The Internet is an amazing resource that can be used for all sorts of fantastic opportunities and to learn many exciting things about the world in which we live. However, it can also be a dangerous place for our children, if it is not properly monitored and they are not taught how to behave whilst online. It is really important that we support our children to both behave well when 'talking' to other people online, and what to do if they feel that somebody is behaving in an inappropriate way towards them.
We would suggest that when children are using the internet, they should be supervised at all times. Children often behave in different ways when online, to how they would behave when they are talking to people face and so it is important to ensure that they know what is and is not acceptable behaviour.
In school we have a web filtering service run by Exa - our broadband provider - that aims to filter out most of the inappropriate sites out there. However, unfortunately nothing is 100% secure. Therefore, in school we hold regular esafety lessons, assemblies etc that help our children understand what to do when online.
It is vital that parents support this by backing up these messages at home. This can be done by ensuring that you have appropriate filtering and parental controls at home, as well as making sure that your children do not have unrestricted or unsupervised access.
IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT A WEBSITE OR ANY ONLINE ACTIVITY CLICK ON THE 'CLICK CEOP' LINK AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE TO REPORT IT.
We think that it is always important to talk to your children about what they are doing online and ensure they understand the dangers and what to do about them. www.saferinternet.org.uk has a document here from can help with conversation starters. They also have a number of fact sheets and organisations that can provide further support to parents. These documents can be accessed here.
There are also a number of videos that can be accessed from NSPCC about the use of social media, taking indecent images that can be watched by parents and children to support a conversation. They can be accessed here.
Think you know is a website set up for children to support their good online behaviours. They have a section for children who are aged 5, 6 or 7 years old here. They have a website for slightly older children from 8-10 years old here.
The BBC have also set up a site to support children in understanding how to stay safe online. This can be access here.
There are also a number of leaflets that have been developed by Somerset County Council to support parents and children. They can be accessed below.
Online Safety Leaflets