Online Safety

Safety in a Digital World: Guide for Parents/Carers

You were taught road safety,

You were taught rail safety,

You were taught to play safely.

But now we are in the 21st Century and your children need to be taught online safety.

Children access the Internet on:

• Computers
• Mobile phones
• Games consoles
• Music systems
• And they play games online with friends and strangers

They blog, chat, enter competitions, social network, email, watch TV online, download and upload information. They are creative at making music, making films and making web content.

Are you worried about their safety whilst accessing the internet?

This page will provide you with some basic information to help you feel more confident in supporting your child to be safe online.

The Benefits of Digital Technology

There are many benefits of having access to digital technologies. Here are some of them:

• Used effectively, these can improve children’s achievement.
• Using them at home and at school develops skills for life.
• Children with supportive and involved parents and carers do better at school.
• Children enjoy using them.
• Using technologies provides access to a wider and more flexible range of learning materials.

Staying Safe

You can make a huge difference if you talk to your child about how they use digital technology, let them know you are there to guide them and pass on essential safety advice. Here are some do’s and don’ts:

• Do keep your computer in a place where everyone can use it, go online with your child so you can see what they are doing on the internet.
• Do remind them that everyone they meet online is a stranger even though they might seem like a friend.
• Do encourage your child never to meet up with someone they make friends with online. But if they do then make sure they take along an adult you trust and to meet in a public place.
• Do explain that they shouldn’t accept emails or open files from people they don’t know. They may contain viruses, nasty messages or annoying links to things you don’t want them to see.
• Do be aware that your child may as likely be an online bully, as be a target of online bullying. Be alert to your child seeming upset after using the internet or their mobile phone.
• Do talk to your child so they know they can come to you if they run into any problems. Your continued involvement is the best way of keeping your child safe.
• Do make clear what content and behaviour is acceptable and check that sites are age appropriate.
• Do give your child the knowledge and skills to build up resilience to the things they find online, help them to play and learn safely.
• Do consider using filtering software and agree ground rules about what services you are happy for your child to use.
• Don’t allow them to give out personal information. That means full name, home or school address, telephone number or personal email or mobile number.
• Don’t allow your child to access inappropriate sites.

Download our full parent guide for online safety.

Online Safety Workshop Feb 2015

Earlier in the year we held a workshop for parents who wanted to know more about social media and who felt concerned about how their children used the internet.  

We covered the main social media platforms - what they are, what's good about them and what to be wary of - plus how to amend your privacy settings on each one.  

IT teacher Mr McCall also gave an excellent talk on how we form a digital footprint online and how that could affect us in the present and in the future.

All parents agreed that they found the evening useful, informative and that they would like to attend another.  

You can view the presentation from our event here.

You can see feedback from those who attended here.

If you want to find out more

A guide for parents about the potential dangers facing their children on the internet, plus advice on what parents can do to help counter these hazards: www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Yourchildshealthandsafety/Internetsafety

Find the latest information on web sites, mobiles and new technology. Find out what’s good, what’s not and what you can do about it: www.thinkyouknow.co.uk

The UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) brings together organisations from industry, charities and the public sector to work with the Government to deliver the recommendations from Safer Children in a Digital World consultation: http://www.education.gov.uk/ukccis,

Childnet International is a non-profit organisation working with others to help make the Internet a great and safe place for children: www.childnet-int.org

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) works across the UK tackling child sex abuse and providing advice for parents, young people and children about internet safety: www.ceop.gov.uk

Parents can check out a selection of useful websites relating to online safety here.