http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9741&Itemid=59

By Tom Ivan

The Byron Review was an extensive examination of the risks to children of potentially harmful or inappropriate material on the internet and in videogames. In her report published Thursday, Safer Children in a Digital World, Byron outlined a number of proposals for the UK government, industry and families to work together to support children’s safety online and to reduce access to adult videogames, including a proposal to reform the classification system for rating games.

Her action plan has been welcomed by Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Ed Balls and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Andy Burnham.

“I am grateful to Dr Byron for carrying out this review and the recommendations show a convincing analysis of how we can properly manage risk in a fast paced, fast changing new media environment,” said Balls.

“Keeping children and young people safe from harm must be the priority and responsibility of us all. However, children also need to be able to learn, have new experiences and enjoy their childhoods. So we will help families strike the right balance between keeping children safe and allowing them the freedom they need by taking forward Dr Byron’s recommendations.

“Children and young people often know more about the latest developments in new technology and video games than adults do. Dr Byron’s recommendations will help parents to recognise risks and judge what is appropriate, such as bringing the 12+ rating on video games in line with film age classification.

“This important issue remains a priority for Government and a UK Council on Child Internet Safety, established by and reporting to the Prime Minister will lead on a national strategy for improving child internet safety.”

Burnham said, "As Dr Byron points out, parents of my generation, who grew up in a purely analogue world, face real challenges in understanding the new media world.

"This is a landmark report, setting out clearly for the first time how we can make sure that children can enjoy the benefits of new technology, while being protected from inappropriate material. There is no question that children can benefit greatly from the digital world, but there are real risks that must be managed.

“WE can all - the Government, parents and the industry - play a part in reducing that risk and Dr Byron has set out a clear plan of action.

"I am committed to working with the internet and games industries to build on existing safeguards. Specifically, we will consult on a more coherent classification system for video games. We want to empower young people and allow them to enjoy the educational, social and entertainment potential of the digital age.

“Dr Byron has shown how direct engagement with children and parents can illuminate the issues and reveal the best ways of making a real difference to our lives."

"CSF and DCMS will now work together with other key Departments including the Home Office and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to take forward Dr Byron’s recommendations.

Here is the Review
http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9740&Itemid=59

By Tom Ivan

In her independent report published Thursday, Safer Children in a Digital World, clinical psychologist Dr Tanya Byron sets out an action plan for the UK government, industry and families to work together to support children’s safety online and to reduce access to adult videogames, including a proposal to reform the classification system for rating games.
According to Byron, many parents are naïve to think that their children going online or playing games is similar to watching television. She stresses that going online is in fact more like opening the front door and letting a child go outside to play unsupervised.


“The internet and videogames are now very much a part of growing up and offer unprecedented opportunities to learn, develop and have fun. However, with new opportunities come potential risks,” said Byron, who noted that digital world risks are similar to real world risks but can be enhanced by the anonymity and ubiquity that the online space brings.


Byron’s report makes a number of recommendations on videogames:


• Reforming the classification system for rating videogames with one set of symbols on the front of all boxes which are the same as those for film.
• Lowering the statutory requirement to classify video games to 12+, so that it is the same as film classification and easier for parents to understand.
• Clear and consistent guidance for industry on how games should be advertised.
• Challenging industry to provide sustained and high profile efforts to increase parent’s understanding of age ratings and improved parental controls.


You can read more about how the current BBFC/PEGI game rating systems work here, and what UK retailers think about the game classification process here.


Byron also recommends:


• The creation of a new UK Council for Child Internet Safety, established by and reporting to the Prime Minister, and including representation from across Government, industry, children’s charities and other key stakeholders including children, young people and parent panels.
• Challenging industry to take greater responsibility in supporting families through: establishing transparent and independently monitored codes of practice on areas such as user generated content; improving access to parental control software and safe search features; and better regulation of online advertising.
• Kick starting a comprehensive public information and awareness campaign on child internet safety across Government and industry, which includes an authoritative ‘one stop shop’ on child internet safety.
• Setting in place sustainable education and initiatives in children’s services and education to improve the skills of children and their parents around e-safety.


“My recommendations will help children and young people make the most of what all digital and interactive technologies can offer, while enabling them and their parents to navigate all these new media waters safely and with the knowledge that more is being done by government and the internet and video game industries to help and support them,” said Byron.


“We live in an increasingly risk averse culture where we are limiting our children’s out of home experiences because of fear of harm. However, risk taking is a developmental imperative of childhood - young people and children will always want to explore boundaries by taking risks, and they will sometimes play this out, at home, in the digital world with many parents unaware of this. In the same way that we teach our children how to manage ‘real world’ risks, for example crossing roads, in stages and with rules, supervision and monitoring that changes as they learn and develop their independence, we need to engage with children as they develop and explore their online and gaming worlds.


“This is also about overcoming the generational ‘digital divide’ where parents do not feel equipped to help their children because they didn’t grow up with these sophisticated technologies themselves and therefore don’t understand them; this can lead to fear and a sense of helplessness. This is compounded by children and young people’s greater skill and confidence in using new technology.


“But by putting in place the right roles and support for children, young people and families we can reduce much of the anxiety that currently exists by taking a joint and shared responsibility, with everyone – industries, government, education, child welfare organisations and law enforcement - playing their part.


“A useful way for us all to think about this is to look at how we protect children in places of benefit and risk in the real (offline) world: public swimming pools. Here there are safety signs and information; shallow as well as deep ends; swimming aids and lifeguards; doors, locks and alarms. However children will sometimes take risks and jump into waters too deep for them or want to climb walls and get through locked doors – therefore we also teach them how to swim. We must adopt the same combination of approaches in order to enable our children and young people to navigate these exciting digital waters while supporting and empowering them to do so safely.”

Microsoft congratulates Byron report

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=185578

Neil Thompson, Microsoft's Senior Regional Director, E&DD, UK & Ireland, has congratulated Dr. Byron's government-commissioned report into young people's access to inappropriate videogames, calling the review "timely and valuable".

"We would like to congratulate Dr Byron on the way she has run this consultation process and have been keen to fully engage with her Review team. Her report has brought further focus to this important issue," he said in a statement sent to CVG.

"This is a timely and valuable report on what we believe is a key issue, ensuring that parents, Government, NGOs and the Industry continue to work in partnership to make sure that our children are safe as is possible online and only viewing appropriate content online or when playing video games."

The report, which you can download in full from CVG here, recommends a new 12 rating for games be introduced along with a 'gold standard' of parental controls in game consoles - similar to the parental timer feature introduced on Xbox 360 recently.

"For our part, Microsoft is committed to producing parental control technology to allow parents to make decisions about what content they want their children to view - online or when playing video games," added Thompson.

"We look forward to continuing to work closely with all concerned to address these issues in the future."

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9744&Itemid=59
Byron Proposals Concern ELSPA

By Tom Ivan

The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association is “concerned” about a number of the recommendations put forward in the Byron Review, including the proposal that the BBFC be charged with rating games from 12+ upwards.
While director general Paul Jackson (pictured) said that ELSPA believes in one legally enforceable system for the classification of videogames, and backs the move to build increased public awareness of the age ratings system and the availability and use of parental controls on all games consoles, the body was not without concerns following the publication of the Byron Review.


“We are concerned that the proposals as they stand may struggle to keep up with the public’s increasing desire to buy and play on-line,” Jackson said in a statement.


“The games industry would need to be re-assured that the British Board of Film Classification would be capable of delivering against any new remit, or whether PEGI may be more appropriate."


Earlier on Thursday the BBFC said it was “ready and able” to take on the extra work outlined in Dr Tanya Byron’s report, which would involve the body rating games from 12+ upwards, as opposed to the current system which dictates that it only rates games that depict gross violence or sexual activity.


"We welcome the news that the Government wishes to consult with the industry on any changes to the classification system," Jackson added. ”“We look forward to working very closely with Government over the next few months to address these concerns as the implications of the review are fully understood.”

I think the Byron report has some good stuff in there, mkost of it common sense. Also if you read this on Gamasutra or Kotaku there's a picture of Byron and she is hot.

Good i thought she would say ban this and ban that, but i like that they put the responsibility on the parents.

Byron report summary:

The video game industry needs to pay more money out to make stupid parents become smarter.

Fin.

Why is the article apearing above the post? or is it just me?

I do that sometimes usually in the morning.

I'm suprised she had time to write this in between her busy TV schedule.