E-Safety
The Internet is an incredible invention. In fact, I'm sure many of you can't even remember a time without Google, smart phones or Facebook. The internet opens up a whole world of possibilities for children, enabling them to play, create, learn and connect with others.
The digital world, however, is changing all of the time. Therefore, it is our job, as educators, and your job, as parents, to make sure child is protected online and is aware of the steps they should take to keep themselves safe online.
On this page, you will find links to relevant information regarding keeping children safe online as well as top tips for specific games and apps.
Coordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre the celebration sees hundreds of organisations get involved and join a national conversation about using technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively.
The day offers the opportunity to highlight positive uses of technology and to explore the role we all play in helping to create a better and safer online community. It calls upon young people, parents, carers, teachers, social workers, law enforcement, companies, policymakers, and wider, to join together and help to create a better internet.
UK Safer Internet Centre
The UK Safer Internet Centre is a partnership of three leading charities – Childnet International, the Internet Watch Foundation and South West Grid for Learning, (SWGfL) - with a shared mission to make the internet a better place for children and young people.
The partnership was appointed by the European Commission as the Safer Internet Centre for the UK in January 2011 and is one of the 31 Safer Internet Centres of the Insafe network.
The UK Safer Internet Centre delivers a wide range of activity to promote the safe and responsible use of technology by children and young people:
- coordinates Safer Internet Day in the UK, reaching millions every year. In 2018 Safer Internet Day reached 45 of young people and 30% of parents in the UK.
- founded and operates an online safety helpline for professionals working with children in the UK, including teachers, police officers, GPs and more
- operates the UK’s hotline for reporting online child sexual abuse imagery
- develops new advice and educational resources for children, parents and carers and teachers to meet emerging trends in the fast-changing online environment
- delivers education sessions for children, parents, carers, teachers and the wider children’s workforce, including free events across the UK
- trains children and young people to be peer educators and champions for the safe and positive use of technology
- shapes policy at school, industry and government level, both in the UK and internationally, and facilitates youth panels to give young people a voice on these issues.
For more information visit www.saferinternet.org.uk and the websites of the partners: Childnet, the Internet Watch Foundation and SWGfL.
In recent years, the NSPCC have teamed up with O2 to help keep your children safe when they're using the internet.
Vodaphone Digital Parenting Magazine
Download the latest digital parenting magazine from Vodaphone by clicking on the link above.
Your guide to the social networks your children use.
Parental controls are an important way to keep your child safe online.
What kind of person/parent are you?
Do you browse between techie, worrier, in control, overwhelmed and protector to find out how you can support your child online.
Think you know?
Worried about your child? Need to report an online incident? Just need a bit more advice about keeping your child safe online? This website has information which could help.
Childnet International
Essential advice about supporting young people when they are online, conversation starters and more information about parental controls and gaming.
Smartphone Safe?
Advice about how to protect your children on their smartphones.
Did you know that WhatsApp have just announced a new age limit of 16 for users based in Europe? This new age limit has been decided in response to the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Many elements of social media use is not appropriate for young children and, by providing a fake age (saying they are 13/16 when they are not), means that they lose some of the privacy and safety protection we would expect them to have when using social media apps.
There's an age limit for a reason! Young people are especially vulnerable when using sites recommended for teens and young adults. They risk being exposed to content meant for older users.
Age Restrictions on Popular Apps
Age 13+
- Snapchat (Snapkidz is an alternative app for children under the age of 13)
- Musical.ly
- YouTube (to have an account with parent's permission)
- Vimeo
- Tumblr
- Steam
- Facebook Messenger
Age 16+
Age 18
- YouTube (to have an account without parent's permission)
- Skype (age 17 with parent's permission)
- EA (age 17 with parent's permission)