Online Safety

The Internet was never meant to be a ‘bad’ place The Internet was never meant to be a ‘bad’ place. Education Banking Communication Information Buying and Selling

The Internet can also be used for more sinister and illegal purposes The Internet can also be used for more sinister and illegal purposes. Scammers Child Grooming Fraud Online bullying etc. We have the challenge and responsibility to protect our children the best we can from these online threats.

Can the Internet be a dangerous place for children Can the Internet be a dangerous place for children? The school believes that the benefits to pupils from access to the resources of the Internet far exceed the disadvantages.

What is online grooming?

What is grooming? Grooming is when someone builds an emotional connection with a child to gain their trust for the purposes of sexual abuse or exploitation. Children and young people can be groomed online or in the real world, by a stranger or by someone they know - for example a family member, friend or professional. Groomers may be male or female. They could be any age. Many children and young people don't understand that they have been groomed, or that what has happened is abuse.

The absolute worst place a School/Parent can be in, is to be ignorant. It won’t happen to us, we are a lovely School I trust my child/pupils on the Internet It is the School’s/Parents’ job to teach children about Online Safety

Risk-taking by young people is the key factor in their vulnerability to grooming and potential contact with child sex offenders. However, children whose internet activities are monitored and who have an open dialogue with their parents/carers/teachers about what they do or see online are better protected from grooming and more resilient to the techniques used by offenders. (CEOP)

We have to teach our children/pupils that just like in real life, there are good and bad people on the Internet. We have to do everything in our power to make sure that they are safe online. We have to make sure that they understand how to use Social Media sensibly e.g. not sharing personal info online.

Online Gaming is another way in which potential offenders meet and groom children. This often involves a chat function in the game.

Talk to your child about staying safe online Talking to your child – openly, and regularly – is the best way to help keep them safe online. You might find it helpful to start with a family discussion to set boundaries and agree what's appropriate. Or you might need a more specific conversation about an app or website your child wants to use or something you're worried about.

Explore sites and apps together Talk about what might be OK for children of different ages. Ask your child what sites or apps they like. Write a list, and look at them together.

Ask about things they might see online which make them feel uncomfortable Talk about things they, or their friends, have seen that made them feel uncomfortable.

Be Share Aware: talk about what's OK, and not OK, to share online Talk to your child about what 'personal information' is - such as email address, full name, phone number, address and school name - and why it's important. Explain simple ways to protect privacy. For example, avoiding usernames like birthdates or locations that give away too much information. Discuss images and photos, and what might be appropriate. Help your child understand how photographs can give people a sense of your personality, and that sharing the wrong kind of image can give the wrong impression. Explain that it isn't easy to identify someone online. People aren't always who they say they are, so don't share personal information. Tell your child that if they're in any doubt they should talk to you first.

Remember: They are the Children and we are the adults. Children should either use the Internet the way you want them to use it, or they don’t use it at all.

At Haymerle School: We do not allow our pupils to access the Internet without supervision. We pre-select appropriate content. We download videos & images so that pupils don’t have to browse for it. We train our Staff in being vigilant. We follow our Online Safety Policy. We have appropriate Firewalls and Antivirus software installed.

Please visit the Haymerle School website for more information and links. www.haymerle.southwark.sch.uk