Campaign aims to protect kids from online dangers

The government is launching the third phase of its campaign to alert parents and children to the potential dangers of internet paedophiles, with a powerful advertising and awareness campaign.

The 'Keep Your Child Safe on the Internet' adverts will run on cinema and radio, as well as online, and will be accompanied by updated guidance and information.

The aim of the campaign is to make parents aware of the potential for paedophiles to use the internet to 'groom' victims, as well as advising young web users how to keep themselves safe on the internet and reiterating the message that they shouldn't be giving out personal details on chatrooms.

John Carr, internet consultant to children's charity NCH, said that paedophiles and crime fighters are locked in a "technological arms race", as paedophiles are now learning how to evade detection with the help of techniques like encryption. "Smarter countermeasures are needed," he said.

But as well as helping paedophiles, technology is putting up barriers between child abusers and their victims. Carr said that children are no longer using chatrooms in the same volumes and their switch to using IM has made them inherently safer – with 'buddy lists' potentially barring communication between children and paedophiles. However, paedophiles themselves are also deserting chatrooms, choosing instead to find victims by using P2P networks and other means.

Despite a more tech and internet-savvy younger generation, the importance of education children about the dangers on the web can't be underestimated, according to Carr. "It's like the green cross code," he said. "You just have to keep reminding kids."

The £3m campaign has been running since 2001 and was developed by the government's Taskforce on Child Protection on the Internet, made up from the industry, children's charities, government, police and others.

For more information about how to keep your child safe on the internet, visit www.thinkuknow.com, the Keep Your Child Safe on the Internet website.