This proposal is aimed to delineate a reflection on the cyber risks for young learners. Then, it suggests a project in which primary school children (N=20), teachers (N=4) and parents are involved in developing a decalogue for the safe use of ICT tools. The Action-Research project will be described in order to discover whether and how it is possible to implement the process of co-constructing knowledge about internet-safety at the primary school and which effects on perception related to this topic could be observed.

According to the Eurostat database on Internet use, from the year 1991, when Tim Berners Lee created the first website, the number of Internet users grew exponentially. The same happened with the adoption of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the following years. Nowadays, everyone with a simple gesture can browse among billion of pages, searching for information and sharing contents. However, the tools, which allow us to share information so rapidly as possible, could also be misused. For example, cyberbullying and other social network phenomena (Blue Whale Challenge, Eating Disorder blogs, sexting, haters and trolls) have an extensive negative effect on pupils’ life. Cyber-related risks also include identity theft and the access to offensive or blasphemous material. These are threats to learners’ emotional and social health (Byron, 2008). There are many risks for pupils when they are not prepared to preserve their data and themselves (Furnell, 2010).

For this reason, it is supposed that pupils who learn how to protect their privacy have a minor risk to be harmed by these dangerous games and can develop a constructive relationship with the ICT applications. In its definition, the digital literacy also includes the informed use of ICTs. While Kluzer (2018) argued that all citizens should learn principles of cybersecurity and cyber safety along with other digital competences, Kritzinger (2017) reported the advantages of the Game-Based Approach in growing the cybersecurity culture. Furthermore, other researchers (Underhay, 2016) explored how to implement e-Safety skills through Game-Based Learning, according to the needs and preference of the students. Among others, CyberNexs has been developed for learners of middle and high schools.

Interesting research papers explored the state of the art of the cybersecurity awareness implementation in a developed country (UK) and in a developing country (South Africa) (Kritzinger, et al, 2017). The authors highlighted the crucial role of the educational institutions in educating school learners and preparing teachers and educators to deal with several cyber risks. Even if individual initiatives are performed, only a systematic approach could be useful if it involves various groups of society and institutions. For instance, the work of Chou (2011) shows an effective instance to increase awareness in e-safety issues among teachers and schools, as well as the Australian Government with the NetAlert CyberSafe Schools Project. Since children get in touch with mobile devices and internet earlier and earlier, it is evident that the role of prevention is crucial for young learners and parents. They are the most susceptible categories of society who need to learn how to consciously and safely use computer and other devices and software (Livingstone & Smith, 2014). Furthermore, the effects of bullying and cyberbullying on adolescents were presented in a European cross-national study (Ortega, 2012), which depicted the emotional profile of victims and showed the damaging impact of both phenomena. Investigating on a small scale, the research questions aim to explore a) how it is possible to prevent the cyber risks starting from primary school, and b) if parents and children develop a better awareness and change their perceptions after an Action Research Project based on these topics.

The project is based on the qualitative method of Participatory Action Research (PAR). It will involve 20 fifth-grade children and parents of a German language school in South Tyrol, two hours per week, for a total of 10 hours. Two language teachers (Italian - English) host the researcher during the project, which involves a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) part integrated to the Digital Literacy (cyber safety) content part. The method of Action Research in schools is carried out to enable a form of inquiry that places research capabilities into the hands of the ‘subjects’ of the research, providing educators with the research tools with which they can generate knowledge for themselves. In this type of inquiry, participants become co-creators of the knowledge (along with the researchers) and co-own the knowledge base generated by their research. Data are collected in the form of informal interviews and observations, registration of brainstorming and reflection moments. Observations will be used with a twofold aim: a) as qualitative tools in order to analyse processes and behaviours; b) as a supervision tool for the community. Participatory action research will be used to observe if participants develop better awareness and change their perceptions related to cyber safety, through the reflection on identity and privacy, speaking on themselves, about hobbies, preferences, habits and families (CLIL part). These topics will be associated with the identity theft threats, to the habits related to the use of phones or other devices, from which many risks could occur. Pupils increase their sensitivity on the importance of cautious use of mobile phones and computer through activities like role-playing, brainstorming, reflections on habits at school and home. Then they familiarise with the block-programming software and prepare the storyboard. The process will lead to the writing of a bilingual decalogue addressed to other students, implemented in a video created using Scratch. Then, the co-constructed knowledge about some aspects of the infinite cyber risks will be shared with other schools.

From the analysis of the observations and the supervision processes, it is expected to discover whether a Participatory Action Research experience can represent an effective way to enhance the cyber safety culture in primary school children and if it led to conscious perception of the cyber risks. Although the results will be strongly related to the context, one could argue that this could be a first attempt to implement these topics involving the key protagonists of the teaching/learning process. For further work, cyber ethics principles and cyber safety aspects, along with cybersecurity (C3) (Pusey and Sadera, 2011) should be considered while introducing other possible tools and educational games. Many existing games are addressed to children attending middle and high school (Cyber Defense Tower Game, CyberNexs) as well as undergraduate students. Nevertheless, parents and younger learners are the categories in which further research is needed.

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