Safe usage of the Internet should be taught in schools, is the attitude of Dr Rachel O'Connell, the director of the Cyberspace Research Unit at the University of Central Lancashire. O'Connell claims that there should be compulsory classes in Internet safety and how to avoid online paedophiles. Given indications that these sorts of problems are very widespread on the Internet, this is probably a very wise recommendation.
It needs to be embedded throughout the curriculum," she said.
"Teachers [also] need to be up-skilled," she said, explaining many pupils have no lessons in internet use.
According to O'Connell, some 92% of nine to 19-year-olds now access the internet at school, but a third had received no instructions on doing so.