Staying safe online - current advice for parents

This page is to give parents/carers a source of information about how to keep your child safe when online, and what to do if there is an issue.

A useful resource containing advice for families in a digital world can be found here

What do we teach the children at school?

Each term we teach the children how to stay safe online, and behave in a respectable way.

We teach them to consider the ‘4 Cs’ in whatever way they access online content:

CONTENT – is this age appropriate? What do I do if it isn’t? Be wary of hate, extremist or abusive content. Lawful but awful content.
CONTACT – being engaged and at risk of a harmful interaction. Risk of exploitation and abuse. Recruitment to extremism or bullying.
CONDUCT – show the same respect online as you would do face to face. Sending images/sharing. Bullying. Hostile behaviour. Illegal downloading. Violent tendencies can be exacerbated.
COMMERCE – online gambling, advertising, phishing and financial crimes. Look after your personal data. Be aware of scams.

We teach them the SMART acronym:

SAFE – Keep safe by being careful not to give out personal information when you’re chatting or posting online. Personal information includes your email address, phone number and password.

MEETING – Meeting someone you have only been in touch with online can be dangerous. Only do so with your parents’ or carers’ permission and even then only when they can be present. Remember online friends are still strangers even if you have been talking to them for a long time.

ACCEPTING – Accepting emails, messages, or opening files, pictures or texts from people you don’t know or trust can lead to problems – they may contain viruses or nasty messages!

RELIABLE – Someone online might lie about who they are and information on the internet may not be true. Always check information with other websites, books or someone who knows. If you like chatting online it’s best to only chat to your real world friends and family

TELL – Tell your parent, carer or a trusted adult if someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, or if you or someone you know is being bullied online.

We will also teach them about the dangers of the internet, discourage the use of social media sites (see below), privacy, passwords, being respectful and responsible, and what to do if they have a concern.

Firewall

We also have filters on the school internet to prevent children from accessing particular sites that are unsuitable for their age or interests. This includes social media sites.

Using social media

Many social media services require users to be at least 13 years of age to access and use their services. This includes WhatsApp, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, Musical.ly and Skype.

Whilst there is no age restriction for watching videos on YouTube, users need to be 13 or older to have their own YouTube account.

This means that no primary age children should be accessing these social media accounts. I would implore all parents to abide by this ruling. If all parents stick to this, it makes it easier for pupils to resist peer pressure.

There are a few reasons for not allowing your child to use social media.

Young people risk being exposed to content which is intended for older users when they use sites that are not designed for people their age.
What goes on the internet, stays on the internet. Photos and posts about children will be there forever and could be used against them when they are older.
Do they know how to keep their content private? Do they know who to share with?
Primary age children are not cognitively ready to deal with the issues, posts and opinions on social media.
Overuse of screen time is bad for their health. Children only get one childhood – do you really want them to spend it glued to a screen? Isn’t it better for them to be talking to real people and having real experiences?!

Going online – use this as a check list for a conversation with your child

When you child is ready to go online, here is some advice to follow.

Devices

Which devices are we allowed to use and when? Are we allowed to use our own personal devices?
Are there any areas of the internet which we are not to use, eg games or social networks
How long can we spend online or on a device?
What do we do if a notification appears on a device? Eg not clicking ‘accept’ before checking with an adult
When is it okay to download files, games or apps?

Keeping safe

What information is ok for us to share online? Eg reinforcing not to share a clubs location online or names of other players
Who will we talk to if we feel uncomfortable about anything we have seen or heard online or on a device?
Which websites are okay for us to use?
Should we open links from people we don’t know?

Positive online behaviour

How can I be a good friend online?
What will I do if I receive frightening or bullying messages?
Do I know where the report and block buttons are online?

Helpful resource: Young children and screen Time – start here

This is a helpful poster to use with your child.

Do you know where your child is on the internet? watch here

Gaming

Some very good advice here – follow the PLAY acronym: https://www.askaboutgames.com/get-smart-about-play/

Beware of the Cyber Playground – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ApfDVJbcS0

In real life, you would protect your children, so why not on the internet – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n59LYRDsZ2w

Helpful websites

It is worth looking at these websites so you are familiar with them, for reference – or to use the resources with your child.

Advice by age.

As well as devices, parents also need advice according to the age of their children. Again, Internet Matters has this covered fo children 0-5, 6-10, 11-13 and 14+

https://www.internetmatters.org/advice/

Gaming

Gaming is likely to be high on the agenda for many children this holiday period. CEOP have a nice, simple guide for parents

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/gaming/

YouTube

If you haven’t seen the new YouTube app or site for children (<13) it’s worth a look.

App: https://youtube.com/kids/

Web: https://www.youtubekids.com/

Want to put restrictions on: https://www.esafety-adviser.com/youtube-parental-restrictions/

Advice for families in a digital age: https://parentinfo.org/articles/games%2C-apps-and-tech/all?page=2

Thinkuknow for 5-7 year olds – https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/5_7/

If you are 5, 6 or 7, I bet you probably like to use the computer for fun. We’ve made this website to help you go on the internet in a safe way and know who to talk to if you are worried. You can also find out about Lee & Kim’s adventures or watch Hector and his friends learning to use computers safely!

Thinkuknow for 8-10 year olds – https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/8_10/

If you’re between 8 and 10, you probably know a lot about using the internet. We’ve created this area for you to show you what we think is good, look at what’s not and show you ways you can get yourself out of bad situations.

Thinkuknow for 11+ year olds https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/11_13/

Keeping safe online.

Thinkuknow for parents https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/

Childnet – https://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers

CEOP (Police: Child Exploitation and Online Protection) – https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/

Are you worried about online sexual abuse or the way someone has been communicating with you online? Make a report.
More information about staying safe online.

#DITTO is a free online safety (e-safety) magazine for schools, organizations and parents to keep you up to date with risks, issues, advice and guidance related to keeping children safe online, with a view to enjoying and learning about technology. A new edition is released approx. every 6 weeks.

All archived issues of #DITTO can be downloaded for free – click HERE

How to protect children from online sexual harm

Learn how to minimise the risks and what you can do to help your child if you discover they have been the victims of online sexual harm. https://www.internetmatters.org/hub/news-blogs/how-to-protect-children-from-online-sexual-harm/