eSafety – Keeping your child safe on-line

Introduction

The Internet is absolutely amazing! We live in a time where we do so many things on line – communicate with friends,  keep in touch with relatives who live far away, watch TV and even buy the weekly shopping!  The digital world offers untold opportunities, especially for children and young people.  However, there are risks associated with the online world, and for a variety of reasons young people can be more vulnerable to these risks than adults.  A key element is family relationships, as we know that support and the engagement of parents and carers provides the best opportunity for keeping young people safe online and helping them manage the risks inherent in the digital world.  This page provides guidance on how you can help your child stay safe when using the Internet – especially social media and also what action to take if your child experiences on-line exploitation or bullying.

How can I keep my child safe on-line?

It can be difficult to keep up with all of the new technology that is now available to children and young people. For many adults this represents a big difference from what they experienced as a child and parents can find themselves ill-equipped to offer guidance and support in this area. It is a good idea to set up suitable rules in your house, share them with your children and keep yourself up-to-date.

Simple ideas to try at home include:

  • Don’t have the internet switched on after bedtime
  • Don’t allow children to use the internet alone in their bedrooms
  • Inform your children of information they must not give out online
  • Invest in parental control software for all computers in your household
  • Introduce a policy whereby all mobile phones remain in the kitchen as opposed to the bedrooms.

Aside from the above, it is important to keep communication channels open and ensure that your child knows that they can come to you if things go wrong or they are worried.  If a child is too frightened of being blamed if they confide, the likelihood is that further exploitation will take place and they will be at greater risk – including of bullying and negative impact on their mental health.

The Children’s Commissioner for England has published a guide to help parents and carers manage children’s digital lives.  The guide aims to explain common online challenges, help families start and sustain open conversations, and provide support with setting boundaries.  The guide also includes a checklist of actions and an activity pack for children.

Find out about … Apps

Every parent and carer needs to know about the apps that their child or young person is using on-line.  Check out our guide below for the latest:

What to do if your child as been exploited on-line

If your child tells you that inappropriate images of them have been shared on-line by either themselves or someone else, you need to take action – including making a report:

  • Reassure your child that telling you is the best thing they could have done.
  • Keep calm and don’t blame – children and young people do make mistakes as part of growing up.
  • Make a report to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) – they can help get the images taken down, provide support and guidance – particularly on dealing with bullying.
  • Make an indecent content report to the host website e.g. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat – find out more about doing this on the Childnet website.
  • Report any criminal content that has been shared – such as child sexual abuse – to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).  They can also help if you have issues with getting images removed, provide support and take forward investigations relating to the perpetrator.

Useful leaflets:

Useful websites:

  • CEOP –  Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP)  is dedicated to eradicating the sexual abuse of children ages.  Amongst a wide range of resources is Play Like Share, which aims to help 8-10 year olds learn how to stay safe from sexual abuse and exploitation.  This is where you should report abuse on the Internet or any inappropriate or potentially illegal activity with or towards a child online.
  • Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) – removal of child sexual abuse content from the Internet.
  • Childnet – a non-profit organisation working with others to “help make the Internet a great and safe place for children”
  • The Cybersmile Foundation – cyberbullying charity providing advice and support to anyone being affected by cyberbullying issues.
  • Family Services Directory –  aims to provide information on all services in Redbridge for children, young people, families and practitioners.
  • Think U Know – CEOP online safety centre, where you will find advice and tips for children, adults and professionals of all ages.
  • Internet Matters – website for parents and carers on parenting in a digital age.
  • Parent Info – specialist guidance for helping parents to keep children and young people safe on-line.
  • UK Safer Internet Centre – Digital wellbeing – guidance for parents
  • Childline – Remove Report – support with getting images deleted

Films: