Strengthening Cyber Safety Skills for Children in India

Gen Blog | Community

Written by Amanda Davis | Sr. Manager, CR and Environment

Young people all over the world are vulnerable to cybercrime. A recent study from the DQ Institute found that an estimated 70% of children and adolescents globally were exposed to cyber risk at some point during 2023, and the overall rate of cybercrime is expected to rise in the coming years.

India is no exception. The National Crime Records Bureau found that child cybercrime in the country has risen 32% in just one year, and young people often demonstrate low awareness of the importance of data privacy and internet safety.

We know this is an area where Gen can help. Through Norton, one of our trusted Cyber Safety brands, and its partnership with Bal Raksha Bharat (BRB), also known as Save the Children - India, we were able to reach more than 10,000 young people, parents, family members and educators with Cyber Safety skills training between March 2023 and April 2024. These skills will not only help children stay safe online but also build lasting, healthy digital habits.

Empowering Educators to Teach Cyber Safety 

At 40 schools in Pune, Maharashtra, and Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu, BBR staffers trained schoolteachers on bespoke Cyber Safety learning modules that Norton helped develop. The two modules—one for students between the ages of 10 and 12, another for ages 13 to 16—covered the basics of threats that young people are likely to face online, from phishing attacks to identity theft to scams. Teachers then delivered these lessons to students and community members.

In total, the effort reached more than 10,000 people across these school communities, including:

• 8,300 children (surpassing an initial target of 6,060),
• 1,210 parents,
• 635 SMC members (a parent and teacher organization), and
• 275 teachers (surpassing the target of 220).

BRB also conducted a post-training assessment, which demonstrated an 81% increase in participants’ overall Cyber Safety knowledge.

Driving Community Awareness 

Cybercrime can affect anyone at any age. The lessons shared in these modules are relevant not only to people across these school communities but also to India at large.

To spread the word, BRB led several digital and on-the-ground activations that raised awareness of the dangers of cybercrime and how to stay Cyber Safe. These included small group meetings, voice calls and SMS messaging throughout the villages in Pune and Thiruvallur where the trainings took place. BRB also hosted workshops on cybercrime for law enforcement officials in these communities, with more planned in 2024. These efforts reached nearly 207,000 people indirectly.

The organization also promoted a cybercrime reporting helpline, as well as information about various online risks, on social media. Building on BRB’s existing partnership with Yuvaa and their #BeDigiSmart campaign, the campaign’s content saw engagement from nearly 263,000 people.

For more information on how we provide Cyber Safety education and training, check out our 2024 Social Impact Report. This grant was awarded from the Gen Foundation, a corporate advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation.