Singapore and Australia First to Launch DQ Institute Cyber-risk Reporting System for Children

Alem Tedeneke, Media Lead, World Economic Forum, Tel: +1 (212) 703-6642 | Alem.Tedeneke@weforum.org

· Cyber-risk help reporting system for children can detect a child’s exposure to various cyber-risks and provide opportunities to proactively intervene.

· Singapore and Australia will be the first countries to pilot the system through public-private partnerships with DQ Institute.

· In a 2016 DQ Study, about 60% of children who were exposed to cyber-victimization wanted extra help to handle their cyber issues.

· For more information about the Sustainable Development Impact Summit, visit http://wef.ch/SDI17

· Follow the conversation using #wefimpact

New York, USA, 19 September 2017 — Today, in public-private partnership with local government, businesses and organizations, DQ Institute has launched a pilot cyber-risks reporting system for children in both Singapore and Australia; partners include Singtel Group, Singapore’s National Council of Social Service, TOUCH Cyber Wellness, Feiyue, and Australia’s Kids Helpline. This new system can detect a child’s exposure to various cyber-risks and provide opportunities to proactively intervene to assist at-risk kids. This consortium-led partnership supported by the World Economic Forum’s Future of Information and Entertainment System Initiative is making net safety history.

Launched worldwide in March 2017, #DQEveryChild is a digital citizenship movement that addresses parents’ concerns about their children’s exposure to cyber risks. Children grow up with intense exposure to the digital world – what they do on the internet, who they interact with online greatly influences their identity, well-being and development. This new system is an expansion of DQ Institute’s innovative digital intelligence education programme.

The help-reporting system can be introduced voluntarily by a child (via a request for support function) or automatically when exposure to risk factors is detected. The system will link the help-seeking requests from children, parents and/or teachers to a professional e-counselling/helpline organization or a law enforcement agency in each country. This offers timely and easily accessible support to the child in need, available through the online platform, in collaboration with related government agencies, ICT companies and/or civic organizations. The system is available through DQWorld.net.

“The DQ Institute’s Cyber-risk Help System is a great example of how essential public-private partnerships are addressing societal challenges. It takes this type of collaboration model to transform innovative ideas into working solutions. Based on the results from the Singapore and Australia pilot, we look forward to seeing how the Cyber-risk Help System may evolve and be replicated in other countries,” shared Cheryl Martin, Head of Industries at the World Economic Forum.

In a 2016 DQ Study, about 60% of children who were exposed to cyber-victimization wanted extra help to handle their cyber issues. A 2015 DQ e-counselling study conducted by the National Institute of Education, Singapore, also revealed that timely intervention is critical to enhancing the emotional well-being of children exposed to cyber-risks. This new system will address that need by ensuring that every child is not only connected online, but is also protected safely and securely from cyber danger while being educated holistically.

“We are very pleased to be working with DQ Institute over the past few years, leading to this important milestone that enables the digitization of learning and assessment of children’s exposure to cyber risks,” said Andrew Buay, Singtel’s Vice President of Group Sustainability. “The partnerships between governments, private organizations and community partners will enable scale and consistency in reach and intervention.”

“As a community working with governments, private organizations and community partners, we can really empower our children to be good digital citizens and give them the vision and tools for the future,” said Yuhyun Park, founder of the #DQEveryChild movement. “We believe that #DQEveryChild provides a comprehensive digital citizenship platform that addresses educators’ and parents' concerns about children’s exposure to cyber-risks.”

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