-Children’s Online Safety Index reveals a ‘persistent cyberpandemic’. DQ Institute report shows consistent 70% cyber risk exposure among children
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Today, the DQ Institute released its 2023 Child Online Safety Index (COSI), a national-level metric designed to help countries effectively monitor the state of children’s online safety. The Index has found that, once again, a high percentage (almost 70%) of children and adolescents aged 8 to 18 worldwide have experienced at least one cyber risk in the last year. This alarming statistic has remained virtually unchanged since the Index began in 2018, a situation the DQ Institute has called a “persistent cyberpandemic.”
Dr. Yuhyun Park, founder of the DQ Institute, highlighted: “We have witnessed seven years of consistently high cyber risk exposure rates of 70% among children and youth ages 8 to 18. We now refer to this phenomenon as a “persistent cyberpandemic”. Today, with the rapid deployment of generative AI, the metaverse and ubiquitous XR (Extended Reality) type devices, digital technology is further changing children’s lives, although there is minimal debate about its potential harmful effects. Global coordinated action, similar to addressing climate challenges, is imperative and we cannot delay it any longer.”
The COSI is based on data collected from a sample of 351,376 children spanning from 2017 to the present. In this latest edition, the Index features a four-point rating scale that allows policymakers and industry leaders to accurately identify strengths and areas for improvement in their child online safety initiatives and measures. According to the Index, the United Kingdom, Germany and China obtained the best results in all dimensions. The most prominent actors in each individual pillar were:
Additionally, Saudi Arabia, home of the Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF) where the 2023 Index was launched, demonstrated significant improvements compared to the previous year. Saudi Arabia excels in the dimensions of safe use of technology by children, responsibilities of ICT companies and technological infrastructure, while there are opportunities for improvement in support for families, digital citizenship education in schools and government policies and regulations.
GCF, an annual event that brings together decision-makers and experts to discuss the most pressing issues in cyberspace, has partnered with DQ Institute since 2022. Child online safety has been a major topic at GCF, which has elevated the topic in its program agenda, including its 2023 edition.
Notes to editors:
The Child Online Safety Index (COSI) is a national-level metric designed to help countries effectively monitor the status of their children’s online safety. The COSI score is a composite rating that combines the scores of six key stakeholders, from families to ICT companies, assessing their efforts to improve child online safety within the country, and covers 12 themes and 39 indicators.
Using COSI, countries can identify areas that require improvement to address online safety issues among six key stakeholders using global benchmarking. This approach allows for more efficient resource allocation and better implementation of relevant initiatives. As a result, stakeholders can coordinate their efforts effectively, leading to greater child safety online, while also having the ability to quantitatively measure national progress.
See the COSI here: https://www.dqinstitute.org/impact-measure
About DQ Institute:
The DQ Institute (DQI) is an international think tank dedicated to setting global standards for digital intelligence and ensuring the security, empowerment and well-being of individuals, organizations and nations in the digital age. The DQ framework is recognized as the global standard for digital literacy, skills and readiness (IEEE 3527.1-2020). DQI operates as a 501(c)(3) organization in the United States and as a non-profit organization in Singapore. For more information, visit the DQ Institute website: https://dqinstitute.org/
About the Global Cybersecurity Forum:
The Global Cybersecurity Forum brings together decision-makers and experts from non-governmental organizations, civil society, academia, think tanks, and the public and private sectors around the world to inspire new perspectives, approaches and actions, while charting a path forward for the most vulnerable in cyberspace. The forum is founded by the National Cybersecurity Authority of Saudi Arabia. For more information, visit: https://globalcybersecurityforum.com
For media inquiries, contact:
Eris Seaheris@dqforall.com Tel.: 65 9396 9200
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