Parent Support
What is online safety and what can we do?
In simple terms, online safety refers to the act of staying safe online. It is also commonly known as internet safety, e-safety and cyber safety. It encompasses all technological devices which have access to the internet from PCs and laptops to smartphones and tablets.
Operating within an online space is something most of us simply do subconsciously, but have you ever stopped to consider the potential dangers which exist on the web, especially for our children?
In schools, we are ever-increasingly aware that children are more engaged online than they’ve ever been. Ownership of smart devices is increasing at younger and younger ages and the range of content they are viewing is expanding rapidly.
In an ever-changing world, ensuring pupils’ safety online has never been more important. It’s an all-encompassing duty and something every teacher and parent must be vigilant of.
We have compiled a list of some of the best online safety guides from across the internet. These guides could be used to help support you at home when it comes to being able to keep our children safe in a range of online situations. A lot of these websites offer great advice and some have tools that can also be shared with your children.
General Advice:
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The Rotherham Safety Partnership have produced a booklet designed to outline some of the Internet safety issues faced by the communities of Rotherham. It can be viewed by clicking the link below
Parental Controls - this is an amazing site that covers so many different devices and ways to access the internet:
In particular, this section of the website has drop down menus that allow you to find parental controls and guidance for just about any device and/or platform including your broadband provider - well worth checking out!
Social Media and Specific Platform Guides:
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Above all else it is really important to chat with your children on an ongoing basis about staying safe on-line.
Not sure where to begin? These conversation starter suggestions can help.
- Ask your children to tell you about the sites they like to visit and what they enjoy doing on-line.
- 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 someone! Perhaps they can show you how to do something better on-line or they might have a friend who would benefit from their help and support.
- Think about how you each use the internet. What more could you do to use the internet together? Are there activities that you could enjoy as a family?