Staying safe online

Information and advice for parents

• Know what your children are doing online and who they are talking to. Ask them to teach you to use any applications you have never used. Keeping the computer in a family room means that you can share your child’s online experience – and that they are less likely to act inappropriately (i.e. via webcam).

• Help your children to understand that they should never give out personal details to online friends — personal information includes their messenger ID, email address, mobile number and any pictures of themselves, their family or friends. If your child publishes a picture or video online, anyone can change it or share it. Remind them that anyone may be looking at their images and one day a future employer could!

• If your child receives spam/junk email & texts, remind them never to believe them, reply to them or use them. It’s not a good idea for your child to open files that are from people they don’t know. They won’t know what they contain — it could be a virus, or worse — an inappropriate image or film. Help your child to understand that some people lie online and therefore it’s better to keep online mates online. They should never meet up with any strangers without an adult they trust.

• Always keep communication open for a child to know that it’s never too late to tell someone if something makes them feel uncomfortable.

• Teach young people how to block someone online and how to report them if they feel uncomfortable.

Websites:

• Know IT All for Parents www.childnet-int.org/kia/parents/CD  A parents' guide to getting the most out of the internet and keeping children safe online and on their mobile phones.
• Think U Know www.thinkuknow.co.uk The latest information on websites, mobiles and new technology. Find out what!s good, what's not and what you can do about it.
• Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre www.ceop.police.uk The CEOP Centre works across the UK to tackle child sex abuse wherever and whenever it happens.