New CEOP badge to support online safety message
You will have noticed that the village website now carries the CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) badge together with banners and links to help parents, young adults and children with online safety advice. Carrying the badge raises awareness in CEOP's role at a time when stories appear regularly in the press about child grooming, cyber bullying and other Internet nasties.
The Internet is a fair reflection of society and our attitudes towards each other - it's everything good and bad. On the Internet you can be anyone you want to be, inhibitions come down easily in front of the screen, and it's easy to be disrespectful when you hide behind the 'cyber wall'. So, Internet safety, especially amongst the young and vulnerable is everyone's responsibility, from parents, carers and teachers through ISPs (Internet Service Providers) and businesses, to government and the wider international community.
There's been much in the news recently about so-called Twitter trolls who actively go out of their way to annoy and hurt innocent Internet users. Recently I watched a Tonight programme about cyber bullying and was left dumbstruck by the callous attitude of an Internet troll - the man was just plain evil.
#ShepleyVillage now supporting @CEOPUK in fight to protect children against online exploitation. Please retweet to show your support!
— Pennine Folks (@PennineFolks) September 25, 2013
Whilst Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have been much maligned (deservedly, in some cases) for not doing enough to protect the vulnerable when online, let's remember that it's the paedophiles, the bullies and those intent on causing harm or distress to others that are breaking the law.
The few spoiling it for the majority. Wasn't it always ever thus? So, apart from education, education, education strong law enforcement is also required through policing agencies such as CEOP.
We hope you agree that it's a cause worth supporting!
John Carr
John Carr
Many of you may know that Holmfirth-born John Carr (his family own the Picturedrome) is one of the world’s leading authorities on children's and young people’s use of the internet and associated new technologies.
John is a member of the Executive Board of the UK Council on Child Internet Safety, the British Government's principal advisory body for online safety and security for children and young people.
He is a Senior Expert Adviser to the United Nations, ITU, the European Union, a member of the Executive Board of the European NGO Alliance for Child Safety Online, Secretary of the UK's Children's Charities' Coalition on Internet Safety.
John has advised many of the world's largest internet companies on online child safety.