Internet safety for schoolchildren

A HARD-HITTING programme teaching school-children how to use the internet safely and report any approaches by predatory paedophiles directly to the police has been launched in the North — but there are no plans yet for a compulsory programme of that kind in schools on this side of the border.

The “ThinkuKnow” programme has been developed by the Child Exploitation and Online Centre (CEOP) and will be available to 11-15 year olds, 90,000 at present, in every school across the North.

They will be taught by the police, child protection specialists and teachers of the perils of sex predators who target young people, particularly on chatrooms.