Teaching children how to keep protected on the Internet

Symantec, makers of World-renowned Norton Internet security software, has teamed up with Perform, the UK’s largest drama school exclusively for primary age children, to teach children how to stay safe on the Internet in a fun and lively way.

As the government announces the formation of The UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) this month, the importance of children’s safety online is being recognised at a national level. Reporting directly to the Prime Minister, the Council will help to improve the regulation and education around internet use, tackling problems around online bullying, safer search features, and violent video games following recommendations from Dr Tanya Byron’s report ‘Safer Children in a Digital World’.

By bringing the issues into the schools, Symantec can help educate the pupils, teachers and parents of the dangers on being online and how to tackle them. ‘Zak and Zara’s Cyberspace Adventure’ theatre production has been created by Perform exclusively for Symantec UK as part of its Norton Family Online Safety Initiative. The performance will be shown to more than 10,000 children in primary schools across London and the Home Counties in October 2008 to teach them, while having fun, ways to use the Internet in a safe and responsible manner. Zak & Zara’s Cyberspace Adventure is a colourful story set in the future on Planet Disco. The children will meet the Space-Age family, their talking computer, Chip, and the nasty Green Alien while learning key online safety messages around topics such as cyber-bullying and using chat-rooms safely. Involving three energetic actor-singer-dancers, a funky seventies-inspired score and projected animations, Zak & Zara’s Cyberspace Adventure will be lots of interactive fun while also communicating a serious message to the children about Internet safety. “Theatre in Education is extremely powerful and can really get important messages across more than anything else as the children can really empathise with the actors and stories,” said Lucy Quick, Perform Principle. “Internet safety is a very important topic right now, so we are very happy to be collaborating with leading Internet safety company Symantec to tackle this subject.”

“Children today have never known a world without the Internet and communicating with their friends through email, social networking and instant messaging is common practice,” said Caroline Cockerill, Norton Online Safety Advocate for Symantec. “Yet this can be worrying for parents and carers who are concerned about what or whom their children may encounter online. “We’re delighted to be teaming up with Perform as it’s a new and completely novel approach to teaching children how to keep protected online while having fun. It also builds further on our Norton Family Online Safety Initiative, which is a support programme to provide parents and children with the knowledge and tools to stay safe online.” “Through Zak and Zara’s Cyberspace Adventure, we hope to educate children about how to use the Internet in a responsible and safe way while still being able to enjoy the benefits of the Internet. Children will also learn the three golden rules of staying safe on the Internet – Be Safe, Be Smart and Be Certain – and take home with them information that they can learn and share with their parents and carers.”

For more information or practical advice for parents and children on staying safe online then please visit the Norton Family Online Safety resource web site norton.com/uk/familyresource. A free guide with tips on Internet safety is also available via the site.