There is no doubt that browsing the web has many advantages. But the internet also poses risks. How can we protect our children from them?

For young people, the internet is one of the main tools for learning about the world every day and staying in touch with their peers. A study entitled “Teenagers and the Internet,” conducted by the Pedagogium College of Social Sciences at the request of the Ombudsman for Children and NASK, found that as many as 68.6 percent of teenagers obtain knowledge needed for school from the internet and develop their interests there. At the same time, 67.1 percent of young people stated that the internet is a source of entertainment for them, while 62.1 percent use it to communicate with other people.

The vast majority of young people learn how to use the internet on their own. When they have a problem, they turn to their peers or older siblings. At the same time, they say that their parents have the necessary skills, but more than half also respond that adults are not interested in what young people do online.

Illegal and harmful content

Alongside undoubtedly useful content, young people may also encounter harmful material online. This includes illegal content, such as child pornography and racist or xenophobic material, as well as content that has a harmful effect on children and young people—encouraging self-harm, depicting violence, physical injuries or death, containing pornography, or promoting intolerance.

Police officers and specialists from the NASK Research Institute (the Dyżurnet.pl team) monitor and combat harmful and illegal content online. To strengthen cooperation, the Ministry of the Interior, the Police and NASK signed an agreement as part of the “CyberPol” program. Its aim is to counter dangerous phenomena on the internet even more effectively.

As part of the program, specialist training is organized for officers and delivered by NASK specialists. It focuses primarily on combating cybercrime and improving the safety of children and young people online. The training program covers approximately 1,700 officers who, in addition to combating crime, will educate young people in schools.

How can you keep your child safe online?

Parents can also help ensure young people’s safety. Here are some useful tips:

  1. From the very beginning, accompany your child as they discover the internet. Take an interest in the websites they visit and suggest pages suited to their age and hobbies. Look for shared interests and consider what you can learn from each other.
  2. Browsing the internet together is an excellent opportunity to talk about safe internet use. You can prepare for the conversation beforehand, for example, by using the advice available at www.saferinternet.pl.
  3. Protect your computer with filtering and antivirus software. Remember that other devices used by children also connect to the internet, such as a mobile phone, tablet, game console or television.
  4. Stay in touch with your child. Talk to them. Do not get angry or shout—try to explain as much as possible; be a source of support for your child.
  5. If problems arise, take action! Seek advice from specialists. Report illegal content (such as child pornography or racist and xenophobic material) to the police. Report content that has a harmful effect on children (encouraging self-harm, containing pornography, promoting intolerance, or depicting violence, physical injuries or death) to website administrators or the Dyżurnet.pl team (www.dyżurnet.pl).

KWP Wrocław/ii