Internet Safety
Children and young people spend a lot of time online – it can be a great way for them to socialise, explore and have fun. But children do also face risks like Cyber bullying, seeing content that’s inappropriate and many others.
It can be very tricky trying to monitor how secure your child’s online journey is. We have created this page to help adults support children in understanding the dangers and the necessary steps to safeguard your children.
Below are links to websites that will offer information on how to make your child’s internet experience a little safer-
NSPCC ONLINE SAFETY
Helpful advice and tools you can use to help keep your child safe whenever and wherever they go online.
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety
Net Aware
Vodaphone Digital Parenting
Safer Internet
Think U Know?
A link to Think U Know’s Parent and Carers guide to social media
Being social online this December: a parent's guide
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/articles/parents-guide-being-social-online/
4 steps you can take to help children stay safer
BBC Own It
BBC Own It is the BBC’s online safety platform to help children aged 7-12 make the most of their digital lives. Own It has a huge number of fun videos, quizzes and child-friendly advice articles designed to support children’s wellbeing and empower them to navigate the online world safely and confidently. Own It has four different sections covering the basics of safely using platforms and devices, digital wellbeing, managing online relationships and getting help when it’s needed most.
The Own It website also features a range of films and articles for parents and carers to help them with those tricky conversations about life online and to ensure their children make the right decisions.
SafeToNet
The Marie Collins Foundation
The MCF believes that there is a need to invest in the formation of a cohesive, multi-disciplinary response to children harmed online - a response that should be based on current, and future, practice wisdom and evidence-based interventions. The MCF wishes to change national and international practice, policies and procedures and to produce models for good practice.
The Marie Collins Foundation has joined forces with the NWG Network to produce help guides aimed at reducing online harm. Click below to download the Parents Guide.
Government Guidance
Internet Watch Foundation
A new IWF (Internet Watch Foundation) safety campaign aims to help parents have conversations with their children about keeping their 'door' closed to child sexual abusers. The campaign includes a booklet for parents, explaining the risks, explaining why children are vulnerable, and suggests practice steps that parents can take.
The mnemonic used in the campaign is TALK:
- TALK to your child about online sexual abuse. Start the conversation – and listen to their concerns.
- AGREE ground rules about the way you use technology as a family.
- LEARN about the platforms and apps your child loves. Take an interest in their online life.
- KNOW how to use tools, apps and settings that can help to keep your child safe online.
https://talk.iwf.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/A-guide-for-parents-and-carers-v7.pdf
Play Safe, a new national safeguarding campaign
(Football Association)
Over the weekend, the Football Association and the NSPCC launched ‘Play Safe’, a national campaign to focus attention on the vital importance of safeguarding in football. At the heart of the campaign are three short films to emphasise the importance of safeguarding for key groups of people, crucially children themselves.
One aspect of the campaign is prompting parents to ask questions:
- Do you know your child’s club Welfare Officer?
- If so, do you have their tel no. in your ‘phone, as well as that of the NSPCC?
- Are you up to speed with your child’s club’s safeguarding policies and procedures?
- Do you regularly check-in with your child to see what they are enjoying/not enjoying and why?
More information can be found here: https://www.thefa.com/PlaySafe
