Sellindge
Primary School
Every Child, Every Chance, Every Day
Parents' Online Safety Portal
We have put these pages together to help signpost you to the most useful resources when dealing with different online safety issues at home. Please come and speak to us at school too if you have any concerns or would like more specific help.
Parents' Online Safety Briefing PowerPoint for those who could not attend the meeting. Click above to find out more!
How can I start talking to my child about their online life?
NSPCC
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/share-aware/
A great portal with a clear simple message to start talking to children and to become more involved with their online life.
Where can I check an app, game, film etc. to see how suitable it is for my child?
Common Sense Media
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/
This is a great "go to" site for quickly finding out about apps, games, films, books or anything that your child might be looking at or using on or offline. It gives a good idea of age appropriateness and content. This is a good one to share with children so that, as they become more independent, they can use it too. Be aware that the age recommendations vary as to who is giving the guidance!
What age should my child start using social media?
Internet Matters
https://www.internetmatters.org/hub/guidance/age-can-child-start-social-networking/
This highlights all the age restrictions for the different social media apps.
What should I do if my child has viewed something inappropriate?
At Sellindge Primary school we ask children to minimise a web page is they feel it is inappropriate and then come and talk to an adult straight away. If it is on a tablet then we teach them to turn it over and come and speak to us. We would encourage them to do this at home too. By minimizing the webpage it means that you are able to see what they have been exposed to and can then take action.
If you feel the web site has allowed something inappropriate though, you should contact the site developers.
If you feel your child has been clicking on links and been exposed by accident then this is a good chance to talk about how to be careful when they are surfing and also for yourself to be more aware of just how easy this can be and to monitor their use. Think about always being with or nearby when your children are on the Internet and consider having a "No devices in bedrooms" rule, especially for younger children, so that you can monitor what they are doing.
It can also be a chance to think more about how to set up filters on your internet. Although these will never be 100% reliable so it is still important to have the above discussions.
For more advice the Internet Matters provides support.
https://www.internetmatters.org/issues/inappropriate-content/
How can I set up filters on my home internet to help prevent age inappropriate content being accessed on devices in my home.
You may like to take a look at the interactive guide to parental controls available from Internet Matters: https://www.internetmatters.org/parental-controls/interactive-guide/
Or click here to view video guides to help you to download and set-up the controls offered by the four main internet providers. If your internet provider isn't listed then contact them for more information.
What should I do if I think my child is the victim of cyber bullying?
NSPCC
"Cyberbullying is an increasingly common form of bullying behaviour which happens on social networks, games and mobile phones. Cyberbullying can include spreading rumours about someone, or posting nasty or embarrassing messages, images or videos. Cyberbullying can happen at any time or anywhere - a child can be bullied when they are alone in their bedroom - so it can feel like there’s no escape." NSPCC
Common Sense provide a simple set of guidelines to follow if you feel like your child is a victim.
"Reassure your child that you love and support him or her...
- Help your child step away from the computer or device and take a break.
- If you can identify the bully, consider talking with the parents.
- Consider contacting your kid's school. If bullying is happening online, it might be happening offline, too.
- Empower your kid with specific steps he or she can take."
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/cyberbullying/what-should-i-do-if-my-kid-is-bullied-online
Where can I get help to report an online child abuse or exploitation issue?
CEOP
http://www.ceop.police.uk/
CEOP Command (formerly the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre) works with child protection partners and the Police across the UK and overseas to identify the main threats to children and coordinates activity against these threats to bring offenders to account. You can report incidents here.
What other websites can I trust for quality online safety information?
Internet Matters
http://www.internetmatters.org/
This is a free web site aimed at parents and links to many other excellent resources.
Think you know
http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/
This is a brilliant portal for children and parents alike.
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/Support-tools/How-to-guides/
Here you can find parent guides to all the new apps that your child might be asking or using at home.
Digital Parenting Magazine
This is an on-line magazine that is full of top tips and really useful “How to” guides.