National Children’s Bureau welcomes internet initiative

The National Children’s Bureau (NCB) is a leading charity that works to improve outcomes for all children and young people. Celine McStravick, Director, says: “NCB NI welcomes this initiative from the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Police and Community Safety Partnerships to help keep children and young people safe online.

“To effectively target this issue it is essential that all the appropriate agencies and organisations work together collectively and in a consistent manner.

“Research carried out by the National Children’s Bureau in Northern Ireland for the Safeguarding Board NI, recommends a more coordinated approach to achieve better online protection for young people. One of the recommendations coming out of the SBNI report on e-safety was the establishment of an E-Safety Forum for Northern Ireland and we look forward to supporting this critical development.

“We know the ways children and young people interact and communicate with each other has changed dramatically over the past decade. As a society we need to be aware of these changes, and the risks that young people can face online, just as they do in the physical world.

“We can no longer ignore the world that our children live in.

“This is an issue for all of society to take responsibility for. It’s not about blaming the internet or the authorities, it’s about ensuring that we all understand the internet as an important part of children and young people’s lives, and support them to understand the risks they may face. All agencies need to work closely together to ensure that the voices of children and young people are listened to.”