Online Safety Information

Parents, click the pic below to take you to a site where you can report online abuse:

PARENTS…You can now access the Online Safety Hub FOR FREE. Head to the Online Safety Hub for lots of expert advice and guidance to help you manage your child's safety online. It includes information on the latest hot topics when it comes to keeping your child safe, such as how to manage your child's screen time, understanding the latest gaming platforms, what they mean for your child’s safety and lots more. Simply follow the link to access The Online Safety Hub:

 https://warwickshire.onlinesafetyhub.uk

If you have any questions regarding apps/games/platforms and their suitability for your child, please just get in touch with our Online Safety Lead Mrs Apostol who would be happy to advise.

Online Safety Information for Parents  

Sites for using with children

www.thinkuknow.co.uk

Think U Know is the powerful resource from CEOP. It now has resources to use with primary children.

www.childnet-int.org/kia/schools

Know IT All for Schools is a useful resource for teaching secondary aged pupils about being safe online. Clicking on home will take you to the Childnet International site.

www.chatdanger.com

Chat Danger is also from Childnet International. It is appropriate for KS2 and 3 pupils and covers how to be safe when using interactive services online.

Sites for Parents

www.ceop.gov.uk

CEOP are the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre. There is information about what they do as well as links to their resources for use in secondary schools. Primary school resources are due in September 2007.
 

www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents

Think U Know has a section with advice for parents which is particularly useful for explaining terminology. Register to receive the ‘Purely for Parents’ monthly email.

The best form of Online Safety begins at home with you, the parent. The following tips will help you to help your child keep safe on the Internet.

Ask Questions

The best way to know what your child is doing online is to ask. Whether you ask other parents, an Internet-savvy friend, or your child about how they use the Internet - asking the right questions will help you understand what your child is doing online so you can make sure they are making safe online choices.

Questions to ask your child:

• What sites do you visit?
• What do you do on those sites?
• Why do you go to that site?
• How much time do you spend on the site?
• Did you have to register?
• What information did they ask for?
• What information did you give?

Spend time surfing the Web with your child. This is a great way to learn about what types of interactions your child is having online, and with whom.

Communicate

Once you have an idea of how your child uses the Internet and what is available to them, you can establish online guidelines and rules. Whether it is setting guidelines about which sites to visit or what is okay to do online, it is essential to clearly communicate the rules to your child.

Speak often to your child about potential risks and what to do in various situations. Encourage your child to ask questions about situations they run into. Being aware of the risks your child faces, and communicating frequently with your child about these risks, will help develop their judgment and responsibility about Internet usage.

Safety Rules

While the Internet offers amazing opportunities for entertainment, education, connectivity, and more, anyone who goes online should understand basic Online Safety. Teaching these basics to your children is essential.

• When asked by friends or strangers, online or offline, never share Account IDs and Passwords.
• Don't reveal any personal identity information in your Screen Names, such as your full name, birthday, hobbies, hometown or school.
• In any information exchange, like e-mail or chat, never give any personal information about yourself or someone else.
• Don't share photos of yourself, your family, or your home with people you meet online.
• Never open e-mails that come from unknown sources - DELETE them.
• If you receive mean or threatening comments online, don't respond. Log off and report the activity to your parents.
• Nothing you write on the Web is completely private. Be careful what you write and to whom.
• Never make plans to meet an online "friend" in person.
• WHEN IN DOUBT: Always ask your parents for help. If you're not sure, log off.

Bullies (Cyber Bullying)

Just as a child may encounter bullying or aggressive behavior from other students in school, they may be subject to bullying online. So-called "cyber bullies" may send harmful and cruel words or images through the Internet or an electronic device such as a cell phone, in order to harass, embarrass, humiliate, and threaten their target. Other forms of bullying include password hacking, identity theft and blackmail. Many children may be equally likely to become bullies or victims. While some are anonymous, cyber bullies are often kids who are known by a child from their school, camp, community group, or neighborhood.

It is important to talk openly with children about how to handle cyber bullying issues. If your child encounters a form of cyber bullying, remember that bullies thrive on the reactions of their targets. Children should avoid escalating the situation by refraining from responding to the bully. Parents should contact your local authorities if the problem persists. Be sure to save all messages, including dates and time.

Resources

Children as young as two are interacting with the Internet from their parents' laps. As they get older, however, they may begin to venture online by themselves, with as much support and guidance as you can provide. It is up to parents to decide which controls to put in place and when to ease up as children grow and mature in their decision-making. Here are some resources that you can use to shape your child's Internet usage:

• Many sites have guides for parents. Take a look to make sure that you understand how the sites your child visits approach safety.
• Some sites offer parental controls. Take advantage of parental controls to determine what your child has access to.
• Most browsers have settings that can block Web sites or entire domains. Use these controls to pre-select Web sites children can or cannot visit.
• Research software available that can monitor children's Internet use.
• Review the privacy policies of your child's favorite sites to be aware of what kind of information is being collected about your child, and how it is being used.

Useful documents or links for parents