Safeguarding your children on-line

There are so many social media forums now that it is hard to keep up with them. The world changes quickly and we want to give them the tools to be resourceful and successful no matter what the future is like

Your guide to social networks https://www.net-aware.org.uk/ The internet is like a magician’s hat. It's full of exciting things to explore and children love it. But whilst they seem to know what they’re doing, sometimes it’s hard for parents to keep track. So whatever's in that magician's hat, we‘re here to help you make sure your children are safe as they explore it.

Can I be your friend? Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDycZH0CA4I

It’s not so much what they’re using online…. Sharing photos and videos Helping each other with homework Chatting with friends Singing along to songs What matters is, what they’re doing Sharing inappropriate imagery Wasting time and absorbing misinformation Mocking or laughing at friends or strangers Grooming and coercion

Talk to your children: Have conversations around online safety, healthy relationships, respect, rights and consent. Explore together and accept responsibilities. Know who your child is talking to and what about. Set rules and boundaries. Make sure that content is age appropriate. Use parental controls to filter, restrict, monitor and report content. Check privacy settings and reporting tools.

Sexting Think before children post. ‘Be share aware’ Once any image has been sent, it is then out of their control. Even if they think they can trust the person that they've sent it to, it could be shared with others or posted elsewhere online. If they wouldn't be happy with the content being shared publicly, then the internet is not the right place for it.  Sharing intimate images over electronic devices is never a good idea, the risks are high. It breaks the law, for those that create send, receive and share them further. This can, and does at times result in a criminal record.

Remote sexual abuse and blackmail Also known as sextortation, this involves obtaining sexually explicit content then using this to blackmail the victim for money. If you are worried about any of these report to CEOP Proud of our academic achievements but not an academic hothouse. Your child is also an individual and nurturing their personal development is as important Umeesh

In-game grooming Gaming provides access to private communication with children Grooming is when someone builds an emotional connection with a child to gain their trust for inappropriate reasons. Groomers no longer need to meet children in real life to abuse them. Many children and young people don't understand that they have been groomed or that what has happened is abuse.

Online reputation checklist to work through with your child: Search your child online: do you know what is online about your child? Do a simple web search of your name and see what you can find. Repeat this for each of your children by name. Check privacy settings: make sure you know what information your children are sharing on the websites that they use, in particular on social networking sites. Think before you post: before your children post that funny picture of their friend, or make that joke about someone on Twitter, ask them to consider if they want everyone to see it; friends, family, grandparents, universities, future employers? Deactivate and delete: when they stop using a social networking profile or website, children should deactivate and DELETE it. The best way to keep any online reputation in check is to use the time online to get creative and create a positive footprint.

Constructive online presence Help your child to increase their presence online in a constructive way, and create a positive online footprint. The more positive things they add online, the further down in the search results any unwanted content will be. This can be achieved in a number of ways: Create a publicly available fundraising page that supports a good cause. Write an online blog with several entries. Create an interesting YouTube channel to share great video content that you have created. Interact with social media, websites and articles by leaving thoughtful comments. Start their own website, with a newsletter that people can subscribe to.

Further reading on risk: Safety: www.saferinternet.org.uk Content concerns: www.iwf.org.uk For young people: www.thinkuknow.co.uk Making a report: https://ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/ For parents: www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers and https://www.nspcc.org.uk/ Policy: School web-site I believe in providing students with the best of everything. They already have a team of extremely well qualified and knowledgeable staff, Excellent resources including ICT, A building programme which places the school’s facilities amongst the best in the south of England. With 4 million invested in the last 3 years and a further sum of around 8 million in the next two years