Hector's World Safety Buttons™ launched at parliament
Media release
Internet Safety Group
26 October 2007
 A new tool to keep kids safe online launched today
New Hector’s World Safety Buttons empower children to be involved in their own online safety
Several new versions of the Hector’s World Safety Button™ are being launched today at an event hosted by Hon Luamanuvao Winnie Laban at Parliament.
The Hector’s World Safety Button™ is a simple executable file which installs a small swimming animated character on the top right of a computer screen. When a child sees something upsetting, they can click on the animated character and a screensaver covers the screen with a stunning underwater scene, which includes a message encouraging the child to get adult help.
Charitable cybersafety education group Hector’s World™ Ltd released the new free child-activated safety buttons which will help even more children protect themselves online.
The Buttons launched include a deluxe XP version which will be available in a variety of languages including Te Reo Maori, Tongan, Portuguese, Chinese and Samoan. The same buttons also have a ‘Settings’ function which will make them more accessible to children living with visual impairment.
Managing Director of Hector’s World™ Ltd, Liz Butterfield says, “All children can now have an online companion swimming with them when they are online. We think children will especially enjoy the XP Deluxe button which lets you choose which of the 6 central Hector’s World™ characters you want to swim along with you.”
The new Buttons include:
• A simple Windows version (suitable for Windows 2000 - Windows XP operating systems)
• A deluxe Windows XP version which includes multi language and multi character options
• A Vista version which inserts itself into Parental Controls.
A Mac OS10 version is still in development and will be released later this year.
All new Hector’s World Safety Buttons™ are suitable for stand alone or networked computers (like those found in schools and libraries).
The Button is one of the first programs to be integrated into Microsoft’s Vista Parental Controls. "Microsoft takes cybersafety extremely seriously and is proud to be a Foundation Sponsor of Hector's World,” said Brett Roberts, Microsoft’s Director of Innovation. “We believe Hector's World is not only a great safety net, but it also empowers parents to initiate an important discussion with their children about online behaviour." End
Further comment: Rachel Harrison 021 333 198 or rachelh@hectorsworld.co.nz
Background information
2006 Kaiser Family Foundation research involving 1,051 parents in the USA found that:
• 2% of 0-1 year olds, 4% of children age 2-3, and 13% of 4-6 year olds use a computer DAILY
• 10% of 4-6 yr-olds visit websites by themselves; 33% turned a computer on by themselves
• 69% of 0-6 year olds live in a home with internet access.
New Zealand Research shows:
• Kids (aged 12 to 17) are online as much as NZ’s heaviest internet user group (adults aged 20 to 39) who are online an average of 8 hours each week
• 80% of kids go online for ‘homework’
• 70% of kids correspond using email
• 42% go online to Instant Message (IM)
• 69% play online games
• In the last two years cell phone ownership has increased dramatically more than doubling for 9 -10 year-olds
• By age 14, a massive 84% of the children surveyed have their own cell phones.
Online safety education needs to start younger than ever before
• New social networking websites are now targeting children as young as 6yrs old
• Online safety education now needs to begin when a child first comes in contact with the online environment
• Education needs to be at developmentally appropriate levels, and continue throughout a child’s life.
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