Cyber Risk
funded by BellCyber is fast becoming the number one priority for which teachers and parents are seeking help and guidance. The majority of Canadian youth have access to the Internet and related communication technologies such as cell phones. These technologies, which include social networking websites, instant messages, YouTube, e-mail, chat rooms, and webcams, among others, give young people unprecedented opportunities to communicate with others both in and out of their existing face-to-face social networks. The technologies also provide youth with unparalleled exposure to a vast array of ideas, knowledge and images that would not otherwise be within their reach.
While there are enormous benefits that result from electronic based communications such as social support, identity exploration, academic support, and cross-cultural interactions, the Internet puts youth at risk to be bullied, sexually victimized or exposed to disturbing and potentially harmful material, and provides an arena for misconduct. The rate at which youth experience these types of problematic cyber experiences is fairly high. Although most youth have positive or neutral experiences online, there is considerable concern about risks to youth of using the Internet and related technologies— what we call “cyber risk.”
The aim of the cyber risk initiative is to examine and address cyber risk, including bullying, stalking, sexual solicitation and pornography through the Internet and other forms of communication technology.
There are several components to the cyber risk of children and youth initiative.
• Systematic Review Campbell Collaboration, Crime and Justice Group: Interventions for children, youth, and parents to prevent and reduce cyber abuse.
• Focus groups with 47 students, and a number of parents and teachers on cyber bullying.
• Analysis of children’s and youth’s posts on cyber interactions on the Kids Help Phone “Ask a Counsellor” website.
• Survey on cyber bullying for students in grades 6 and 7 and grades 10 and 11, in 30 schools in the GTA in schools within the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and the UJA Board of Jewish Education (BJE). We also surveyed a convenience sample of parents and teachers and administrators.
• We are collaborating with a number of key organizations to address cyber risk of children and youth. We named this alliance, which began in 2006, and has since grown from 3 to 27 partners, the Canadian Coalition for CyberRisk Reduction (c3R).