Over 5,500 children see new play aimed at helping protect young people from online risks
Over 5,500 children in Buckinghamshire have seen a new play aimed at helping year 6 pupils learn about online risks and healthy online behaviour.
Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire County Councils were awarded money to tackle the issue as part of the Cybercrime grant from the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner. They commissioned the drama school specialists who previously produced Chelsea’s Choice, to develop the play with input from year 7 pupils and a number of agencies across the Thames Valley area.
Buckinghamshire County Council cabinet member for Community Engagement and Public Health, Noel Brown said: ‘Lots of these online and social media platforms attract younger and younger audiences and so it’s important they are equipped to navigate them and know how and when to seek support.‘
The play is being followed up in the classroom with a number of resources addressing cyber bullying, digital resilience and healthy/unhealthy relationships.
Topics covered in the play include :
- Online risks including contact from strangers, ‘grooming’, sharing personal information, privacy settings.
- Risks associated with inappropriate content, including accessing inappropriate content and creating and sharing inappropriate content.
- Critical thinking, understanding how to evaluate online content and behaviour of others.
- Understanding the risk of obsessive use of the internet, fear of missing out, compulsive checking, believing everyone is having more fun than you.
- Understanding the impact of abuse online, cyber bullying, use of homophobic and other derogatory language and peer pressure to join in.
- Reflecting on own behaviour and developing empathy for others.
- Understanding what constitutes healthy relationship online, how to behave responsibly and how to support others.
- The importance of telling someone if you are worried and where to go for support.
