New P.E.I. website aims to help caregivers and youth navigate cyber safety
A new website is aiming to help Island parents and caregivers better understand cyber safety in the hopes of assisting youth navigate the digital world.
The Cybersafe Care website covers topics ranging from sexting, online gaming, relationships and cyber bullying.
The project has been led by the Interministerial Women's Secretariat on Prince Edward Island.
"We do know that it's very easy to access sites that aren't safe, for different apps and stuff that kids are accessing," said Michelle Harris-Genge, director of the Interministerial Women's Secretariat.
The site is an extension of the previous work of Cybersafe Girl, a regional, bilingual public education program developed and supported by the Atlantic Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women in Canada.
That project worked to provide information to girls, families and educators about how girls can be safe online — while the new site has been developed to address issues in a gender-neutral way.
'Good, reliable information'
Building the website and its content involved extensive research, said Harris-Genge said.
In addition to the group's research, the site highlights existing, trusted cyber tools and resources available to people to gather information.
In the end, the site, we wanted it to be empowering — Michelle Harris-Genge, Interministerial Women's Secretariat
Filtering through the internet can be challenging. But finding reliable and accurate information can be even more daunting, Harris-Genge said.
"This is a place where parents and caregivers and educators can go and be confident that what they see is good, reliable information and it's been looked at extensively," she said.
'Have safe spaces for youth to come to'
The group also reached out to experts who work with youth in the community for consultations and held feedback sessions.
"We did extensive consultation with groups so that in the end, the site, we wanted it to be empowering. We didn't want it to be, you know, fearful.
"It was focused on healthier relationships and how to stay safe."
There are steps that you can take ... and what you can do on social platforms. — Michelle Harris-Genge, Interministerial Women's Secretariat
Harris-Genge said the goal of the website isn't to tell kids where not to go on the internet, but rather to ensure they're equipped to navigate the trickier parts of the cyber world.
For example, Harris-Genge said Cyber Care can inform young people on how to remove a photo of themselves should one be circulating online, that they didn't consent to.
"There are steps that you can take ... and what you can do on social platforms. So it's different for each one," she said.
"The number one piece of advice that we have is to have safe spaces for youth to come to you so that they know that they can come to you without judgment."
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