E-Safety
It's important to remember that the legal age to have an account on most social media - Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Snapchat - is 13 years old.
E-safety is an integral part of education in today’s digital world and is embedded in learning at school. We also want to help our parents, carers and young people improve their own understanding of E-safety issues so they can learn to use the internet and all digital media in a safe and secure way.
At Home
As a parent or carer, you'll know how important the internet is to young people - they use it to learn, play, socialise and express themselves. It's a highly creative place of amazing opportunities. However, the technology they use every day can seem daunting and you might worry about the risks faced online, such as; bullying, contact from strangers or the possibility of them viewing illegal or inappropriate content.
There are many basic things you can do to ensure your young people are safe online and to minimise the risks they face. One approach is to engage with them regarding their use of the internet while at home. Here are some conversation starter ideas from www.childnet.com
- Ask about the sites they like to visit and what they enjoy doing online.
- Ask them about how they stay safe online. What tips do they have for you, and where did they learn them? What is ok and not ok to share?
- Ask them if they know where to go for help, where to find the safety advice, privacy settings and how to report or block on the services they use.
- Encourage them to help. Perhaps they can show you how to do something better online or they might have a friend who would benefit from their help and support.
- Think about how you use the internet as a family. What could you do to get more out of the internet together and further enjoy your lives online.
Resources
To try and help raise awareness of the fast moving and changing world of internet and social media there are many internet sites which have fantastic resources, containing information on different types of social media and how to help keep children safe.
Childnet also provide a leaflet and E-safety booklet which you can download here.
Privacy settings are an important part of keeping our young people safe and you can find out more information about them here
Fact Sheets & Guides To Popular Social Media
Click on the following links to find some useful guides to the following social media:
Jessie and Friends
To see the latest information on how to keep their 4-7 years olds safe on line, please click here
Here are two booklets parents may find also find useful:
Young people and social networking sites and Supporting children online
Internet Safety Resources
There is a great new online safety tool launched by the Department for Education called Parent Info. It has advice on everything from keeping young people safe from online trolls to using popular apps.
Childnet is a great website resource for online safety. Click here to watch an interactive video on how to keep your young person safer online.
'Think U Know' covers topics such as gaming and talking to strangers. You can also search by topic or age range to find information that is relevant for your family. You can find the site here
Internet Matters is another great site to use - it has advice on cyberbullying, how to talk to young people about internet safety and quick guides to different types of social media such as Instagram and Snapchat. You can visit their pages here Internet Matters.
You can download the DofE advice on cyberbullying here
Here are further quick links to a range of Internet safety sites that you may find useful too: