Online Safety
In today’s fast moving digital world it can be difficult for parents and carers to keep up to date on the latest sites, apps and games. The NSPCC therefore launched an interactive parents’ guide, Net Aware, which explains what other parents and young people think about 60 of the most popular social apps and games, what’s the right age, and details on privacy and safety settings. You can access Net Aware on line at www.net-aware.org.uk .
Since Share Aware was launched in January 2015, 400,000 parents have spoken to their children about online safety as a direct result of the campaign. After seeing the campaign, 42per cent of parents either immediately talked to their child about online safety or made plans to do so.
The NSPCC have launched a new dedicated helpline called Report Abuse in Education for children and young people who have experienced sexual harrassment or abuse at school and for worried adults and professionals that need support and guidance.
To help parents stay on top of what’s new in the digital world the NSPCC have updated their free Net Aware guide for parents by adding 12 new sites, apps and games. The next wave of the campaign is about making sure parents cover the right topics when they talk to their children about staying safe online. Young people have told the NSPCC the thing they most want parents to cover in online safety conversations are privacy settings (81%) followed by support on cyber bullying (76%) and staying safe from strangers online (74%). In contrast, from NSPCC research with YouGov, only 28% of parents covered privacy settings in online safety conversations with their children. Parents need to stay up to date on the ins and outs on all the sites, apps and games young people use and Net Aware plays a big part in this. the NSPCC also asking parents to look at the new video chat apps, make sure they are up to date on social gaming and aware of teen dating sites.
In Parent Info you’ll find a collection of articles, tips, expert advice and resources designed to help parents keep up with what their children are doing on-line.
Parent Info is a collaboration between Parent Zone which has been providing information and support to parents for a decade, and CEOP, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection command of the National Crime Agency.
internetmatters.org – Helping parents keep their children safe online
There are a number of websites which are very useful for keeping your children safe when they are online. Please visit the websites listed below for further information by clicking on the image.
The ThinkUKnow site offers a completely refreshed suite of articles and guidance on all aspects of child internet safety. You can visit the site by clicking on the image below to access advice and support on how to keep children safe from sexual abuse, both online and off. Articles provide guidance on topics as diverse as: challenging harmful sexual attitudes and promoting positive behaviours; helping a child with autism negotiate life online; supporting a child who has been sexually abused; and dealing with a range of online issues such as sending nude selfies and viewing pornography. Users will find films, downloadable guides and useful links to support organisations.