An Insightful Guide On The Child Online Safety Toolkit

Recently, an NGO in Britain came up with the concept of the ‘Child Online Safety Toolkit’. So, this article will highlight a complete analysis of this comprehensive toolkit. With the advancement of technology and easy access to the internet and smartphones, the online world has rapidly changed in the last few years. On one hand, the internet has played a positive role in bringing people close to each other from around the world. On the other hand, the misuse of the internet has increased and this has posed a serious threat to the safety and the security of the online users.

So, to make the online experience safer and healthier for everyone and especially kids, Britain-based NGO- 5 Rights developed and released the child online safety toolkit with the motto of making the online world safer and sound for your kids. The child online safety toolkit was inaugurated by the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry who was very happy with this thoughtful initiative of the NGO- 5 Rights.

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What does the Child Online Safety Toolkit Provide?

As already stated above, the child online safety toolkit offers a hands-on, comprehensive guide for making the online world harmless for kids. The foundation for the toolkit has been built on the existing international agreements and best practices, that were developed in consultation with international experts coming from different countries and backgrounds. The toolkit also offers worksheets and resources that are easily accessible both online and offline to make child online safety a reality.

Agreements Included in the Child Online Safety Toolkit

The foundation of the toolkit has been developed on existing international agreements and laws and those have been mentioned below for your reference.

1. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) on Children’s Rights in the Digital Environment

This act aims to explain how state parties should properly implement the Convention on the Right of the Child regarding its exposure to the digital environment. It also offers and outlines guidance on the relevant legislation, policy, and other measures to ensure complete compliance with the obligations that fall under this convention.

2. The WeProtect Global Alliance Model National Response

WeProtect Global Alliance is a global movement or an initiative of more than 200+ governments, with private sector companies, and civil society organizations working collectively to transform the global response to child sexual exploitation and abuse online.

3. The International Telecommunication Union Guidelines for Kids Online Protection

A comprehensive set of guidelines and recommendations for kids, parents, educators, industry, and policymakers on how they can contribute towards the development of a safe, healthy, and empowering online environment for kids and adults.

4. UNICEF’s Policy on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Children

The guidance is specially designed to promote children’s rights in government as well as the private sector. These guidelines lay a special focus on how AI can be integrated into different policies and practices and raise awareness of how AI can be effectively used to uphold o undermine these rights.

What is the Importance of the Child Online Safety Toolkit?

Keeping the purpose of the overall toolkit in mind, it will offer the following benefits to your little ones-

1. Vulnerability

India has witnessed a massive increase in internet penetration in 2020 by 50% as it was only 34.4% in 2019, and the major cause of this increase was the onset of the global pandemic. Moreover, with our education system moving online, and kid’s online classes becoming a popular trend, out of India’s 749 million internet users, 232 million are only kids.

Moreover, the internet turned out to be the biggest weapon with better connectivity, access to knowledge, an avenue to amp up your existing skills, and entertainment on one hand. And on the other hand, the internet can pose serious threats such as exposure to harmful and inappropriate content.

2. Addressing the Issue of Child Sexual Exploitation

Many people would be surprised to know that child exploitation and sexual abuse are the 2 major concerns and threats, not only offline but also online. As per the data quoted by Interpol, nearly 24 lakh instances of online child sexual abuse were reported where 80% of the victims were girls who were below the age of 14.

However, with a child online safety toolkit, the chances of online child sexual abuse can be reduced effectively.

3. Building a Digitally Safe Environment

Using the online safety toolkit for kids you can easily keep your kids safe and secure in an online world. Moreover, even the toolkit guarantees the online safety of your kids by not just protecting them or by responding to risks and harms, but also by designing a digital environment that is 100% safe for your child.

Today one in every 3 people online is under the age of 18, it means that the central point of the online digital world for kids should focus on these parameters- privacy, safety, and rights by default and by design.

Initiatives Taken by the Indian Government

When it comes to the Indian perspective on the online safety of kids, the government is taking all the necessary steps to make the online digital world safe and secure for kids.

1. When it comes to the national context, there are a lot of differences but the rules and the regulations are aligned in context to the cross-border cooperation and understanding.

2. In the end, it is up to the nations and the different organizations if they want to use the toolkit for creating a safe online environment for kids and also if they agree to adhere and agree on various international conventions.

3. At the same it is important to ensure the proper understanding of the issue so that the best interests of the child can be promoted, and this can lead to the development of appropriate recovery services for the victims of cybercrime.

4. Lastly, there is a need to spread awareness through alerts and advisories, proper training, and understanding of the law enforcement agencies, thereby improving cyber forensic facilities.

What Makes PiggyRide a Safe and Trusted Online Learning Platform?

1. Our tutors are highly experienced and fully verified.

2. To add to this, our online classes are kid-friendly and they offer a comprehensive, positive, and child-friendly environment so that they can learn and grow.

3. Parents can easily communicate with the tutors using our platform as a medium and share their honest feedback and reviews.

4. The content that goes on our website is 1000% kid-friendly and the images that we use are safe for your child to consume and see.

5. Moreover, to make the online learning experience immersive and collaborative, we also have a provision for YoutTube tutorials where your child can see and learn new skills daily.

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Final Words

In today’s time, it has become very important to protect your kids from the unforeseen dangers of the online world. Though the digital world has transformed our learning system and also made online learning easy for kids. But at the same time, it has also increased the risk of various types of online dangers including child pornography, child sexual abuse, etc. So it is very important for the parents to thoroughly monitor and see what their kids are doing online.

Apart from monitoring your child you must also educate them on the harmful effects of using the internet and what threats it can pose to them. Today, spreading awareness of cybercrime has become an important responsibility of every parent across the globe. So, if you are looking for a safe and secure online learning platform for your child then PiggyRide is the best one that you should trust.

Ranked as the finest online learning platform for kids in the country, apart from offering courses on chess, cricket, yoga, painting, kathak, etc, we have taken all the necessary precautions to ensure the online safety of your child. Right from the verified tutors to using kid-friendly content and images, we have taken all the initiatives to ensure that your child’s online learning does not get hampered. In case you have any queries or doubts you can reach out to us through our Q/A section where you can get all your concerns and doubts clarified.

Furthermore, our weekly workshop section will play a key role in strengthening the extracurricular skills of your little ones. Keep following us for more updates and information!