Report will mark conclusion of Jersey child online safety review

A report is set to be produced as part of a review examining whether measures to keep Jersey children safe from harm online are sufficiently robust.

The Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel said it had finished gathering evidence and aimed to release the report, with recommendations for the government, in September.

It said six public hearings had been held as part of the review and it had received a number of submissions from key stakeholders and members of the public.

Chair of the panel, Deputy Catherine Curtis, said “key themes” had emerged as part of the investigation.

She said: “The contributions we have received have helped highlight both the progress that has been made and the significant challenges that remain in keeping children safe online.

“Key themes that have emerged include the growing risk of exposure to harmful content on social media platforms, the need for better digital literacy education both in and out of school and the use of mobile phones.”

The States of Jersey said several government policies had been introduced since the review launched in February, “most notably the ban on mobile phones in schools”.

“Our next steps will involve analysing the evidence received in detail and preparing a report with clear, actionable recommendations,” Curtis added.