Online safety for young Go players

Introduction

This guidance covers online clubs, teaching sessions and tournaments specifically aimed at young people. Clubs and teaching sessions may make use of both a Go-playing platform (e.g. OGS) and a conference call facility (e.g. Zoom) and both mediums should, as far as possible, be safe for young people.

The online world is often a private one between the child and whoever they are communicating with. It often takes place in the child's bedroom. The risks of grooming and other forms of unwelcome contact are real.

This Guidance refers to “Parents”, but it also covers those, such as carers, acting in a parental role.

In places the phrase “consent” is used. This is not to be interpreted literally; the requirement is to be certain that the parent understands what is proposed/intended and does not object.

Objectives

The key objectives of this guidance are:

 To help keep young Go players safe online by providing guidance to those planning any online activity.
 To support Go teachers and the organisers of online activity to minimise the risk that they are open to allegations of inappropriate communication with young people.

General

Regular (for example weekly) online Go teaching is likely to come under Regulated Activity (https://www.britgo.org/Policy3A) and as such the teacher should have a criminal records (DBS) check.

The adult facilitator / organiser must be familiar with the BGA’s safeguarding policies and procedures (https://www.britgo.org/Policy03) know what to do should an allegation be made.

Dealing with participants aged 15 or younger

This section deals specifically with those aged under 16, recognising that those aged 16 or 17 are “near adults” and are expected to be able to make their own decisions about online use. However, it should be noted that such people are still technically children and appropriate behaviour is required.

All communication with those under 15 should initially be made through their parents, and not directly with the young person. Their personal social media account, mobile phone number or email address should not be used without parental consent. It is recommended that this consent be obtained and retained. Where a young person provides additional means of communication (for example “Why don’t you contact me via TikTok”, the parents should be informed).

1. Clear information should be provided to parents about the purpose of any online activity, the range of people participating e.g. children, adults, mixed, and the names and contact details of those responsible for the activity.

2. Information should be circulated to parents about the platforms being used, including how to download the application and any key issues they need to be aware of.

3. Where one-to-one teaching is provided (e.g. by Video conference calls such as Zoom), it is recommended that the adult should have a clear DBS check. The parent should be informed that the call is taking place, and be given the opportunity to join it.

4. Where there are multiple participants in a video conference call, the administrator/host should be aware of the conference call settings that will maximise security and that they are confident and competent in using them. This should include:
1. how to remove an uninvited or mis-behaving participant;
2. learning to mute participants, including video screens,
3. disabling chat to prevent people from privately messaging each other to avoid possible harassment.

5. If the session is to be audio or video recorded this is to be conveyed to the young people themselves and their parents in advance. Information about the purpose of the recording and for how long it will be retained must be provided, and consent obtained.

6. Joining instructions should provide information on the ‘rules of engagement.’ These should be sent to parents for sharing with the young person and can be gone over with the young people at the start of the sessions. These may include:
 knowing who the host is and that they will have control of the screen and the chat;
 when and how participants can speak/contribute;
 knowing what fair play on the Go board means and, if a tournament, what constitutes cheating and how this will be dealt with;
 what to do in respect of rejoining if internet connections fail;
 that communication must be respectful and individuals must take personal responsibility to ensure that their content is appropriate to those participating e.g. language, jokes, opinions;
 how to report anything of concern or anything that makes them feel uncomfortable.

7. Parents should be encouraged to ensure that participation takes place in a place visible to others within the household and not within bedrooms or other closed spaces.
All players whether adult or junior will be encouraged to observe minimum standards of behaviour in online clubs or events, including:
 Refraining from inappropriate language.
 Not sending spam or persistent unsolicited messages.
 Not harassing other players or administrators or otherwise acting offensively.
 Not sharing passwords or access to other accounts.

Please see also:
 Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy
 Safeguarding – Online abuse Policy
 British Go Association Code of Conduct