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An action plan and marketing campaign to improve the safety of children on the internet and prevent problems such as cyber bullying, internet fraud and online grooming.

The action plan will build on what is already happening in schools and elsewhere to:

• Create a safer online environment for children, for example by working with games developers in Scotland to raise awareness of the dangers associated with accessing inappropriate material through gaming and working with the industry to identify how best to help parents increase their understanding and use of web-filtering software
• Give everyone who cares for or works with children the skills and knowledge to help them stay safe on-line, including providing on-line training and guidance on internet safety for all teachers through GLOW, the Scottish schools' education platform, and working with the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency to identify CPD opportunities for police officers
• Promote more safe and responsible internet use. The radio and press based marketing campaign, alongside a national competition for children, encouraging them to come up with creative ideas for new resources to teach others about safe internet use, will support these efforts

Launching the action plan, campaign and competition as part of EU Internet Safety Week, Minister for Children and Early Years, Adam Ingram, said:

"The internet provides countless opportunities for learning and socialising but unfortunately there are malicious individuals and organisations who exploit the relative freedom which it provides. We want young people to enjoy the internet and that means helping them stay in control and ensuring they know what to do and who to go to if they feel at risk.

"We also need to step up our work with parents and carers, teachers and other professionals, as well as industry to improve protection and increase understanding of how to keep our children safe online. The action plan sets out how we intend to deliver on those aims and build on the work already underway in Scotland to ensure a more responsible approach to internet use so children can continue to enjoy the internet - safely.

"Young people also have a part to play in this and that is why we are launching a competition for the under 16s to encourage them to spread the word on internet safety through any means they chose - art work, creative writing, performance, enabling them to contribute to new teaching resources about this important issue."

Councillor Marilyne MacLaren, Education Leader, the City of Edinburgh Council, said:

"The internet is a valuable tool within our classrooms and provides pupils with a fun and creative way to learn. However, pupils must be aware of the potential dangers of surfing the web. We welcome this excellent campaign as it teaches pupils and parents the importance of on-line safety whilst enjoying the freedom of what the internet has to offer."

Scotland's Action Plan on Child Internet Safety sets out what is happening already in Scotland in this area and further actions to be taken, and builds on the content of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety's (UKCCIS) Strategy.

The radio and press marketing campaign aims to raise awareness of online safety issues among parents and carers. It mirrors similar content being used elsewhere in the UK. It will run for three weeks at a cost of £70,000 to the Scottish Government which includes a contribution towards the development of the materials, as well as advertising costs.

The competition will encourage young people to help create materials which can be used to help teach others about how to use the internet safety and responsibly. Where possible it should carry the digital code message - Zip It, Block It, Flag It. The competition will be run in conjunction with Young Scot and LTScotland.

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