Tessy Ojo, Chief Executive, The Diana Award 

At The Diana, we understand the benefit of a safer internet particularly at a time when we are more reliant on it, than ever before. We know however, from our consultation with young people, particularly after Covid-19, that online safety remains a huge concern for a huge number of them, as well as their carers and parents.

This is why we welcome Safer Internet Day 2021, bringing a focus on how we can ensure that our children and vulnerable groups continue to enjoy the benefits that technology brings, safely.

We all at The Diana Award remain committed to empowering and supporting young people with the tools to identify their own vulnerabilities online as well as take responsibility for the wellbeing of their peers. We are delighted that our recently completed DEMOS evaluation showed that After training, 97% of Anti-Bullying Ambassadors feel they can spot when bullying behaviour is happening to someone online and 94% report having the tools and skills to report bullying behaviour that they see happening online.

We know that programmes like our Antibullying Ambassadors Programme remain critically important at times like this, to ensure young people have all the tools they need to thrive both on and offline.