Stay Safe Online
Risks and dangers of being online – what you can do
Part of our keeping safe online guide.
Cyberbullying is bullying using a mobile phone, or using an online platform, like a social network. It can consist of sending abusive or humiliating messages, or posting nasty messages. Because of the nature of the internet, a lot of these messages may be public and seen by others, or they could be private messages.
Bullying could be by someone who your child knows, or from an anonymous person who uses fake identities or fake social networking profiles.
How can children be cyberbullied?
Online forums/chatrooms:
Online Games:
Email or instant messaging:
Texting using mobile phones:
Using social networking sites:
What to do if your child is being cyberbullied or you suspect your child is being cyberbullied
Talk to your children – explain about cyberbullying; what it is and where it can happen. Ask them if they are being bullied, but remain calm and give them your full support. It is hard for children to talk about being cyberbullied; they may feel ashamed or embarrassed or even feel like the bullying may get worse if they tell someone. Reassure them that they are in a safe space and you will help them if you know what is happening. You should also talk to them about how they can support others if they see any cyberbullying, and how to be a good friend online to others.
Tell them who can help – reassure your child that you are there for them and that you can help. If they do not want to talk to you about it, encourage them to talk to another trusted adult such as an adult or relative. Alternatively, they can call Childline. http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/share-aware/
Don’t take away the technology – reassure your child that it’s ok to continue using the internet or their mobile phones as this is a normal part of their day to day activities and is a helpful tool for entertainment and education.
Document the abuse – keep a record of the abuse your child has been receiving so if it needs to be taken any further, you have all the relevant evidence.
Use the blocking feature and use privacy settings – most social networking platforms enable children to block people, which stop that person being able to post anything to your child. Check the privacy settings too to find out more about how your child can ensure they cannot be contacted by people they do not know. Encourage your child to not reply to posts.
See the UK Safer Internet Centre’s guide which explains the blocking and privacy features on the most popular social networks: http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/parents-and-carers/safety-tools-on-online-services/social-networks
For more information on this issue, visit the NSPCC website where there is a plethora of advice on how to stay safe online and the different channels which need to be taken if you are concerned for your children’s safety. http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
In the online world, it is easy for people to pretend to be someone they are not, and may strike up a conversation with your child using social networking sites, online gaming, online forums/chatrooms and more. It is important for your child to be aware of what online grooming is and how it can happen, so that they can be wary.
Use privacy settings – Use privacy settings on the social networks your child uses. Make sure they know what the privacy settings and policies are of the individual websites and how to apply them. Reporting tools are also useful for reporting content or behaviour which is inappropriate.
Have devices in a common area – You may want to decide to move internet enabled devices into a common room, such as living room, so you can keep an eye on what your children are using the internet for.
Talk to your child – Stay engaged in your child’s digital life by regularly asking them what sites they like to use, who they speak to online and what information they share. Reassure your child you are there for them and they can talk to you about anything. If there is something your child is uncomfortable with, make sure they tell you straight away so it can be dealt with. Tell them that they shouldn’t share any personal information online, such as their address, school or phone number. The best advice is to only speak with people online that they know in person.
Don’t arrange meetings – Tell your child they should not meet up with anyone that they only know online. Encourage your child to tell you or another trusted adult straight away if someone online approaches them to meet up.
Report it: if your child has been approached by an adult online, report to CEOP, the police agency who deal with child sexual exploitation online http://www.ceop.police.uk/
For more advice on this issue, visit CEOP’s advice site: http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/
For more information on this issue, visit the NSPCC website where there is a plethora of advice on how to stay safe online and the different channels which need to be taken if you are concerned for your children’s safety. http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
This is sending or receiving explicit images, videos or messages, for example using a mobile phone or social media. Once a message has been sent, the sender then has no control of what happens to the message/image video etc, therefore making the sender very vulnerable to bullying, humiliation or even blackmail.
For under 18s, there is an additional risk that is illegal to send an image of a child, as it is categorised as a child abuse image. By sharing an image they may get into trouble with the law.
Talk with your child – engage with your child and explain what sexting is, the fact it is illegal, and what could happen if they engage in this behaviour. Reassure them they can turn to you, no matter what they have done. Give them strategies.
Tell them what help is available – if you child is asked to send an indecent image, or receives one themselves, tell them they need to report it. They can either speak to you, another trusted adult, or ring Childline: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/share-aware/
For more information on this issue, visit the NSPCC website where there is a plethora of advice on how to stay safe online and the different channels which need to be taken if you are concerned for your children’s safety. http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
Privacy and identity theft can happen to children and adults, and it is important to know what information is personal, and what information should be shared and when. Privacy settings and controls on websites can help your information and your child’s information remain safe, however, you/your child could unwittingly give over personal information to friends, or people who you think are friends, or to websites where you may be making a payment.
Explain what’s personal – Explain to your children about what personal information should remain personal and for what reasons. The more information ‘friends’ and strangers online have of you or your children, the more of a profile they can build up about you. Personal information can be name, address, date of birth, email address, log in details, bank details etc.
Use privacy settings – check the privacy settings on the sites and social networks that you and your child use. Privacy settings on social media help restrict who can see your profile; often preventing people who are not your ‘friends’ or contacts from seeing your profile. Use the privacy settings, and check carefully that you know a person before accepting any friend requests.
Use antivirus software – ensure you have downloaded this onto your internet enabled devices, and make sure it is always kept up to date.
Check the websites – when you or your family share information on websites, for example personal information or bank details, you should be aware of whether the site is legit and secure so your details remain safe. Check the websites privacy policy and when making payments online, ensure there is a padlock symbol in the browser frame, which appears when you log in, register or make payments. Ensure you always log out of websites and keep receipts and check your bank statements after payments.
For more information on this issue, visit the NSPCC website where there is a plethora of advice on how to stay safe online and the different channels which need to be taken if you are concerned for your children’s safety. http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
When children are using smart phones, tablets, laptops etc to play online games or use apps, it is easy to accidently order new games or buy add ons, for example unlocking games or buying extra lives. If an account is set up, these can be charged for straight away, or it can be automatically added to your phone bill.
Agree costs – There are sometimes secret costs involved in using apps or using ‘free’ games online, especially if there is an account set up, it can be easy to purchase something without having to re-enter account details. Agree together that if there is something they want to download or use, then to check the terms and conditions or to ask your permission.
Use parental control settings – on devices to help prevent in-app purchases, or to restrict your child from downloading apps without your permission. You can also often set up the device so you child can’t access apps that have an age restriction, for example if they include gambling.
Check your accounts – always check your statements for any charges you were not expecting or do not recognise.
Understand what your children are doing online – make sure you are aware of which apps your children are using and which games/websites they are using. This can also ensure you are aware of whether the game or app is suitable for your child to be using. You can check in the app store to see if an app includes in-app purchases, and you can check the age rating to see if the app contains adult content like gambling.
For more information on this issue, visit the NSPCC website where there is a plethora of advice on how to stay safe online and the different channels which need to be taken if you are concerned for your children’s safety. http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
Whilst online, it is easy for your children to create a long lasting digital footprint and a personal profile or record can be created over a number of years. The more information they share with the world via the internet, the more information there is available about your child or what they have posted. Anything posted and shared can stay online forever and it can be very difficult to remove. Teach your children to be careful what they post, as it could stay against their name for a very long time.
Deactivate and delete any old or unused accounts to remove the risk of information on these sites being searchable.
Teach your children to keep their passwords safe; do not share them with anyone and change them regularly to reduce the risk of identity theft.
Learn about privacy settings for websites in general and social media sites. This can help prevent private information being accessed or shared between strangers.
Teach your children that they shouldn’t say or post anything which they wouldn’t want their relatives or teachers, or future employers to see. Likewise, teach them not to post/say anything which they wouldn’t want said about themselves.
For more information on this issue, visit the NSPCC website where there is a plethora of advice on how to stay safe online and the different channels which need to be taken if you are concerned for your children’s safety. http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
Some websites and games use age restrictions, to help protect children from seeing content that is not appropriate. Sometimes however it can be easy to trick these sites and pretend to be older than you are. It is important that children know why age restrictions are important and that they should steer clear of websites where they are younger than the age restriction in place.
Speak to them from an early age
Help your children stay safe by sitting down and speaking with them about what they get up to online. Speaking to them as they start to get interested in the internet, enables you to find out what they are doing online, who they speak to, and what websites they access. Just as you would do in the offline world, ask them who they speak to, where they go online, and what they do. By doing this on a regular basis rather than one big conversation, it will become a normal part of your children’s online experience.
Set boundaries and rules
Depending on your child’s age, setting rules about how often they go online, how long for, and to which sites can help minimise the risks they will come across. Social networks like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are only meant to be used by over 13s, and you might find it helpful to have family rules about using these sites.
Be interested
Show interest in the sites and apps that your child accesses and what they like doing. Ask them to show you the favourite things they like to do online, just as you would offline. This will give you an understanding of what they do online, so you can support and encourage them. By Making sure you are available and understanding, you can make sure they turn to you if they need any help or support.
For more information on this issue, visit the NSPCC website where there is a plethora of advice on how to stay safe online and the different channels which need to be taken if you are concerned for your children’s safety. http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
What do I do next?
Internet Watch Foundation:
The UK hotline for reporting criminal online content
seethelight are members of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).
The IWF was established in 1996 by the internet industry. It was created for the public to have a safe, confidential and secure outlet to report criminal online content. The IWF is an independent self-regulatory body and they work with the UK government to combat online abuse and to promote greater awareness of global issues and responsibilities.
Childnet International is a non-profit organisation who work with others to help make the internet a safer place for children. They work with children and young people from the ages 3 – 18, as well as parents, carers, teachers and professionals to share safety advice.
Their website has a plethora of advice on staying safe online. It can be found here:
The UK Safer Internet Centre is coordinated by three leading organisations; Childnet International, The Internet Watch Foundation and the South West Grid for Learning.
Their website has e-safety tips, advice and resources on how to stay safe online. It can be found here:
