EU Kids Online

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EU Kids Online

• A thematic network examining European research on
  cultural, contextual and risk issues in
  children's safe use of the internet and new media
• Funded by the EC Safer Internet plus Programme
  (2006-9)
• Network of 21 research teams Austria, Belgium,
  Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
  Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland,
  Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
  Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, United
  Kingdom
• Aims to compare recent and ongoing empirical
  research across Europe
• To identify and evaluate available data on
  childrens use of online technologies
• To inform the research agenda, noting gaps in the
  evidence base
• To compare findings across Europe,
  contextualising similarities and differences
• To produce a best practice guide for
  methodological issues and challenges
• To develop policy recommendations for
  awareness-raising and media literacy

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New reportCross cultural contexts of research

• What are the national contextual factors that
  determine what research on children and the
  internet takes place? Why are different aspects
  of childrens online activities researched in
  different parts of Europe?
• Based on an assessment of research availability
  and contexts of research in 21 European
  countries, this report identifies the specific
  contextual processes influencing the research
  agenda and research funding.
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• The full report, Cross-Cultural Contexts of
  Research Factors Influencing the Study of
  Children and the Internet in Europe, edited by
  Gitte Stald and Leslie Haddon, and separate
  reports for each country, is at
  http//wwweukidsonline.net

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Setting the research agenda

• Research is instigated by diverse stakeholders
  for a range of reasons the activities and
  interests of industry, media, public, academics,
  government and NGOs variously support empirical
  research on children and the internet.
• Most countries strategically shape the research
  agenda through collaboration among universities,
  research councils, government ministries and,
  sometimes, industry there is also scope for
  researchers to influence the research agenda.
• A range of broad political factors shape national
  research. In some countries, the EC has set the
  agenda for research on children and the internet,
  with national governments slow to follow.
• High profile risks experienced by individual
  children also stimulates research. Contact and
  conduct risks gain most research and public
  attention, though content risks receive much
  media coverage in some countries. Risks of online
  commercialisation (advertising, sponsorship,
  marketing) gain little attention.
• Despite some attention to the UN Convention on
  Childrens Rights, certain benefits to children
  from the internet (e.g. opportunities for civic
  participation) are low on the research agenda
  (Germany and Norway lead the way here).

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Factors shaping institutional research contexts

• Across Europe, the number of universities in a
  country is correlated with population size but is
  less strongly correlated with the number of
  studies conducted on children and the internet
  nonetheless, the size of the academic base is a
  fair predictor of the amount of research
  available in each country.
• Most research conducted on children and the
  internet stems from the disciplines of
  psychology, education and sociology albeit with
  some national variation.
• Most European countries conduct both qualitative
  and quantitative research in the field of
  childhood and media/internet studies, although
  the balance varies.
• In most countries, research on the internet began
  in the early to mid-1990s, although it has been
  only begun more recently in some countries (e.g.
  Czech Republic, Cyprus, Belgium, Greece). Small
  research communities (Cyprus and Belgium) also
  tend to have less established research traditions
  here.
• Although it is widely recognised that research on
  childrens use of the internet raises significant
  ethical issues, in many countries research
  institutions apply few if any regulations to the
  conduct of research in terms of ethical
  considerations.

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Research funding issues

• Public funding comes mainly from national
  governments, though the European Commission is
  also an important source of funding in all
  countries.
• Commercial funding is widespread but sporadic,
  providing one or two studies in most countries
  but only substantial in the UK and Germany.
  Non-profit organisations provide some research
  funding. In a minority of countries, the
  regulator is a significant source of research
  funding.
• In most countries, funding from research councils
  is modest or (in a third of countries) absent. In
  countries where external funding is sparse,
  doctoral and masters theses can be an important
  source of information.
• There is no simple relation between funding
  source and type of study conducted. However,
  countries reliant on public funding generally
  have less available research. Since governments
  and industry are the main funders of research,
  they also fund most research on risk. Further,
  when charities, NGOs, regulators or the EC do
  fund research, they are much more likely to fund
  studies of risk than of issues (including
  positive benefits of internet use).

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Media influence

• In countries with higher use of the internet
  among children, media coverage plays a key role
  in focusing the research agenda on safety and
  awareness issues.
• Overall, by far the majority of press coverage on
  children and the internet was concerned with
  risks rather than opportunities.
• There are cross-national differences in the
  balance of media coverage of content, contact and
  conduct risks across European countries. This
  seems likely to sensitise the various national
  publics and, potentially, the national research
  communities and research funders to specific
  issues or priorities.
• Some national teams reported specific cases in
  which academic research in overall orientation
  and/or in terms of specific projects - was
  influenced (i.e. instigated partly in response
  to) by media coverage of online risks.
• Happy slapping-stories, news stories of sexual
  risks and reports on cyber-bullying (presenting
  young people as both victims and perpetrators),
  were the media topics most identified as having
  influenced the national research.

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Final conference, 11 June, LSE

• An international one-day conference for
  researchers, policy makers, industry, educators,
  NGOs and government to address the policy issues
  and research findings about children and the
  internet. It will report It will also showcase
  the latest research in Europe and worldwide.
• The EU Kids Online network will present key
  findings and recommendations from three years
  work by the network of 60 researchers in 21
  countries funded by the EC Safer Internet plus
  Programme.
• Keynote speakers include David Finkelhor
  (University of New Hampshire, USA), Lelia Green
  (Edith Cowan University, Australia), Charo Sádaba
  (University of Navarra, Spain), Richard Swetenham
  (Safer Internet Programme, EC).
• Panellists/respondents include Tanya Byron
  (author of The Byron Review), Maria José
  Cantarino (Telefonica, Spain), Dieter Carstensen
  (Save the Children/eNACSO), Annie Mullins
  (Vodafone Group), Janice Richardson (Insafe and
  European Schoolnet), Agnieszka Wrzesien (Nobody's
  Children Foundation, Poland).
• For programme, registration, maps and info, see
  http//www.eukidsonline.net  

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Next steps for EU Kids Online

• Report on Data Availability (Summer 2007)
• Report on Cross-National Comparisons (Summer
  2008)
• Best Practice Research Guide (Summer 2008)
• Report on Cross-Cultural Contexts of Research
  (Winter 2008)
• Ongoing participation in research and policy
  events (IGF, Prague, etc)
• Final Report and Policy Recommendations (Summer
  2009)
• Final conference in London, 11 June 2009 all
  welcome!

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Thank you

• Sonia Livingstone
• s.livingstone_at_lse.ac.uk
• www.eukidsonline.net