St Cuthbert's

Introduction

Children are growing up in a world with a bigger range of online activities than ever before and it is sometimes very hard for both children and adults to know how to stay safe.

Parents/Online Safety Information

Most parents will want to reduce the risks to their children, and remembering to set parental controls can reduce the risks to children, and reduce the risk to parents when children accidentally spend money online! The internet matters website explains this quite well. Online safety is not just about protecting children from some of the dangers of the internet – it is also about helping them manage their use of technology and most of the parental controls allow adults to set a maximum time for the use of a device or app.

Internet Matters is a site paid for by many British companies.  It has a lot of good advice on adding parental controls as well as on most aspects of online safety. Parental controls will only help keep children safe.  The best safety feature that a child has is their parent or carer.  Take the time to talk to your child about the apps and games they are using and don’t be afraid to say no sometimes!

The range of online apps changes on a regular basis and the NSPCC have a site called Net Aware.  This provides unbiased up-to-date information on current apps and sites along with advice to parents about dealing with issues. The NSPCC have also teamed up with O2 to provide advice to parents and have a free helpline on 0808 800 5002.  They will also give support in any O2 shop – you do not have to be an O2 customer.

CEOP Education (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) is the website ‘ThinkUKnow’ aimed at children and their parents from the National Crime Agency.  It has lots of useful suggestions and advice on how to report issues.  It also has lots of games and activities including Jessie and Friends for the younger children (ages 4-7) and Band Runner for the older ones (ages 8-10).

For the youngest children being tricked into sharing pictures can be an issue.  LGfL have produced a lovely free video which has some great advice and a very catchy song!

Many children will at times suffer from online bullying.  It is really important that they have someone they can talk to and know that it is not acceptable.  Most apps and sites will have systems inn place that allow bullying to be reported.  Children are encouraged to speak to their class teacher or any member of staff if they are concerned or worried about anything that they have viewed online .

Children can also call Childline on 0800 1111  for advice on anything that is worrying them.

Finally, since 2015 is has been a criminal offence for an adult to send a message with sexual content to a child (This is Section  67  of  the  Serious  Crime  Act  2015).  If you are concerned that this might have happened please contact The Police without further using the device.  This will help ensure that evidence can be preserved. 

‘Create, connect and share respect. A better internet starts with you.’

https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/
https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-centre/parents-and-carers/have-conversation

Useful Links

• NSPCC – A Guide to Parental Controls
• Internet Matters
• How to keep your child safe with technology 
• NSPCC – Net Aware
• LGfL Video
• Tik Tok – A Parent’s Guide
• Roblox – A Parent’s Guide
• Parentzone – online safety and advice
• Ask About Games – advice on video games for parents
• https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/ – National Cyber Security Centre
• https://www.getsafeonline.org/ – online safety and advice
• Broadband Parental Controls: How To Keep Your Child Safe Online (gocompare.com)
• https://www.bt.com/skillsfortomorrow/parents/learning-at-home.html
• Get Safe online – guidance on using parental controls on smart devices, broadband and mobile networks, gaming and social media.

Gaming – Top tips for parents

Whatever gaming sites your children use, our advice remains the same. It is important to have a conversation with your child about the sites they use and carry on having open discussions. This will encourage them to come to you with any concerns they may have.

Involve your child in discussions and decisions about online safety and their internet usage. This will help them understand the importance of staying safe whilst having a great time online. It will also help to educate them about how they can keep themselves safe online and know what to do if something goes wrong.

1. Stay engaged and have regular conversations
Show an interest in the games your children are playing. This could be through having a conversation about what they like to play or could be through watching them play the game. You could even have a go at playing the games yourself! If children know you have an interest in the game, they may feel more comfortable talking to you about it or coming to you for help if they need it.

2. Help them understand the importance of personal information
Check that your child understands:
– the importance of keeping their personal information safe
– that they should speak to an adult straight away if the chat goes from being about the game to meeting up offline, personal information or sending images.

3. Set rules around spending money in games
Have a conversation with your child to make sure they realise that is possible to spend real money on some games. Make promises that work for your family; perhaps your child will have to ask you for permission before they make an in-game purchase.

4. Make use of the safety features available
Block and report: Make sure your child knows how to find and use the report and block functions.
Safety settings: Set up the parental controls that are right for your family.
Settings for under 13s: There are often additional safety features for under-13s, so it’s worth checking your child’s account is registered with the correct age.

5. Encourage them to tell you about concerns
Remind your child that they should come to you if they ever see something inappropriate, mean comments or if anything worries them within the game.