Engendering an e-safety awareness culture within the South African context

Children are an extremely vulnerable sector of society and are exposed to information and communication technology (ICT) usage risks without being given the proper tools they need to navigate this minefield. It is imperative that children are educated about all risks associated with the prolonged and improper usage of mobile phones and computers. These risks are not purely technological, but may also influence their physiological, psychological and sociological wellbeing. All four dimensions have to be considered holistically to ensure the safe usage of ICTs as well as engendering an e-safety culture among ICT users within the South African context. This paper primarily focuses on the protection of minors as end users (and possible victims) of ICTs. This entailed identifying the various stakeholders that should be involved in educating children about the risks in using ICTs and delineating their responsibility to inform and protect themselves and the children who are under their supervision. Given that educators at primary school level are the key role-players in disseminating e-safety information, this paper proposes a revision of extant curricula. The paper concludes by providing an overview of a possible framework to engender an e-safety culture among all relevant role-players and an application thereof.