E-Safety
The Internet is an exciting place with endless opportunities for fun, games and education. It can also be an extremely dangerous place for teenagers unless it is used properly.
Please take/encourage your children to take the following steps to make sure they are safe online:
- Make sure all laptops and computers are used in a communal area where the screen can be seen by all
- Ask your child to charge any mobile devices (phones, Ipods, Ipads etc) downstairs and NOT in bedrooms
Online guides and support for parents
The Parents’ and Carers’ Guide to the Internet is a film created by CEOP to provide a light-hearted and realistic look at what it takes to be a better online parent. The show covers topics such as, talking to your child about the technologies they use and the things they might see. This online guide aims to equip you with the tools to have those tricky conversations with your children and keep your family safe online.
Thinkuknow is an education programme from the National Crime Agency’s CEOP Command. Thinkuknow aims to ensure that everyone has access to this practical information about staying safe online – children, young people, their parents and carers and the professionals who work with them.
Alongside the Thinkuknow website the programme provides educational resources, including films, cartoons and lesson plans, to help professionals raise young people’s awareness.
Social Networking and Online Gaming
- Make sure the privacy settings are set to “friends only” in the “Account settings”
- NEVER include the date of birth, address or school name in the “About me” section
- Children should only add or accept people they know in the real world – NOT friends of friends or people they have met online
- Only post photos that you would be happy to show your gran! Be careful posting photos showing your school badge, the outside of your house/school
- The best tip is to talk to your child and become involved in their online world. Ask questions about what they are doing and who they are talking to ONLY accept people you know in the “real world”
- Explain to your child that people lie online and can be mean
- Tell your child never to accept an invitation to move to a chat room with someone they have met while online gaming
Cyber bullying
If your child is subjected to any form of cyber bullying:
- Tell them not to reply
- Keep a record of the abuse for future investigation
- Tell someone in school or report the problem to the police
Webcams
Be aware of the information that is visible via the webcam – i.e. names on certificates, posters of favourite pop stars.
Extra information about keeping your child safe online or reporting a problem can be found on the following websites:
