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South Lanarkshire Child Protection Committee are supporting Safer Internet Day on 8 February 2022

Published: Wednesday, 02 February 2022

Together for a better internet

As always, Safer Internet Day aims to create both a safer and a better internet, where everyone is empowered to use technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively. By celebrating the positive power of the internet, Safer Internet Day 2022 will be celebrated on 8th February with the theme of ‘All fun and games? Exploring respect and relationships online’. From gaming and chat, to streaming and video, young people are shaping the interactive entertainment spaces they are a part of. Safer Internet Day 2022 celebrates young people’s role in creating a safer internet, whether that is whilst gaming and creating content, or interacting with their friends and peers.

Speaking with young people is key to exploring their experiences on platforms where they can play games, interact with their peers and others, and take part in ‘live’ experiences such as video streaming. These platforms play such an important and positive role, providing young people with the means to interact with friends and as a great pastime, particularly during lockdowns. 

However, there are some emerging safety issues in these spaces as well as issues young people have been navigating for some time; particularly the lack of respect individuals display towards each other, groups ‘ganging up’ against other groups, and the sense that it is easy to ‘get away’ with negative behaviour such as meanness, bullying and swearing. They speak about hate directed at particular groups, particularly LGBT+ users, and misogyny on gaming platforms. They tell us the apparent lack of consequences for negative behaviour has an impact on their safety and wellbeing.

From cyberbullying to social networking to digital identity, each year Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and current concerns.  Whether you are a child, young person, parent/carer, family, professional or business we ALL have a part to play in working together for a better and safer internet.

South Lanarkshire Child Protection Committee and CSE and Online Safety Sub Group have published leaflets on Cyberbullying and Online Safety to offer advice and guidance to both children young people and their parents/carers.


Further information about Safer Internet Day is available here:

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