In spending more time at home, it has been reported that children’s online use has dramatically increased. Whilst there are huge benefits to being online in order to stay connected to family and friends during this period, we want to make sure children are as safe as possible when doing so. We recognise many parents may feel concerned about the activities and content their children are accessing, therefore it is important to have regular conversations about staying safe online and to encourage children to speak to you if they come across something that has upset them.
Guidance for Parents
Sourced from: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-staying-safe-online
Below we have linked a list of resources that provide guidance for parents and carers to keep children safe online. They will, amongst other things, support you to talk to your child about a range of online safety issues, set up home filtering in a child-friendly way and set up age-appropriate parental controls on digital devices:
Thinkuknow by National Crime Agency-CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) provides resources for parents and carers and children of all ages to help keep children safe online
Childnet has developed guidance for parents and carers to begin a conversation about online safety, as well as guidance on keeping under-fives safe online
Parent Info is a collaboration between Parent Zone and NCA-CEOP, providing support and guidance for parents and carers related to the digital world from leading experts and organisations
NSPCC has guidance for parents and carers to help keep children safe online
UK Safer Internet Centre provides tips and advice for parents and carers to keep children safe online - you can also report any harmful content found online through the UK Safer Internet Centre
Parental Controls
Almost all devices allow parental controls to be set. These can be adjusted depending on the ages of the children.
They can :-
* Stop children putting new apps on a device until the parents approve them
* Reduce the chance of a child accidentally spending money on virtual goods
* Limit the time that children use a device without having a break
A good starting point is the internet matters website https://www.internetmatters.org/ , go to the SETTING CONTROLS section at the top!
Activities for Children
Each fortnight, Thinkuknow will be releasing new home activity packs with simple 15 minute activities you can do with your child to support their online safety
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/Support-tools/home-activity-worksheets/
The UK Safer Internet Centre are providing lots of useful resources and tools that you as a parent or carer can use to help ensure your child is safe and happy online.
https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/blog/keeping-children-happy-and-safe-online-during-covid-19
Should you require any further support or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.