Youth topics tackled online by Avon and Somerset Police

Avon and Somerset Police will be launching a website for youths this month to educate them on topics that affect them in a fun and informative way.

Aimed at 11 to 18-year-olds, the site will tackle a variety of issues including drugs, alcohol, bullying and driving. Each subject will be broken down into social and legislative aspects and explained using images, videos and real life experiences.

Officers will be visiting schools across the Avon and Somerset force area throughout January to raise pupil awareness of the site. The website, www.craniumcaviar.com, is designed to make children aware of their legal and moral obligations to society, as well as letting them know how they can seek support if they experience problems with any of the topics covered.

The website includes games and competitions to encourage children to get involved. This month, visitors to the site could win an ipod Nano or CSI science kit if they take part in the competitions.

Sgt Ian Baird from the citizen-focus team said: “The Cranium Caviar website is a fun way for youngsters to learn about crime reduction and how to deal with issues that may be affecting either themselves or their friends. Young people will also be able to find information about the site on Bebo, Myspace, Youtube and Facebook.

“We hope that local children will log on, enjoy themselves and learn some invaluable lessons at the same time.”

Ian Ball from Avon and Somerset’s eServices department added: “We were very keen to involve young people during the development of the website. We wanted to ensure we created a site that actually delivered what young people wanted, rather than what the police thought they would want.

“This is why the website is clear and simple without lots of text and more of a focus on making information accessible through the use of video clips or interactive games.

“We are very much seeing this as a long-term commitment and the site will continue to be kept up-to-date and expanded as required. We will continue to seek feedback from the site’s visitors so it can be kept relevant for young people across the Avon and Somerset area.”

Cranium Caviar is integrated with the main Avon and Somerset Police website, so young users can also get access to neighbourhood policing information, including the local priorities for their area and contacts for their postcode area.

A page is also designed for parents and guardians who are concerned that their child may become involved in anti-social or criminal activity.