Childnet International provided written and oral to the Culture Media and Sport Committee on harmful content on the Internet, and has welcomed today’s publication of the Committee’s report on this matter and the attention that the publication of this report will bring to the safety of children and young people online.

Harpenden-based Bluebeam Security LLP is preparing to undertake the Lyke Wake Challenge this Sunday, July 19th, to raise money for Childnet.

Childnet’s award-winning Cyberbullying film, Lets Fight it Together , is now available as a DVD for schools to order free. This DVD, produced by Childnet for the Department for Children schools and Families in the UK (DCSF), is a practical resource to help schools, and the whole-school community, prevent and respond to cyberbullying. It is designed to challenge people to think about how they behave when using the internet and mobile technologies, the potential impact of cyberbullying, and ultimately to address and change unacceptable online activities thus helping to prevent young people and adults becoming victims or perpetrators of this behaviour.

Childnet launched today a global information campaign to explain the world of music downloading to teachers and parents worldwide. This updated pocket-sized guide, supported by Pro-music, the international alliance of music sector groups, will be distributed through schools and colleges, libraries, record stores, teaching portals and websites in 21 countries.

For the last 5 months Childnet staff have been supporting a major Cyber-peace initiative in Egypt which aims to empower youth of any nation through ICT. The aim is for young people to become catalysts of change, to create safe and better futures for themselves and others, to address the root causes of conflict, to disseminate the culture of peace and to create international dialogues for a harmonious world. Using the internet safely and responsibly is an integral part of this ambitious international programme, and Childnet has been heavily involved as an Associate Partner of the programme with responsibility in running a special track on E-safety.

Childnet gave evidence on Tuesday 26th February 2008 to the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee in response to their inquiry on Harmful Content on the Internet and in Video Games.

Safer Internet day takes place on 12th February and Childnet is delighted to support and promote a range of activities being held on the day both in the UK and worldwide. To coincide with Safer Internet Day Childnet is launching a special interactive widget for children on the Childnet ‘Digizen’ website. The widget is designed to enable young people to express their wishes for their selves, their friends and their wider world and express their online citizenship values. Childnet’s youth panel gave advice on the types of wishes which young people can choose in designing their special widget, with choices including serious as well as fun statements.

Childnet attended BETT last week (9 – 12 January 2008), the world's leading educational information and communications technology (ICT) event, to showcase the new Know IT All resources for teachers and trainee teachers.

As issues such as cyber-bullying and online grooming cause increasing concern, a new training resource – ’Know IT All’ for Trainees and Teachers – is launched today, designed to empower teachers and trainee teachers at secondary level to better understand, tackle and teach e-safety issues to children.

Children online must be better protected from the opaque commercial practices on some of their favourite websites, says the latest research from the National Consumer Council (NCC), Childnet International and expert in marketing to children, Dr Agnes Nairn.