Not content with advancing a new bill to filter the internet for anyone under 18-years-old, internet safety expert and public speaker Rob Cope has just designed a survey for Kiwis to share personal stories of harm they’ve come to online. The Wellington Dad says the results will truly illustrate the stark reality of what 30 years of unfiltered internet looks like for people under 18 years – as well as how it shapes them.

The Digital Harms Survey is totally anonymous and accessed through the Our Kids Online website – the name of Cope’s organisation and that of the documentary he made in 2020. It is tailored for three distinct groups: for victims and survivors; for professionals working with young people such as teachers and practitioners; for parents and caregivers.

“We speak to parents every week and already captured their sense of awareness about keeping their kids safe online with a survey of nearly 5000 parents – the results weren’t good, with less than a quarter of parents aware of the dangers at their children’s fingertips every day,” says Cope. “But I realised last year that we need to also document the range of online harms happening in our homes, as well as the age it is occurring.”

What is Cope asking to hear about ?Anything from stories where tamariki and rangatahi have had a lucky escape from being seriously harmed online, to stories where lives have been permanently impacted, he says.

“We’ve got adults now in their twenties who, at just 11 years old, stumbled across violent porn while innocently searching for something else — and were drawn into what can only be described as sadistic. The trauma still shadows them today. We’ve got families across Aotearoa are quietly grappling with the fallout. One child’s “gaming friend” turned out to be a predator. Another is battling panic attacks after seeing gore videos shared at school.”

According to the Office of Film and Literature Classification’s latest report, Content That Crosses the Line, New Zealand children are being exposed to livestreamed suicides, videos of animal cruelty, violent memes featuring real beheadings, and unsolicited nudes — all before they've even hit their NCEA year.

“I’ve been meeting with politicians on every side of the fence, this last four months, to get support for The New Zealand Child Internet Safety Act: Protecting Minors from Harmful Online Content. I’ve also been asked to make a submission for Parliament’s Select Committee in coming weeks. So, a survey containing anonymous qualitative and quantitative data will truly show the need,” says Cope.

He reiterates that this harm is preventable through policy change and that this is necessary because many parents are themselves at a loss. The majority of them will have fostered a belief that ‘If it was really that bad, the government would’ve done something by now’ says Cope. But he adds that this passivity has, sadly, harmed the youngsters we wish to protect. Under his proposed legislation, routers and phones would automatically filter harmful content for those under 18, while adults remain free to browse as usual.

“We hope to get at least 1,000 responses to the survey in coming weeks and I believe this will really create some traction in parliament. If there is one thing I ask of New Zealanders this month, it is to fill out this survey, tell your story, make your voice heard.”

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