Ahead of our Digital Families Conference 2022, the Children’s Commissioner has published the first part of their Independent Family Review (spearheaded by Dame Rachel de Souza), focusing on the role of ‘family units’ in child protection.

In the same month, the Children’ Commissioner also made public the results of a survey designed to unpack online harms and children’s exposure said harms.

Both the report and the results of the survey bring to the surface the scale of the issues which families face, the importance of the ‘duty of care’ and safeguarding measures, how financial pressure affects children’s outcomes, and the role that families can play when it comes to policy.

The review finds that tech companies (and their associated platforms) fail to respond when children report harmful content – 25% of children who reported posts of this nature saw no action taken by the platforms themselves. 

Failures like this are something Parent Zone hope the – currently stalled – Online Safety Bill will begin addressing, with its implementation marking a shift towards responsible and accountable platforms, rather than self-regulation. 

The Children’s Commissioner survey similarly found that 45% of children had been exposed to harmful content of one form or another whilst online. This is particularly relevant at the moment after the recent inquest into the case of 14 year old Molly Russell, who, the senior coroner confirmed, sadly died by suicide after viewing posts of a graphic nature. 

Findings like the above emphasise the need for platforms to limit exposure to harmful content (whether driven by algorithms or not) wherever possible.

The report also makes a timely reference to the rising cost of living, noting that this is one of the most common challenges currently facing families.

At Parent Zone we recognise how financial pressure affects both family life and outcomes for children. Our 2021 Digital Poverty Report details how exclusion significantly disadvantages children when it comes to media literacy and overcoming risks online, or simply enjoying the less technical benefits – like creativity and play – that digital can offer. 

The Children’s Commissioner’s report also notes that ‘the family’ needs to be considered more when it comes to policymaking and implementation. A common sense outlook (for who better to grasp and communicate the needs of children than parents themselves?) that is unfortunately, at times, overlooked. 

It’s reassuring to know that the Children’s Commissioner is listening to families and relaying their insight through mediums like the Independent Family Review; it’s something which we hope continues into the future. 

Among many others, Dame de Souza will be speaking as part of the online stream of our Digital Families Conference 2022  – attendance is free, and you can register to join us virtually, here.

The Tech Shock Podcast with Dame Rachel de Souza

Parent Zone CEO Vicki Shotbolt on the ‘duty of care’