Keeping Safe and Healthy in the Digital World

Overview

Framework:
RQF
Level:
Level 1
Unit No:
F/618/1291
Credits:
2
Guided learning hours:
10 hours

Aim

To develop learners’ understanding of potential online harms and give them strategies for keeping safe online and maintaining their own digital wellbeing.

Unit Learning Outcomes

1

Know about harmful online content.

Harmful online content – text (e.g. articles, comments, posts), video or images which cause offence to those who view them.

Different types of harmful content – e.g. those that: are violent/hateful or incite violence/hate speech or actions; are extremist or incite extremism; racist/sexist/homophobic or incite racism/sexism/homophobia; pornographic; glamorise or incite suicide or self-harm

Internet users often come across harmful content unexpectedly on social media platforms. Viewing harmful content can be frightening, disturbing, upsetting, shocking, or confusing. Children and young people are generally more at risk of harm as they may be less able to process or understand what they have seen.

Viewing violent content can make people fearful and lead to aggressive behaviour, desensitisation to violence, and nightmares. Viewing pornographic content can lead to unrealistic expectations of real-life sexual relationships. Viewing extremist/racist content can mislead those who are not already well-informed on the issue and encourage participation in extremist or racist speech or actions.

Illegal content in the UK includes hate speech, child exploitation or incitement to terrorism. Those engaged in this activity can be prosecuted.

Other types of content may be harmful but not illegal. Content may sometimes be harmful to some groups (e.g. children) but not others. Examples include pornographic images or violence in online games with an 18 rating. Fake news can also be considered harmful because it misleads but is not in itself illegal.

Assessment Criteria

  • 1.1

    Outline different types of harmful content that they might be exposed to online.

  • 1.2

    Describe the possible effects of harmful online content on those that view it.

  • 1.3

    Outline the difference between harmful and illegal online content.

2

Know about harmful online interactions. 

Harm can be peer-on-peer, caused online by those known to the individual offline, or by people they only encounter online, including those who specifically use online interactions to exploit others (predators or groomers).

Key harmful interactions include cyberbullying, online grooming, phishing/scams.

Cyberbullying – includes online exclusion, harassment, trolling, outing or ‘doxing’ including sharing personal or intimate information or images without permission, maliciously impersonating, or spreading false information

Grooming – developing an online relationship with someone for the purpose of exploiting them sexually, financially or as a means of radicalising them or unwittingly engaging them in extremist activity.

Phishing/online scams – Text or social media messages or emails that encourage people to click on malicious links or attachments, often giving away personal information such as bank details as a result. 

Assessment Criteria

  • 2.1

    Describe different types of harmful interactions. 

3

Know about protecting self from online risks.

Environments/activities where risks are highest:

  • Online dating – risk they may be exploited sexually or financially by someone acting fraudulently;
  • Sexting or sharing intimate videos – Images shared can be used to blackmail, posted widely to humiliate the person depicted including revenge porn
    Note it is illegal to share intimate photos of anyone under 18 even of yourself
  • Gaming – risk of grooming by paedophiles who may present with a fake (often younger) identity, or by extremists who use in-game chat to try to influence others to their way of thinking; risk of over-spending on in-game purchases
  • Gambling – risk they may spend/lose more money than they intended; become addicted
  • Pornography – risk they may develop an unrealistic idea of sexual relationships, be unsatisfied by actual sex, feel coerced by others’ expectations to engage in acts (e.g. violent/humiliating) that they do not enjoy

Using certain apps or certain features of apps can be risky.

  • Live-streaming – unpredictability of content means viewers could see harmful content (e.g. New Zealand mosque attack); those posting content can unwittingly reveal personal information or ‘in the moment’ feel less inhibited and engage in behaviours or share ideas in a way they would not off-line
  • Self-deleting messages/images – can encourage users to post intimate, explicit, offensive images/text in the belief that these will immediately vanish. However, they can be screen-shotted and shared, including to blackmail or humiliate. The temporary nature can also encourage cyberbullies to be more unpleasant in their messaging.
  • Anonymous posting – apps that allow messages/images to be posted without revealing the identity of the poster encourage more outrageous/offensive comments. This makes them attractive to cyberbullies.
  • Public group apps which allow unknown people to engage in chat and are known to be used by predators to identify and target potential victims of exploitation.

Warning signs:

  • Grooming (sexual/financial/extremist) is often characterised by an individual taking advantage of a younger/more vulnerable person by paying them compliments, offering them gifts (such as cheats for online games), or - in the case of radicalisation spiritual reward - before tricking, manipulating or blackmailing them into doing something against their will/illegal.
  • Requests to borrow money or for a gift of money, to share intimate pictures or personal details, to look after or deliver unknown or illegal items such as drugs or weapons, to buy products on behalf of someone else should all be treated with suspicion.
  • If the initial encounters take place on a public platform, e.g. through gaming, the predator may encourage their target to continue the conversation in a private messaging platform. They may also suggest that their target applies additional encryption or uses ‘secret messaging’ apps.
  • Signs someone may be using a fake identity include never video-chatting or sharing selfies, unwillingness to meet in person, limited photo sharing, follows many more people than follow them, have no or very few mutual online contacts.


Ways to reduce risk include:

  • Setting privacy controls high
  • Turning off location services
  • Avoiding certain types of/features of apps (see above)
  • Keeping accounts secure with sophisticated, individual passwords which are regularly changed and never shared
  • Being alert to signs that they may be at risk, including questioning other people’s motives (see above).

Assessment Criteria

  • 3.1

    Outline online environments or activities where they are most exposed to risk.

  • 3.2

    Describe warning signs that indicate they may be at risk online.

  • 3.3

    Describe ways to reduce risks to own safety when online.

4

Know how to respond to harmful online content or activity.

Ways to report harmful online content or activity:

  • Reporting through a website such as ACT (terrorism), IWF/CEOP (child sexual abuse), Report Harmful Content (wide range of different online harms)
  • Using reporting mechanisms within the app/site itself
  • Reporting to the police - using 999 where someone is in immediate danger or threat has been made to their life; using 101 for harassment or malicious behaviour that you believe to be illegal but does not require an emergency response
  • Take screenshots of harmful interactions (e.g. abusive comments on social media) as evidence

Ways to seek help include

  • Talking about the issue with a trusted/responsible person
  • Accessing helplines or websites relevant to the type of harm encountered and your own age/circumstance (e.g. Childline, Young Minds re. cyberbullying)

Ways to address own mistakes include

  • Deleting offensive posts – images/text
  • Deactivating accounts where they have posted harmful content
  • Responding to requests from others for content they find offensive or upsetting to be taken down
  • If offence has been caused to a person known to them offline, consider apologising in person. 

Assessment Criteria

  • 4.1

    Describe ways to report harmful online content or activity.

  • 4.2

    Outline ways to seek help if they have encountered harmful content or activity.

  • 4.3

    Identify ways to address their own mistakes in relation to harmful online content or activity.

5

Know how to maintain own mental wellbeing (as an internet user).

Pressure to look a certain way resulting in worries about body image, disordered eating, obsessive personal grooming, anxiety and depression when that can’t be achieved

Pressure to be constantly available and hence respond to messages 24/7 along with fear of missing out leads to missed sleep, difficulty in switching off/relaxing increased anxiety. 24/7 access also exacerbates feelings of not being able to escape from negative aspects of online use such as cyberbullying

Pressure to be seen to be enjoying yourself constantly – created by other people’s carefully curated online posting. Leads to low-self esteem, feelings of depression and loneliness

Pressure to be seen to be popular by attracting likes for posts, amassing followers or friends on social media sites. Can be mentally exhausting trying to maintain popularity. Self-esteem and self-confidence can be affected when posts are not liked or result in negative comments.

Pressure to engage in harmful behaviours common to an online community to which they belong, e.g. self-harm or extreme dieting

Wellbeing can be improved by reminders to self of internet truths such as:

  • many online images posted are manipulated and do not represent reality
  • many people carefully manage the ‘version’ of themselves that they post on line – in reality, most people are not happy or engaged in exciting activities all the time

Users can protect themselves by avoiding sites where they know they are likely to see harmful content or blocking, muting or unfollowing people who post offensive content

Digital wellbeing controls on devices can help to monitor usage of different apps and to set time limits or restrict access to certain times of day. Wind-down or do-not disturb modes can be selected. Notifications can be turned off or limited.

Healthy digital habits are behaviours that restrict access or limit time online, e.g. – no phones at meal times; no digital devices in last two hours before sleep; digital devices kept out of the bedroom/out of reach/turned off at night time.

Assessment Criteria

  • 5.1

    Describe some of the pressures on individuals, including young people, created by frequent online use.

  • 5.2

    Outline the effect on mental wellbeing of frequent online use.

  • 5.3

    Outline ways to minimise negative effects of going online.