Child Exploitation And Online Protection Centre (CEOP) (National) joining forces to protect children online - the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre hosts partner workshops for safer internet day.

M2 PRESSWIRE-6 February 2007-UK Government: Child Exploitation And Online Protection Centre (CEOP) (National) joining forces to protect children online - the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre hosts partner workshops for safer internet day(C)1994-2007 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:06022007

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre is joining forces with child protection and industry partners to help young people to stay safe online.

As part of a European campaign to promote Internet Safety, the Centre will host a series of workshops, designed to educate children about how to have fun online without exposing themselves to potential risks.

Their online habits will provide a focus for the specialist workshops which will be delivered at the CEOP Centre for European Safer Internet Day on Tuesday February 6, 2007.

More than 100 secondary school children will take part in activities to increase their awareness about Social Networking, Cyberbulling, Gaming and Online Auctions. The interactive sessions will be presented by the CEOP Centre's Education Team, Childnet, Microsoft UK and SwapitShop. They are supported by Communications Industry Regulator, Ofcom.

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre will also launch its latest education film at the event. The hard-hitting, four-minute film shows how a teenage boy falls victim to sexual abuse, after he is tricked into meeting a girl he believed he'd been talking to online.

The film will form part of a rolling education programme, currently being delivered in secondary schools throughout the UK.

Helen Penn is the Education Team Co-ordinator at the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre. She said: "As part of Safer Internet Day we're asking young people to stop and think about the risks they take online. By coming together with our partners in this way, we're able to focus on the areas of the Internet children enjoying using most and show them how they can better protect themselves in these environments."

Matthew Bishop, Microsoft's Business & Marketing Officer said; "No one can deny the positive impact the Internet has made to the lives of young people, who are more connected and have better access to information than ever before. But sadly with the opportunities come risks. It's vital that we help educate young people so they are in the know, in control and can make the Internet a safer place for themselves and their friends."

"As a youth focused business, child safety has to be at the centre of everything we do at SwapitShop," explains Jonathan Attwood, CEO at SwapitShop. "We find working on initiatives like Safer Internet Day invaluable as they provide a forum where we can let young people know what we are doing about online safety and the issues involved, whilst getting their feedback and ideas on how we can make SwapitShop even better."

"Childnet is delighted to have been invited to run a workshop on cyberbullying at the CEOP Centre," said Will Gardner from Childnet.

Cyberbullying is a really important issue affecting young people online and it's good that it's being addressed as part of Safer Internet Day. Childnet is currently undertaking a project for the Department for Education and Skills to research and provide guidance for schools on preventing and responding to cyberbullying".

Useful facts and figures:

* 75% of children and young people aged between 9-19 years have internet access at home

* According to the OfCom Communications Market Report 2006, 70% of young people aged between 16 and 24 are using new online social networking sites to make friends, share information and have fun

* 1 in 12 children have met someone offline who they initially engaged with online

* 31% of young people have received unwanted sexual comment online or by text message though only 7% of parents are aware that their child has received such material.

* More than 2000 reports have been received by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre since its launch in April 2006

* Approximately 50% of these reports relate to online grooming through social networking sites.

Note to Editors:

* Safer Internet Day projects are organised in association with UCLAN (The University of Central Lancashire) and with the support of the

EU funded ISCA Project.

* More than 30 countries across Europe will take part in events to support Safer Internet Day 2007.

* The CEOP Centre is affiliated to the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and powers are derived from the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. It is based in Pimlico, London with developing outreach channels to all areas of both domestic and international policing as well as industry and specialist support and educational faculties.

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