E-Safety

‘1 in 5 kids play internet games with people they haven’t met in person.’ ( 2014) ‘The average 8-11 year old has 92 social networking friends.’ ( 2014) ‘21% of 8 to 11 year olds have been deliberately targeted, threatened or humiliated by an individual or group through the use of mobile phone or the internet.’ ( 2014) ‘57% of parents don’t use any parental control settings on their home computers.’ ( 2014)

‘Early use of computers has been shown to improve language skills and promote children’s social development and creativity,’ ( 2014) Improved hand eye coordination Development of critical thinking and problem solving skills.

Unfortunately, there are potential dangers for children that use the internet. These include but are not limited to; Cyberbullying Cyberbullying - when a person or group of people use technology to ‘bully’ others such as sending abusive messages, s or texts, posting hurtful comments or pictures etc. Online Reputation Online Reputation - We call this a person’s ‘digital footprint’. This is formed through a person’s use of the internet. Every time a person uses the internet whether to visit a website, buy something online, post a comment or photograph to a social networking site a record is kept of this information. This builds a picture or ‘footprint’ of that person that is very difficult to change or remove therefore it is important that children develop an awareness of their ‘online reputation’. This is not something that should affect young children but if we instill a sense of responsibility in our children from an early age it will hopefully help them to continue to conduct themselves appropriately online as teenagers and young adults. Children should be aware that the same behavioural expectations that are expected of them in the real world also apply to them when in the online world.

Online Grooming Online Grooming - this is a real danger as through the use of the internet people can disguise who they are easily by using made up or stolen personal information and profile picture. Unfortunately people have been known to use the internet as a way of contacting children and befriending them in order to take sexual advantage of them. never give out any personal information on the internet Children must be aware of the very important rule that they should never give out any personal information on the internet that includes their name, their address, phone numbers, what school they go to etc. Inappropriate Content Close the site or program and tell a responsible adult. Inappropriate Content - so much information is posted on the internet on a daily basis and people are free to contribute information at there will. Therefore it is no surprise that children may come across information that is inappropriate or unsuitable for them in one way or another. It is important that children are taught how to deal with this issue should it occur. Close the site or program and tell a responsible adult.

In today’s society children begin using technology from a very early such as exploring apps on a parent or siblings smart phone. It is equally important that e-safety principles are encouraged from this early age to ensure that children develop an awareness of the dangers of using the internet. Doing this will help children to begin to independently recognise warning signs and adhere to safety principles. Below are some easy steps to follow to help your children explore internet based technology safely. Set parental controls on all internet devices. This may include a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, smart phone or games console etc. Use passwords on all devices as this ensures that children can only use them with your permission and only for as long as you permit them to do so. Set search engines and home pages to child friendly sites such as or

Be involved - Play and explore the internet with your child. Help them to recognise suitable sites or apps for themselves and to develop their own awareness of safety. Ask your children what it is they enjoy doing online and encourage them to show you. Enjoy discovering new websites / games together to help your child recognise that this is an activity they can share with you. If possible have the desktop computer or laptop stored in a central location within the home rather than a bedroom, where it is easier to monitor what the internet is being used for. Ensure that you are aware of which devices in your home provide children with access to the internet, nowadays the internet is not only accessed via a desktop computer or laptop but through smart phone, tablets, games consoles, even TVs. Children can sit in their own living room and play a game and talk to another person on the other side of the world! Teach children how to safe guard themselves online - it is important that children are aware of their own safety and what they can do to protect themselves. 1.Do not give out any personal information online. 1.Do not give out any personal information online. 2.If you come across something online that you find upsetting close the program and tell a responsible adult. 3.Behave online as you would be expected to behave in the real world.

Social networking is very popular. Online games ask us if we want to make friends with other ‘characters’, and on social networking sites we have the option to ‘accept’ or ‘reject’ friend requests. Allowing someone to be your friend enables them to communicate with you, share things with you and often find out information about you. When signing up to a social networking site users are asked to create a profile. This usually involves name, date of birth and photograph. Social networking can be a fantastic resource for keeping in touch with friends and family all over the world but again it does come with potential dangers. do not Facebook and many other social networking sites, require users to be 13 in order to set-up an account, therefore we strongly recommend that children under this age do not become involved with social networking. However, we are aware that increasing numbers of children are registering on sites like Facebook, by claiming to be older than they are. If you do choose to allow your child to engage in social networking then you may find the tips below useful in safeguarding your child from the dangers it poses. The following information has been taken from the e-safety awareness website If your child is setting up a Facebook account, consider the following: Help them to set up their account – make sure that they do not include any unnecessary personal information. Do not make them any older than 13. Facebook have separate security settings in place for younger usersFacebook have separate security settings in place for younger users Use your address as the main contact – this way you can see the people who are ‘friending’, messaging and commenting on your child’s profile. Set privacy settings to ‘friends only’ and ensure that the friends they have are ones they know and trust in the real world. Limit the amount of adult ‘friends’ they have – these could be friends of yours or family members. These users may post content which you would not want your child to see! Talk to them about some of the things that can go wrong – such as bullying, unwanted contact and inappropriate content. Ask them to talk to you about anything that makes them feel unhappy. Learn how to report any issues directly to the site. If your child is already an underage user, revisit their profile with them and ensure that these steps have been implemented; it is never too late to take control.

Parental controls give you, the parent, control over the internet content that your child can access. They are a great method for preventing children from accessing inappropriate content online but should not be solely relied upon. Parental controls are not just about ‘locking and blocking’ they are a tool for setting appropriate boundaries for children that can be adapted as the child ages and matures. Children have boundaries set in lots of aspects of their life and their online activity should be no different. There are a number of different kinds of parental controls for a number of devices. These may include;  Filtering - a method of restricting access to particular sites and content.  Time limits - a method of restricting the amount of time that children can spend online or setting periods of time for access.  Monitoring / reporting - where you can be informed about which websites your child is attempting to gain access to or has previously visited.

Most Internet providers offer a service that allows you to filter out inappropriate content, restrict access to sites or programs and limit access times on every device connected to your home network. The majority of games consoles including Play station, X Box, tablets, smart phones etc offer their own parental control settings. Many parents put off installing parental controls on their internet devices because they think it will a be difficult or long task but it is really not! The Internet safety website offers guides and helpful tips on where to find device specific information about how to set up and install parental controls and the website controls/ offers video tutorials for activating FREE parental controls from the most common internet providers. controls/