NSPCC welcomes new government recommendations
| Published: 7th April 2008 13:42 |
The NSPCC's Head of policy and public affairs Diana Sutton said: "The proposals to monitor the access that registered sex offenders have to social networking sites recognises the integral part that these sites now play in children's lives. Many sex offenders will go to extraordinary lengths to access children, and we need to ensure that safety measures in cyber space are as stringent as they are in the wider world.
"The recommendation to include links to resources such as the NSPCC on these websites is a welcome step forward. If a child has an unwanted experience online, it is important that we make it as easy as possible for them to report their concerns and get help.
"Parents also play a crucial role in educating their children about how to surf safely online. They can install filtering equipment on computers used by children to protect them from seeing abusive or violent material. The introduction today of a kitemark scheme on these products will give parents greater confidence when buying as manufacturers will have to comply with an independent standard to gain accreditation.
"We cannot always keep children safe from individuals who are intent on causing harm. But we must strive to do all we can to protect children by keeping one step ahead of the abusers."
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