A groundbreaking report released Tuesday by the Internet Safety Technical Task Force, a group formed to take an in-depth look at both the latest sociological research on on-line safety, and also to evaluate the efficacy of various proposed software solutions, found that when it comes to protecting children online there is no technological substitute for the role of law enforcement and parents in keeping society safe. IPI was named to the Task Force last March to serve alongside other organizations and Internet companies to research effective Internet safety technologies for protecting children online.
The research makes clear that while technology may be part of the solution, the key to keeping kids safe online is a multilayered approach combining technology (much of which is already being deployed by social networking sites and are provided for free by many Internet service providers), law enforcement, caregiver oversight and private educational efforts on Internet safety.
But perhaps most importantly the research shows that the problems are societal, and not problems unique to any technology. That is to say that the problems encountered online, whether on a social networking site or elsewhere online, are exactly the same problems found in the school yard, in the homes of abusive parents, on the telephone, and at the shopping mall. The sad truth is that “at risk” kids are at risk no matter where they spend time. And whether they are bullied to one extent or another, or even more tragically, physically harmed, the end result is the same—children are injured. Hence, any solution must focus on the broad societal problems such as bullying, providing help to at risk kids, education to parents and other care givers, and, of course, guaranteeing that law enforcement has the tools to catch and lock up criminals.
The bottom line: After an extensive review of current technological tools available, the Task Force has concluded that technological mandates do not mitigate Internet safety threats, because no one technology presents a reliable solution. No technology can replace parental supervision and law enforcement. Training and education in promoting Internet safety should be provided to both groups to limit the incidence and severity of these tragedies.
Getting this right is all about securing our future, via our children.