Following the successful application for EU funds under Connecting Europe Facility, the fourth phase of the BeSmartOnline! project was officially launched during a press conference held this morning. This marks yet another important milestone for the consortium, which can now continue its work as the ‘Safer Internet Centre’ in Malta.
BeSmartOnline! has been the national flagship initiative that promotes the safer use of the Internet for the past 6 years. These funds will allow it to carry on this mission over the next 30 months. The project is coordinated by the Malta Communications Authority and implemented through a consortium made up of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, the Office of the Commissioner for Children and the Directorate for Quality and Standards in Education (DQSE).
The overarching mission of the consortium is to proactively safeguard the well-being of children as they navigate and explore the Internet in order to ensure a positive online experience. It also aims to help children fully recognise and reap the benefits of the many opportunities that the Internet can present. This is done through the implementation of a number of awareness raising and educational initiatives targeting children and their supporting networks; particularly, parents, carers, and educators. In this regard, the learning objectives and outcomes of the Personal, Social and Career Development (PSCD) subject, which focus on digital citizenship, are instrumental in reaching all students within compulsory schooling.
The launch this morning brought together different stakeholders and professionals who are directly involved in childrens’ well-being. An MCA representative gave a high-level overview of the key achievements of the BeSmartOnline! project to date, whilst representatives from each partner gave an update on their respective entities contribution to the project.
Appoġġ, through the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, has been offering the services of a Helpline, which is provided through the national Supportline 179, through which the general public, especially children, carers and educators, can seek help in the event that they have fallen victim, or encounter cases of online risks. The helpline has had significant impact, receiving over 270 calls in 2016, with cyberbullying and sexting topping the reasons for support. Over the past few years, the percentage of calls received, which are related to Internet safety, has increased - a clear indicator that people are more aware of the services offered by the Helpline and that individuals are more sensitised towards internet related issues.
Agenzija Appoġġ also administers a Hotline, an online portal accessible through www.childwebalert.gov.mt where individuals can report websites containing images or videos depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) . In 2016, approximately 32 web pages containing over 3200 child sexual abuse images were analysed and inputted in the iCCAM platform. Through this platform the Maltese Hotline alerts international colleagues about CSAM hosted on their countries’ servers. As of last year, the hotline also started contributing to the ICSE (International Child Sexual Exploitation) image database managed by Interpol, which helps to identify the children abused in these images. By January 2017, the ICSE database had helped identify more that 10,000 victims around the world. It is important to note that this national Hotline is a member of INHOPE, an international association of Hotlines.
The Office of the Commissioner for Children has ensured the active participation of children and youths in the numerous activities organised by the BeSmartOnline! project, giving youths a ‘voice’ in the national discussions on the subject. This Office has also been a key player in raising awareness on Internet Safety and has regularly contributed to the development of resources in this regard.
A number of resources developed over the past year were also presented during the launch. Resources included; a digital game that promotes critical thinking and which has since been installed on all tablets distributed in primary schools. The PSCD section with the Department of Curriculum developed workbooks for all students in years 3, 4 and 5. These will be used during the PSCD lessons and have the aim of promoting digital citizenship skills. A number of videos were also developed with the assistance of the Secretariat for Catholic Education. These are intended to instigate and promote participation and discussion during parent/carer information sessions. Other resources were developed during the course of the project and are available online at www.besmartonline.org.mt.
Commenting during the launch, the Hon. Minister Emanuel Mallia, highlighted the importance of finding the right balance between, on the one hand, harvesting an economic environment that supports the proliferation of innovative technologies and services and on the other hand, instilling the necessary skill set in the younger generation and the supporting community to ensure a healthy and positive digital experience, without engendering a sense of fear of technology. ‘Our aim is to ensure that everyone fully enjoys the benefits of technology. Whilst the benefits are plentiful, risks are still a reality and they need to continue to be addressed. This project, together with other initiatives such as the Malta Security Strategy, which will be launched in the coming weeks, contribute to making the Internet a safe place for our users. It is heartening for me to see such collaboration between entities and the truly positive outcomes that are resulting,’ continued the Minister.
On his part, the Hon. Minister Evarist Bartolo lauded the initiatives being undertaken and how these are fully supporting and complementing the digital literacy programme. ‘The synergies created between the BeSmartOnline! project partners and numerous education departments it has worked with over the years, are truly commendable and proof that pulling the same string can really render results. Although digital natives, our students still need to understand and appreciate the need for proper online conduct – it is not a technology issue, but rather a behavioural one. Just as we teach them the rules of the street, we need to instil the same mindset for the online world. The BeSmartOnline! project has been instrumental in this regard and the initiatives rolled out over the years have truly complemented our digital literacy programme.’
The Hon. Minister Michael Farrugia made reference to the importance of a strong support system and the indispensable services offered by the Helpline 179 and the Hotline. ‘Education and technical knowledge are both critical elements that need to be addressed in a coherent manner and it is highly reassuring to see that the BeSmartOnline! Project is doing exactly this. A strong support system for victims and their families is as critical, and I am very proud that the FSWS is actively engaged in this project. I strongly believe that the strength of this project lies in the fact that it brings together the right mix of professionals and technical competencies and in doing so, we are offering a more comprehensive service to our youth and communities at large.’
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
About Insafe and INHOPE
Under the framework of the European Commission's Safer Internet Programme, Insafe and INHOPE work together to deliver a safer internet, promoting safe, responsible use of the internet and mobile devices to children, young people and their families, and working to identify and remove illegal content online.
Find out more by visiting the Insafe and INHOPE joint portal at www.saferinternet.eu. Here you will find links to the various safer internet centre services, by country, along with news and events, and FAQs on safer internet issues.
Alternatively, you can visit the Insafe or INHOPE websites direct (Insafe: www.saferinternet.org and INHOPE: www.inhope.org).