Tech Shout!

Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) has announced to launch Hector’s World, an animated cartoon series for educating children about online safety.

Earlier, OFCOM research indicated that nearly 59% of 5-7 year olds access the internet at home. To add to this, 21% of these children do so under no supervision. Hence taking safety majors for such children was important. Cartoon being an effective way to reach to children in New Zealand, this method was chosen for informing.

Hector’s World comprises of five state-of-the-art animated episodes. Each of the episodes take children on a journey with a dolphin named Hector and his friends as they explore issues such as personal information, trustworthiness, making positive choices online and how to be open with a trusted adult when they use the internet.

Jim Gamble is Chief Executive of the CEOP Centre. He said, “We know that children are now using the internet at an increasingly young age. Recent research, coupled with feedback from our own youth panel and our work with parents, show that children are exploring the online world from as young as five years old.”

“Teachers have asked us for this material because it is never too early to start giving children ’safety first’ messages: in the same way that we teach small children to cross the road safely, there is a need to ensure that young children learn good habits for a future life online. If we give them early lessons in a way that is engaging, relevant and fun, we can help to safeguard young children online not only now but well into the future,” he added.

Episodes of “Hector’s World” and back-up resources are available online at http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/5_7/hectorsworld/.