Cyber-Risk Management in the Primary School Environment

This paper addresses the critical need for safe internet use among primary school students, a vulnerable group exposed to risks like cyberbullying and grooming. The research examines the attitudes of key stakeholders. Students often face unsafe experiences and inappropriate material, while parents struggle with a digital divide and technophobia, hindering effective communication. Educators acknowledge the importance of safety but often report a lack of skills and appropriate tools. Major threats covered include malware (viruses, Trojans, worms), scams (phishing), violent games, and misinformation. Intervention strategies are categorized as pedagogical, involving continuous training, parental vigilance, and the use of experiential learning/role-playing scenarios, and technological, requiring installation of parental control systems (filtering), antivirus, and firewalls. Specialized intervention is offered by public bodies, such as the Cybercrime Prosecution and the SafeLine reporting hotline. Overall findings highlight the school's dominant role as the primary source of safety information for children.