Online Safety

Child online safety during lockdown: where to report
 

As a parent, you are in the best position to notice if something isn’t quite right with your child. 

While most children only have positive experiences online, occasionally things can go wrong. And with children likely to be spending more time on the internet during lockdown, it is more important than ever for you and your child to know the best reporting and support routes, should either of you ever be worried about something online. 

Here is a breakdown of where to go for support. 

 
 
We want our children to be safe when using the new technologies becoming available all the time both at school and at home.
Here are websites that have information for parents about using the Internet safely:
 
CEOP
CEOP is the main UK agency for keeping children safe online and has a wealth of information for parents and staff. Children are trained in school to recognise the click CEOP button (below), which they can use to report anything online that they feel is inappropriate. 
 
During the current global pandemic parents are being sent resources provided by Thinkuknow that they can carry out with their children.
 
Thinkuknow  have asked schools to share their parents survey to help them understand the challenges they face and how the organisation can best support parents. 
 
The survey will be kept open for the next few months and it can be taken multiple times should you want to share how your experiences change. Click the words Thinkuknow Parent Survey
 
 
 
Kidsmart this is an award winning internet website safety website for parents and those working with children.

Thinkuknow The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP)Centre has set up its own educational website which has been designed and written for children, young people, teachers, parents and carers.

The UK Safer Internet Centre website has advice for parents, including videos from Virgin, Talk Talk, Sky and BT about setting up parental controls, and the Parents’ Guide to Technology which has advice about using new technologies including Smart phones, Gaming devices and Internet-enabled devices e.g.iPad

Vodafone has a magazine for parents.

For a parents guide explaining about cyber bullying which is the use of electronic media – especially mobile phones and the internet – to intimidate, threaten or upset someone see this BBC website

‘Supporting Young People Online’ is a new and updated information and advice leaflet for parents and carers to help support young people and address the issues they face online today. This can be downloaded using the above link.

We use the story with Early Years called ‘Digiduck’s Big Decision’ and this has now been released as free app for tablets. http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/news/digiducks-big-decision-the-app


To promote this at school:

  • Our internet connection is filtered to block out unsuitable sites for children.
  • Children are supervised when using the internet.
  • Parents are asked to sign a consent form before their child may use the internet.
  • Children are taught to use the internet safely
Child online safety during lockdown: where to report
With children spending more time on the internet during lockdown, it's more important than ever for parents and carers and their children to know the best reporting and support routes, should they be worried about something online.

Share our new ParentInfo article which signposts to reporting, advice and support services available for children and their families.