Online Safety
The internet plays a big part in the lives of children today. It gives them a a huge range of opportunities socially, educationally and through online entertainment. Through the internet children have access to a world of information, experiences and interaction with others from across the world. Help protect your child online by teaching them online safety skills and how they can keep themselves safe.
Recent news about online safety / apps
Online Safety at Home
Thinkuknow is the education programme from NCA-CEOP, a UK organisation which protects children both online and offline.
Explore one of the six Thinkuknow websites for advice about staying safe when you're on a phone, tablet or computer.
Parent Zone is devoted to providing expert information to families and schools. We find, curate and check the best available information on all of the issues that are caused or amplified by the internet.
National College Online Parent Guides
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Squid Game
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‘Squid Game’ Trending across Platforms: What Parents Need to Know | National Online Safety Netflix’s Squid Game is set to become the streaming service’s most successful show of all time, with huge numbers of viewers taking to social media to discuss each new episode. An unexpected success in terms of viewing figures, Squid Game’s popularity is beginning to spread across various online platforms. |
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Houseparty
The house party app is taking social media by storm. It’s from the same company that created Fortnite. Over the last 48 hours there has been lots of misinformation over social media about it. As with all live-streaming platforms, screenshots, unsolicited messages and self-generated sexualised imagery can put young people at risk.
Links to ‘rooms’ can also be shared publicly – to other platforms which could see uninvited users joining.
‘Rooms’ should be locked to prevent uninvited guests from joining – remember all rooms will lock by default if a user enables ‘private mode’.
If an uninvited guest joins a room they can easily ‘friend’ others taking part in the live stream.
It appears that when a friend is invited, their friends can also join a ‘room’ without the invitation. Therefore potentially increase the opportunity to cyber-bully and troll others.
Here is a web link to the blog. https://www.ineqe.com/2020/03/30/houseparty-how-safe-is-the-app-taking-the-uk-by-storm/
YOME LIVE is a dangerous live streaming app that has come onto our radar. It poses risks to children and young people in your care. Make sure you DO NOT disclose the name of this app to the young people in your care, as we know this can spark curiosity.
Click on the links below to find out more information from ParentZone about specific areas of online safety and how you and your children can keep safe.
Online Safety Policy
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Setting safety and purchase restrictions. |
The titles your kids should - and shouldn't - ask for. |
What parents need to know about the game kids love. |
Help your child question what they see online. |
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Does your child really need a digital detox? |
The latest version of the successful football game. |
Chill - we have Netflix parental controls covered. |
Dealing with negative influence from online friends. |
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Helping your child catch Pokémon safely. |
Keep your child safe on Snapchat, Facebook, ect. |
All you need to know about the latest tech craze. |
All about parent zone |
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All you need to know about the dangers of Tik Tok and keeping your child safe if they use it. |
Children as young as nine are being groomed and bombarded with inappropriate messages on popular social media app Musical.ly and streaming site Lively. |
Find out all about the new online game that all kids want to play.
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Momo is a sinister ‘challenge’ that has been around for some time. It has recently resurfaced and once again has come to the attention of schools and children across the country. |
Safety on Social Media
Below are links to guides on the most popular online apps your child may be using.
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Online safety websites
Thinkuknow is an education programme from the National Crime Agency’s CEOP Command.
Since 2006, Thinkuknow has been keeping children and young people safe by providing education about sexual abuse and sexual exploitation.
Thinkuknow is unique. It is underpinned by the latest intelligence about child sex offending from CEOP Command.
Thinkuknow aims to ensure that everyone has access to this practical information – children, young people, their parents and carers and the professionals who work with them.
Alongside the Thinkuknow website the programme provides educational resources, including films, cartoons and lesson plans, to help professionals raise young people’s awareness.
The NCA's CEOP Command (formerly the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) works with child protection partners across the UK and overseas to identify the main threats to children and coordinates activity against these threats to bring offenders to account. We protect children from harm online and offline, directly through NCA led operations and in partnership with local and international agencies.
Hi! We are the Safety Net Kids! We call ourselves that because we have all been involved with Safety Net at looking at things that make us feel unsafe and working on them ourselves. To be safe means to be comfy and not scared. We do things like standing up to bullies without being mean, listening to our bodies as they are clever at spotting danger and thinking about things we can do to make the areas where we live safer.
Common Sense is the leading independent nonprofit organisation dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology. We empower parents, teachers, and policymakers by providing unbiased information, trusted advice, and innovative tools to help them harness the power of media and technology as a positive force in all kids’ lives.