There is a wealth of information below and the page will be regularly reviewed and updated to bring you the latest advice to protect children online, while playing games and when using their phones.
Below you can find links to useful websites, documents and videos:
The Online Safety Bill -
The Online Safety Bill is a new set of laws to protect children and adults online. It will make social media companies more responsible for their users' safety on their platforms.
Are you looking to purchase your child their first device?
As a parent/carer, it is important to remember that all children need to be taught how to be tech-safe. Here you can find a document detailing 5 steps you can take to help your childs first device safer for them.
As well as schools having a good understanding of cyber security, it is really important for parents and children too. Internet Matters have put together a really good, simple article so that parents can learn more about cyber security. Click here to access the article.
Childnet’s new resource, Family Agreement, is a great way to start positive conversations around online safety and to agree clear expectations and boundaries as a family.
Although most social media platforms are officially 13+, most children sign up to at least one when they’re much younger. It’s better that you encourage them to be open with you, rather than thinking they need to keep it a secret from you.
Below are some guides for parents to ensure that your children have maximum safety whilst gaming online. The resources highlight the risks when gaming and provide advice to parents.
How to set up gaming consoles to prevent impulse purchases -
You will all be too aware that it is too easy for children and young people to purchase virtual items in games and apps. Here is a quick article detailing how to set up parental controls on popular devices, such as the PS4, Xbox One and Iphone.
You can also find tips and strategies to help with managing in-game spending.
Sony Playstation and Internet Matters have teamed up to create a brilliant interactive quiz for children and parents to learn, together, how to make the most of Playstation settings to ensure safer gaming.
Internet Matters have created an incredible set of resources for foster carers. They’re all free and go into a very wide range of issues along with useful advice and guidance including videos in 4 modules: Understanding, Empowering, Nurturing and Flourishing. Resources can be found here.
Below are some useful links to guides and documents to help with implementing Online Safety –
Internet Matters - Online Safety Guide!
Online Safety Cartoons –
Watch Jesse and Friends videos
Digiduck: An educational, e-safety story app for 3-7 years
The National Grid for Learning – SafeSkills RSHE quiz (lgfl.net)
Here you can find a childrens picture book - Jack Changes The Game. This eBook is designed for parents to read with children aged 5-8 years old to learn about being safer online.
Once you have read the Ebook, you can also complete the activity book
Top tips! – What not to share online
Here you can find 12 Top Tops for building cyber resilience at home!
Top tips! – What not to share online
Top tips! – What not to share online
Self-Generated Images: Your Guide to Taking Back Control – Ineqe Safeguarding Group
For teenagers, these risks include coming across material that they might find upsetting, disgusting or otherwise uncomfortable, especially if they encounter it accidentally. This material might include:
These risks include coming into contact with adults posing as children online, strangers who persuade teenagers to meet them in real life, and online scammers.
Conduct risks include behaving in inappropriate or hurtful ways, or being the victim of this kind of behaviour. Examples include:
Contract risks include teenagers signing up to unfair contracts, terms or conditions that they aren’t aware of or don’t fully understand. As a result, teenagers might:
internetmatters.org have a fabulous section full of leaflets and resources that can be downloaded for free and given to students, parents, carers and displayed in classrooms
UK Safer Internet Centre has issued tips for schools in the UK to ensure filtering and monitoring are correctly working across their mobile devices and harmful material is blocked. Suggestions include: detailing all the mobile devices; understanding the applications used; and identifying any vulnerable users of mobile devices.
Read the tips: Does your filtering systems work across all school devices including mobiles?
