Training

Scouts launch online safety badge

by Mark Rowe

The Scouts are launching a badge on improving online safety. It has two age-related activities to help young people spot fake news and be more aware of their digital footprint, tapping into the theme of this February 11’s Safer Internet Day – online identity. The aim; to aid resilience, critical thinking and improve safety online.

Matt Hyde, Chief Executive of the Scout Association says: “Given our unique position working with hundreds of thousands of girls and boys to build life skills, we work hard to understand and find the best ways to engage them in having a healthy and positive relationship with technology – as well as enjoying the great outdoors. Engaging Scouts right across our Movement on an important topic in an appealing way is a key part of this, and we are delighted to be delivering this badge for Safer Internet Day thanks to Nominet, who sponsor our Digital Citizen Badge.”

A supporter of the Scouts is Nominet, the UK internet registry. While schools are delivering education about online safety, their capacity to do so is limited, says Eleanor Bradley, Managing Director of Registry Solutions and Public Benefit at Nominet. “Data from the SWGfL– a UK Safer Internet Centre partner – indicates that over 40pc of schools don’t have any teacher training related to online safety. Our hope is that this dedicated Scouts badge will help plug the gap, providing an accessible offline learning environment so thousands of young people can better navigate the online world. Most importantly, it will help young people to develop resilience and critical thinking skills to improve their safety online by challenging assumptions and reflecting on their activity.”

Will Gardner, Director of UK Safer Internet Centre, who coordinate Safer Internet Day says: “Safer Internet Day is the biggest campaign on online safety in the world. It’s great to see so many use this day to empower and raise awareness among young people about what technology can offer, how to be kind and respectful to others, navigate it safely and feel confident to raise any concerns if they arise. That’s why we are so pleased to be working with the Scouts and Nominet on this badge to help engage more young people in the UK, and their parents, and the importance of online safety.”

Graham Brown, Explorer (aged 14 to 18 years) Scout Leader, eXu Scout Unit in Sheffield added: “It’s really important to make sure that when our Scouts use the internet, that they do it in a positive and safe way. One of the activities we are launching here helps young people make positive and informed choices about what they share online. It also helps them make choices about what to share with their friends that’s fun and positive – and what information is not a good idea to share. That’s why the activities behind this badge are so important for young people to try out.”

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