting

So you got naked online – this resource was created by SWGfL (part of the UK Safer Internet Centre) and is available in Danish and English.

A guide to sexting – from the Greek Safer Internet Centre and available in English, Greek, Spanish, Albanian and French

A guide for teachers on how to deal with sexting when it has taken place – the poster aims to limit possible emotional damage for those involved and restore calm and social safety in school.
Sextortion

Online sexual coercion and extortion is a crime – Europol’s site

Guide to online services – This is part of the Better Internet for Kids website and contains detailed information about over 100 of the most popular apps and platforms used by children and young people. It also includes links to privacy settings, guides for teachers and parents, and other useful resources.
4.6 Webinar with Snapchat

Micah Schaffer joined Snapchat in 2013 as one of its earliest employees and helped develop the company's Trust and Safety program and customer support operations. Today he serves as Snap Inc.'s Director of Public Policy and oversees a wide range of policy issues both internal and external.4.7 Webinar with Facebook

Julie de Bailliencourt is head of Safety Policy for Facebook. In this role, she engages with expert NGOs, partners and policymakers around the world on topics such as bullying, mental well-being and child safety. Prior to joining the Facebook Public Policy team, Julie spent 4+ years managing the Community Operations team based in Dublin, Ireland, with a focus on child safety. Julie graduated from ESJ Journalism school in France and spent 10+ years in the online industry in Ireland before joining Facebook.
Resources > >

Help centre

End Bullying Be Kind Online

Safety Centre

Bullying Prevention Hub

Parents Portal

Privacy Checkup

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Module 5: Hate Speech and Radicalisation

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Module 5: Hate Speech and Radicalisation

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5.1 What is online hate speech?

The Council of Europe defines hate speech as covering "all forms of expression which spread, incite, promote or justify racial hatred, xenophobia, anti-Semitism or other forms of hatred based on intolerance, including: intolerance expressed by aggressive nationalism and ethnocentrism, discrimination and hostility against minorities, migrants and people of immigrant origin "
The No Hate Ninja Project - A Story About Cats, Unicorns and Hate Speech video below provides more background information on what online hate speech is, how it relates to freedom of speech, and how we can effectively respond to it.
https://youtu.be/kp7ww3KvccE
5.2 What is online radicalisation?

Online hate speech and radicalisation are often mentioned in one breath. However, one could argue that the underlying problem and mechanisms are actually quite different.

Violent radicalisation online is a complex process whereby individuals, through their online interactions and exposure to various types of internet content, come to view violence as a legitimate method of solving social and political conflicts.
In the video below, Humza Arshad – a popular YouTube Creator for Change Ambassador, with many young fans across the world – addresses this problem in a language likely to appeal to your pupils.
https://youtu.be/DALMRgakd-c
5.3 Educational approaches to promote critical thinking and mutual respect
Media literacy meets citizenship education

UNESCO has long promoted Global Citizenship education to nurture respect for all, building a sense of belonging to a common humanity and helping learners become responsible and active global citizens. More specifically:

In response to hate speech, citizenship education encompasses the knowledge and skills to identify hate speech, while enabling individuals to counteract messages of hatred.

To prevent and counter violent extremism, education can:

Help young people develop the communication and interpersonal skills they need to dialogue, face disagreement and learn peaceful approaches to change.

Help learners develop their critical thinking to investigate claims, verify rumours and question the legitimacy and appeal of extremist beliefs.

Help learners develop the resilience to resist extremist narratives and acquire the social-emotional skills they need to overcome their doubts and engage constructively in society without having to resort to violence.

Trust Me

Trust Me is a resource designed by Childnet to support primary and secondary school teachers in exploring critical thinking online. Developed in partnership with the London Grid for Learning to address the emerging area of online extremism and propaganda, this practical resource aims to provoke discussion among pupils so as to challenge them to think critically about what they see on websites and social media as well as the communication they have with others online.
MIL for me

MIL for me is an online training resource on media and information literacy (MIL) developed by the Swedish Media Council. It contains various lesson plans and suggested methods. One module for teacher and students covers various elements of online hate and tolerance.
Social and emotional learning

While critical thinking is undoubtedly important, children and young people also need the social and emotional skill set to put cognitive learning into practice and make behavioural change happen. In Module 3 on cyberbullying, we talked in great detail about the ENABLE project, which combats bullying and contributes to the well-being of young people aged 11-14 through social and emotional development and peer education.
5.4 Counterspeech and other forms of campaigning

Counterspeech and counter-narratives

The term counterspeech refers to responses or content that is created to counter a range of extremisms and hate speech online. A counter-narrative is a tool to challenge the ideologies, narratives and stories of violent extremists. The purpose of a counter-narrative is to discredit, deconstruct and demystify extremist messages. It can do this by using logical or factual arguments, or using satire and humour. They can be as specific or nuanced, as direct or indirect as the person or group creating them wants to make them.

In the video below, Dr Erin Saltman from the Institute of Strategic Dialogue (ISD) talks in further detail about counter-speech and counter-narratives.
https://www.facebook.com/OnlineCivilCourage/videos/1704169336470739/?t=0
Other forms of campaigning

The No Hate Speech Movement

Within Europe, the most visible campaign against online hate and extremism has surely been the No Hate Speech Movement. The No Hate Speech Movement is a youth campaign of the Council of Europe for human rights online, whose aim is to reduce the acceptance of hate speech and to develop online youth participation and citizenship, including in Internet governance processes. It comes with an excellent publication – Bookmarks: A manual for combating hate speech online through human rights education – which is designed to support the educational work that will enable young people to find their own ways of addressing and coping with hate speech online.
Actions of the European Commission (EC)

In early January 2018, the European Commission reported on progress made towards an effective and genuine Security Union, including priorities like countering radicalisation, enhancing cybersecurity and protecting public spaces. Read more about their activities via the links below:

Results of Commission's last round of monitoring of the Code of Conduct against online hate speech

Security Union: Commission follows up on terrorist radicalisatio

5.5. The role of industry

Community standards

Against the background of continued political pressure (sometimes combined with a threat of financial sanctions), big social media companies such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have all put community guidelines and reporting mechanisms in place to combat the spread of (certain types) of online hate speech and extremism.

For instance, in its Community Standards, Facebook explains it does not only encourage respectful behaviour, but also “removes hate speech, which includes content that directly attacks people based on their Race, Ethnicity, National origin, Religious affiliation, Sexual orientation, Sex, gender, or gender identify, or Serious disabilities or diseases.”

While organisations and people dedicated to promoting hatred against these protected groups are not allowed a presence, Facebook heavily relies on its community to report this content. Therefore, it also provides guidance on How to Report Things. If you think a message you have received goes against Facebook’s Community Standards, you can report it by filling out a form. Facebook won't let the person know who reported them. However, keep in mind that not everything that may be upsetting violates Facebook’s Community Standards!

5.6. Criminal law and law enforcement

Within this context, you can:

Contact your local authority or police force – if the child has not committed a criminal offence, the police and local authority will discuss your concerns, suggest how they can best protect the child, and help you gain access to all the support and advice you need.

In many countries, the Department for Education also has a counter-extremism point of contact for advice and support.

If in doubt, contact a national helpline – various helplines exist, both as part of the Insafe network and Child Helpline International.

Contact INHOPE, an active and collaborative global network of hotlines dealing with illegal content online. While several hotlines more specifically focus on child sexual abuse, many of them also deal with other types of illegal content, such as racism and xenophobia, incitement to hatred, and so forth.