Staying safe online

 
Resources to help keep your children safe online
 

The Covid-19 virus has meant that many children and young people are spending all their time at home and using technology much more than usual. Being able to connect with friends and access online information/support is extremely important, but the extra screen time also comes with some additional risks.

There's no 'one size fits all' set of instructions for using the internet, but here are three really good websites, which may be useful:
 

1. UK Safer Internet Centre

This website gives instructions on how to set parental controls for all the different internet providers 

https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-centre/parents-and-carers/parental-controls-offered-your-home-internet-provider
 

2. NSPCC online safety guides for parents

This page is aimed at helping parents navigate online risks whether your child is gaming, chatting, posting, or streaming. There are three separate sections:

• Online games
• Social media
• Internet connected devices

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/#guides
 

3. Internet Matters.org

This site has around 50 PDF files for all areas of internet safety, including guides to screen time for each age group. 

Topics covered include:

• How long should my 5 year old spend online?
• How do I talk to my child about cyberbullying?

With so many different downloads available, it's a good resource to pass onto families who would benefit from specific guidance, either by sending a link for a relevant article or downloading and printing the PDF to give them.

https://www.internetmatters.org/resources/esafety-leaflets-resources/