As one of the UK’s leading publishers of both children’s books and magazines, Egmont is in a position to reach thousands of children throughout the UK with information and advice on online safety. Two of the publisher’s children’s magazines, Go Girl and Toxic, which have a combined circulation of over 93,000, are featuring a ‘stay safe online’ page in their February issues (published on 5th and 12th February respectively).
As ChildLine reports an 87% increase in calls relating to online bullying in 2013, award-winning teen fiction author Siobhan Curham, whose books deal with issues like bullying, has filmed a video answering common questions about cyber bullying. The video will be displayed on a dedicated Safer Internet Day page on Egmont’s website and will also feature additional advice and links and further awareness will be promoted through Egmont’s Facebook and Twitter channels.
“Safer Internet Day presents companies, schools and campaigners with the perfect opportunity to unite in educating children in using the internet safely,” said Cally Poplak, MD of Egmont UK. “Egmont is in the unique and privileged position, through our books and magazines, of having direct access to children and young people and we think it’s really important to share these messages about online safety with our readers. We hope that this will go some way to raise awareness about the dangers they can encounter online.”
Frank Tennyson, Editor of boys magazine, Toxic said: “We feel strongly as publishers that our readers should be entertained but always within a safe environment. Our responsibility extends to promoting positive and secure usage of the internet for young people. We are very happy to support this year's Safer Internet Day initiative and will continue to do so in the future.”
