Online Safety (E-Safety)
We have collated a variety of websites that you can access to help you with online safety within the home.
eSafety Advice for Parents
The internet and related technologies, including mobile phones, games consoles and social networks are becoming increasingly important in the daily lives of our children and have many positive benefits. They can be used both educationally and socially and are becoming part of a child’s identity. Socially our children often use the internet for entertainment, interaction, and communication with ‘friends’. Access to the internet can take place anywhere and at any time so we need to make sure our children are able to use the internet safely. Many children are unaware of the risks – for example by having many online friends (who could be strangers), uploading inappropriate images, viewing unsuitable content or sharing too much personal information.
Information about setting up filtering in your own home can be found below. Some of the advice about online safety is common sense but it’s also important that parents and carers know how to use the technology and are aware of how their children are using the internet.
Information about online safety issues and how to ‘Stay Safe’ can be found on the websites below. This is just a sample of websites that can provide parents with support and information. Once parents and carers have the background knowledge and understanding of eSafety, they can decide what is right for their family.
Please remember to tell your child that if they tell you about getting into trouble online, you will be very proud of them – and that you won’t take their device off them. This will ensure that they come back to tell you if they are ever in trouble. You may of course want to check the settings on their device so that you can make it safer for them – but try to resist the temptation to take it off them permanently.
Mind the Gap Conversation Starter Kit – Questions you may want to ask your children and use as a way of starting a conversation about internet use and staying safe online.
- What do you like to do most online? Do you play online games with friends you know in the real world, or do you play with anyone?
- What do you write on your Moshi Monsters pinboard (or any others)? Who can see your pinboard?
- Do you tell your online friends your secrets or things you wouldn’t tell them in the playground?
- What is the age rating of the game you are playing? Can I play/watch the game with you?
- The minimum age to be able to open an account on Facebook, Instagram and many other social networks is 13 years. Ask your child/ren what age they pretended to be and why?
- Do you know your online friends in the real world? Are you always nice to your online friends?
- If someone online says or does something to frighten or upset you would you know what to do?
- Would you let a stranger in the street ask you personal questions in the real world? Do you let a stranger online ask you personal questions? If yes, is it time to change?
- Can you show me how to change Facebook privacy settings? Are your settings as private as possible?
- Has anyone ever said something nasty to you online? Were you frightened or scared? Would you know what to do?
This is an excellent website. It was developed out of a partnership between CEOP and The Parent Zone and contains lots of good eSafety advice. Parent Info
If you’re a parent, you can help your children use the Internet safely by teaching some basic rules. Here are some basic lessons that parents can help their children learn.
A new website recently brought to our attention to help families with technology called Common sense media
Their Mission statement is…
Common Sense is the leading independent nonprofit organisation dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology. We empower parents, teachers, and policymakers by providing unbiased information, trusted advice, and innovative tools to help them harness the power of media and technology as a positive force in all kids’ lives.
Media and technology are at the very centre of all our lives today — especially our children’s. Kids today spend over 50 hours of screen time every week. The media content they consume and create has a profound impact on their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Learning how to use media and technology wisely is an essential skill for life and learning in the 21st century. But parents, teachers, and policymakers struggle to keep up with the rapidly changing digital world in which our children live and learn. Now more than ever, they need a trusted guide to help them navigate a world where change is the only constant.
A new app that a lot of the children are using is called ‘Among Us’. Among Us is one of the most popular games of 2020. A space-themed ‘social deduction game’ where 4-10 players take on the guise of Crewmates, who must complete various tasks around their spaceship, while randomly selected Imposters must try their hardest to sabotage the others’ efforts. The Imposters have to remain undetected through rounds of voting to win. While Among Us is a largely safe game, it’s still prudent to be aware of any potential risks young ones might encounter when playing.
In the guide, you’ll find tips on a number of potential risks such as hacking, mild violence and inappropriate language.
A new website run by CBBC and links with Newsround, called own it This is a very child friendly website which will provide answers for questions and video guides about using the internet.
Many of our children like to use the programme Roblox. Roblox features a central dashboard to limit the chat functions, add a parental pin and account restrictions (to only access curated content by Roblox). Roblox also has a useful feature called ‘Age Visibility’ to determine settings for kids are age appropriate. help for this can be found on https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/entertainment-search-engines/roblox/
You Tube is an app that many of our children like to use to watch online videos. Please follow this link to help you set up restricted modes to ensure the safety of your children. You Tube
Restricted Mode is an opt-in setting that helps screen out explicit and adult content to protect your children when they use YouTube. It also screens out comments on all videos your child watches.
Google is one of the most widely used search engines. Please follow the link to enable you to install a sfae search tool. Google safe search
SafeSearch can help you block inappropriate or explicit images from your Google Search results. The SafeSearch filter isn’t 100% accurate, but it helps you avoid most violent and adult content.
Kidsmart is an award winning internet safety website for parents and those working with children. It has been developed by the children’s internet charity Childnet International and has excellent information on many of the technologies used by children, with guidance on how to ‘stay safe’ online.
One in five young people have experienced bullying by text message or via email. This web site gives advice for children and parents on cyberbullying.
Being very accessible, this provides information and guidance to parents to help under the digital world. There is also an online test to see how much you know.
A website designed to strengthen awareness and understanding of what digital citizenship is. It encourages users of technology to be and become responsible DIGItal citiZENS.
Below are some more links to a wide variety of websites to raise awareness of online safety.
esafety advisor newsletter for parents
Childnet – know it all for parents