Keeping children safe online

As a parent you’ll know how important the internet is to children – they use it to learn, play, socialise and express themselves.  It’s a highly creative place of amazing opportunities.  But the technology children use every day can seem a bit daunting and you might worry about the risks your child can face online – such as bullying, contact from strangers or the possibility of them seeing illegal or inappropriate content.

There is a lot of support available to keep your child safe online. Below are some useful links to help parents and carers:

  • government guidance on staying safe online including parental controls, fact-checking information, communicating with family and friends while social distancing is in place and taking regular breaks from the screen
  • Thinkuknow is the education programme from the National Crime Agency (NCA) proving age-appropriate resources for children and support for parents
  • Parent Info is a collaboration between Parentzone and the NCA providing support and guidance for parents from leading experts and organisations
  • Childnet provides a tool kit to support parents and carers of children of any age to start discussions about their online life, to set boundaries around online behaviour and technology use, and to find out where to get more help and support
  • Internet Matters provides age-specific online safety checklists, guides on how to set parental controls on a range of devices and a host of practical tips to help children get the most out of their digital world
  • LGfL provides support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online, including 6 top tips to keep primary aged children safe online
  • Net Aware provides support for parents and carers from the NSPCC and O2, providing a guide to social networks, apps and games
  • Let’s Talk About It provides support for parents and carers to keep children safe from online radicalisation
  • UK Safer Internet Centre provides tips, advice, guides and resources to help keep children safe online, including parental controls offered by home internet providers and safety tools on social networks and other online services
  • E-safety Tips
  • Vodafone Parents – Vodafone have lots of fantastic practical advice for parents.
  • You can also read their ‘Digital Parenting’ magazine (we also deliver this to parents from school)
  • Kidscape– An organisation which helps to prevent bullying and child abuse.
  • Know IT All– lots of useful advice for keeping yourselves and your children safe on the Internet.
  • Internet Safety Zone– Look in the ‘Under 13s’ section for useful safety advice and information.
  • Bullying UK– Information and advice about bullying for children, parents and schools

Age-appropriate practical support on reporting concerns is available from:

Age restrictions

As you are aware, there are now numerous social media sites. Below are age restrictions for these sites:

  • Facebook. Age rating: 13+
  • Instagram. Age rating: 13+
  • Snapchat. Age rating: 13+.
  • Tiktok. Age rating: 13+
  • Twitter. Age rating: 13+.
  • Wink. Age rating: 13+

For more information about these sites and why the age restrictions are in place, please visit – https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/social-media/

Parent’s guide to TikTok – https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/parents-ultimate-guide-to-tiktok

TikTok app safety – https://www.internetmatters.org/hub/esafety-news/tik-tok-app-safety-what-parents-need-to-know/

Online gaming
It can be really difficult to find games for children which are appropriate for their age, which work on the devices they use and that they will actually enjoy. Game Finder is a new (free) service available from Taming Gaming which walks parents through various aspects, such as how old is your child? What devices do they have? What types of games do they like to play? And then gives a list of recommendations of suitable games.
Game Finder – https://www.taminggaming.com/gameFinder
Parent’s guides:
Fortnite Battle Royale – https://www.internetmatters.org/hub/guidance/fortnite-battle-royal-parents-guide-keep-kids-safe-gaming/
Roblox – https://www.waynedenner.com/blog/roblox-a-quick-fire-safety-guide-for-parents/

Top Ten Tips for Staying Safe Online

1 )     Don’t post any personal information online – like your address, email address or mobile number.

2)      Think carefully before posting pictures or videos of yourself.  Once you’ve put  a picture of yourself online most people can see it and may be able to download it, it’s not just yours anymore.

3)      Keep your privacy settings as high as possible

4)      Never give out your passwords

5)      Don’t befriend people you don’t know

6)      Don’t meet up with people you’ve met online.  Speak to your parent or carer about people suggesting you do

7)      Remember that not everyone online is who they say they are

8)      Think carefully about what you say before you post something online

9)      Respect other people’s views, even if you don’t agree with someone else’s views doesn’t mean you need to be rude

10)   If you see something online that makes you feel uncomfortable, unsafe or worried: leave the website, turn off your computer if you want to and tell a trusted adult immediately.

Online courses – supporting your child with online safety

Would you like to know more about online safety and how to support your child in an ever changing world?

National Online Safety offer a short online course for parent and carers to support their knowledge with online safety. These are arranged into 2 categories, one aimed at parents of 7-11 years olds the other 4-7 year olds.

The 7-11 course

This short course provides you with an important insight into how children aged 7 to 11 are typically engaging with the online world. It will highlight the common areas where young children’s consumption habits start to change as they gain more independence and what steps parents should consider around smartphone usage, family controls and starting to build an open dialogue.

What’s in the course?

The parent’s course for children aged 7-11 has been split into small, bite-size sections that explain:

• How children are engaging and interacting with the online world.

• How their attitudes and behaviours might change.

• What types of apps and games they might start showing an interest in.

• What safety measures parents should start to consider.

• Where parents can get further advice and support.

At the end of the course, there will be a short quiz testing your knowledge on some of the key points highlighted throughout.

The 4-7 course

This short course provides you with an important insight into how children aged 4 to 7 are typically engaging with the online world. It will highlight the common areas where young children’s interest begins to develop and what initial steps parents should consider around screen time, parental controls and age-appropriate apps.

What’s in the course?

The parent’s course for children aged 4-7 has been split into small, bite-size sections that explain:

• How children are engaging and interacting with the online world.

• How their attitudes and behaviours might change.

• What types of apps and games they might start showing an interest in.

• What safety measures parents should start to consider.

• Where parents can get further advice and support.

At the end of the course, there will be a short quiz testing your knowledge on some of the key points highlighted throughout.