Recommendations on safety initiatives

A central objective of EU Kids Online is to strengthen the evidence base for policies regarding online safety in Europe. Its findings regarding children’s online experiences from across Europe offer an unrivalled opportunity to gain greater knowledge of European children’s and parents’ experiences and practices regarding risky and safer use of the internet and online technologies, thereby informing the promotion of a safer online environment for children. This chapter draws out in summary form the main implications for policy making and highlights significant issues arising from the findings of the survey, aligning them with existing initiatives where relevant in the distinct areas of risk and safety addressed. Policy actors addressed include policy makers at the European level, the Safer Internet Programme itself; Safer Internet Centres in each of the countries; national governments who play an important role in regulatory oversight; schools as central providers of internet safety training and education; industry at both national and European level as service providers and developers of children’s online content; and finally, children, young people and their parents as not only the targets for awareness-raising but who also have active roles in promoting and supporting safer internet practices.