Safer Internet Forum 2011

eNACSO was represented at The Safer Internet Forum 2011, Luxembourg, by Mr Jon Brown from NSPCC.

The focus of the Forum was “Exposed online – a workshop looking at the emergence of “sexting” and challenges for parents and young people.” Jon Brown moderated the second part of the session called “Insights from research and legislation on sexting in Europe”

The forum ended up with identifying some of the challenges and opportunities related to sexting:

Challenges and opportunities:

• Serious research about sexting needed (incl. its effects on youth development)
• Improve the legislation – when do we protect youth with our laws and when do we harm them with the same laws?
• Is there “good” and “bad” sexting? What is sexting and what is child pornography. Different views of the younger and the older generation.
• Portrait rights and understanding the intent of sharing the images – malicious?
• How to achieve better awareness raising for parents – how to target them and reach them?

Based on this the Foum ended up with the following recommendations:

Recommendations:

• Ensure research not only from the perspective of child protection but also from the perspective of sexual development
• Respond to sexting through education and social work instead of criminal charges on young people
• Treat sexting without moralization
• Minimize the paradoxes in law
• Awareness raising

The Safer Internet Forum 2011 took place in Luxembourg 20-21 October under the theme “Every European Child Digital Safely – Emerging Challenges and Youth Engagement”. Read more about the event here.