During 14-16 June 2007 in Warsaw, Poland, a working conference on the project EU kids online took place. The three–years research project attempts to compare the cultural, contextual and risk issues of children’s safe use of the internet and new communication technologies. The Warsaw conference gathered researchers from among 18 different European states in order to classify current findings, define problematic areas and adopte further guidelines to the finalization of the study. The Bulgarian partners IRBF and GERT were represented by Ilina Dimitrova.

The project , sponsored by the European Commission and the London School of Economics and Political Science, is a comparative research study that attempts at providing guidelines on how to make the Internet safer space for young children and teenagers. So far 18 countries participate in the project, with the prospective to include more EU member states. The conference meeting in Warsaw was third of its kind and its main purpose was to summarize findings and challenges researchers met in their respective countries so far and to provide guidelines for future implementation.

The agenda was focused on the enhancement of the cultural and the socio- economic risk factors as well as on the challenges that researchers met in the different countries. As it was decided in Warsaw, an emphasis must be put on researching young children as they are most unprotected when surfing online and so far not enough data has been accumulated to outline the main risk they experience. In order to raise awareness of the problem and to promote practical actions that will lead to safer internet for children, the participants discussed and issued a few recommendations to policy-makers, internet providers parents, teachers. Those include:

 to increase the usage of filters in private PCs and in clubs
 to educate parents and teachers of the possible risks that the children face
 to urge for adoption of appropriate legislative measures in the respective countries

All participants committed to enhance efforts to disseminate the project’s findings in the public space and specifically to popularize it among academic and political circles as well as among manufacturers and producers of software and hardware. For those purposes, the project’s banner already appears on the international web page of UNICEF and some members have developed national web sites with the support of public agencies. The Bulgarian partners, IRBF and GERT, have added additional information about the project on their web page and printed- out fliers that are available upon request.

For more information: EUKidsOnline Project