Staying Safe Online
Where learning is fuelled by creativity
The reality is that however hard we try to control accessibility of the internet, we must help our children develop the skills and capacity to use the internet safely, without placing themselves, or others, at risk.
We encourage our children to be curious, but we also encourage conversations with adults. With a sensible approach to technology, where children are open, honest and transparent, the conversations themselves will help protect our children from harm. This, as well as building confidence, integrity, encouraging a sense of belonging and a sense of right and wrong, will also in turn support our children in their ever-changing world.
There are many websites that can support you in helping our children stay safe online, from finding out how to use privacy controls, information on cyberbullying, or researching whether the latest gaming craze is age appropriate. If you know of any other good sites for information, please let us know so that we are able to share.
Parental Controls booklet 2023
Parental Controls booklet 2022
Unbiased information, trusted advice, and innovative tools to help them harness the power of media and technology as a positive force in all kids’ lives.
Go to Common Sense Media website
Thinkuknow helps keep children and young people safe by providing education about sexual abuse and sexual exploitation. They provide practical information and educational resources for children, young people, their parents and carers and the professionals who work with them.
Tools and advice from the NSPCC on keeping your children safe online.
Practical tips on staying safe online and information about cyberbullying – what it is and how to deal with it.
Are you a parent/carer of a child who is neurodiverse and worried about the specific challenges in the world of online gaming? CLICK HERE to read some great guidance from internetmatters.org
What are the risks to children?
Content: being exposed to illegal, inappropriate or harmful content (e.g. pornography, fake news, racism, misogyny, self harm, suicide, anti-Semitism, radicalism, extremism)
Contact: being subjected to harmful online interaction with other users (e.g. peer to peer pressure, commercial advertising and adults posing as children with the intention to groom or exploit for sexual criminal, financial or other purposes)
Conduct: online behaviour that increases likelihood or causes harm (e.g. making, sending and receiving explicit images – consensual and non consensual sharing of nudes and semi nudes/ online bullying)
Commerce: risks such as online gambling, inappropriate advertising, phising and or financial scams
There are many types of online abuse that we might experience n the internet including: cyberbullying, grooming, sexual exploitation.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is any type of bullying that occurs online and can happen at any time of the day. in 2020, approximately 1 in 5 children aged 10 to 15 in England and Wales experienced some form of online bullying.
The most common forms of cyberbullying are stalking, spreading rumours and gossip, blackmail, grooming, threats or threatening behaviour, sharing inappropriate images or video
Grooming
Online grooming is when someone builds a relationship over the internet with the intention of eventually exploiting or abusing the victim. Grooming can happen on any online application or platform, like social media, text messaging, messaging apps, dating apps or online gaming. When someone is being groomed, they ay be asked or forced to do things like meet up in person, send nude r seminude images, send videos performing sexual acts, have sexual conversations, perform sexual acts over a webcam.
Sexual exploitation
Sexual exploitation is a form of abuse whee the victim is given things in return for performing sexual acts or sending explicit images or video. The perpetrators of sexual exploitation can often offer things like drugs, money or other gifts in exchange of sexual activities, but violence and intimidation are also used to control the victim. Victims are sometimes trafficked into the UK to be exploited and can be moved around the country by organised gangs. Once the perpetrators have obtained videos or images, they can be used to blackmail the victim into taking part in further and sustained sexual activity, and they feel there is no way out for them.
What are the signs of online abuse?
If someone is being abused, they may show some of the the following signs: be secretive about what they are doing and who they are taking to; spend more or less time then usual online; seem upset, angry, anxious or depressed; being withdrawn, quiet or having trouble sleeping, alcohol or drug misuse; self harm; eating disorders; suicidal thoughts
If you discover a victim of online abuse:
If someone tells you they have been abused online, it is important to repot it through the correct channels, or to the police. If you discover a victim of online abuse: reassure the victim that they have done the right thing by telling someone; do NOT speak to the perpetrator of the abuse; report the incident to the safeguarding team or the police.
If you need advice on what to do, then contact charities like NSPCC, Childline or via the Child Exploitation and Online Protection command (CEOP).
Harmful Content
There are a number of websites that provide inappropriate advice targeting children and young people, which can potentially be very harmful to that person’s welfare. Some of the content on these websites promote the following:
Self-harm – discussions and advice on self-harming, which is when somebody intentionally injures themselves, through scratching, cutting or hitting for example. Look out for: Unexplained cuts or bruises on wrists, arms, thighs and chest; Cigarette burns or signs that they have been pulling out their hair; Fully covered up, even in hot weather or conditions; Low self-esteem, self-loathing; Signs of depression
Suicide – discussions or advice on ways to complete suicide. Look out for: Feeling depressed or being withdrawn, choosing to be alone; Start doing dangerous things like taking drugs or drinking alcohol; Give away things that they own; Stop looking after themselves (they might not wash as regularly or care about their appearance as much as they used to);
Eating disorders – where conditions like anorexia are encouraged and diets or advice are given. Look out for: Dramatic and sudden weight loss; Avoidance of eating with others; Binge eating; Visiting the toilet frequently after eating; Lying about how much or how often they eat;
Illegal drugs – discussions on the types of illegal drugs available and how you might be able to acquire them.
Online Radicalisation and Extremism
The internet can be used by people to spread extreme political or religious views, and sometimes this can encourage illegal or violent behaviour. Extremists can use social media and other online platforms to target vulnerable people into supporting more extreme views, and possibly even committing criminal acts themselves. If someone has been influenced by extremism, some of the signs to look out for are:
Isolating themselves from family and friends
Unwillingness or inability to discuss their views
Talking as if they are reading from a scripted speech
A sudden disrespectful attitude towards other people
Increased levels of anger
Being increasingly secretive about who they’ve been talking to online or what websites or apps they are visiting
Violent content can be accessed easily across a variety of platforms on the internet. It is important, especially for children that the appropriate safeguarding be put in place to prevent easy access. We can be exposed to violent content on the internet via any of the following sources:
Exposure to violent content – especially for children can be harmful and distressing, and can also normalise the behaviour and desensitise them to violence.
To help reduce the risks associated with violent content and limit exposure especially for children, the following safeguarding can be implemented:
Reporting and Advice
If you have a concern with someone’s safety, it’s important to take immediate action to help safeguard the person at risk.
If you need some advice, contact some of the following charities who will be able to offer support and guidance:
NSPCC – https://www.nspcc.org.uk/ – 0808 800 5000
Childline – https://www.childline.org.uk/ – 0800 1111
UK Safer Internet Centre – https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/
If you have been the victim of online sexual abuse or you have concerns about someone, you can report this directly to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection command, which is a division of the National Crime Agency. Visit their website to make a report https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/
Online Safety – Parent and Carer Consultation
November 2023
Rationale:
As part of the renewed effort into developing TMS pupils into safe digital citizens, we launched a parental consultation in November 2023 to gather the views and feedback of parents in relation to their child’s use of digital technology at home, as well as their own understanding and confidence in how to keep their child(ren) safe online. The questionnaire was sent home to all parents, however we only received responses for 45 children (10.5% of the school population). In the returns, there was no significant split between parents from KS1 or KS2 providing feedback.
Results and Key Findings
The majority of parents (sometimes for multiple children) demonstrated that they have good confidence in keeping their children safe online, with 69.4% scoring themselves 7+. No parents scored themselves as having no understanding (1 and 2), with a small proportion of parents having a limited understanding. The widespread results, as well as the spread of the age of children, highlights the need for a whole school approach to online safety.
The question ‘How safe do you feel your children think they are online’ showed how naive children perhaps think they are online. The older the children were, the more likely they were to be a 4 or 5 in their confidence.
Key Themes from Parental Comments:
The feedback from parents was varied but a few key themes connected some of them. Some parents spoke of their concerns about online bullying and contact from strangers, with particular mention of people pretending to be friends whilst online and behaving differently in the real world. There is some allusion to children viewing inappropriate content through unfiltered websites/platforms and advertisements, but this is outweighed by the concern amongst parents about online interactions with other people. A consistent theme throughout lots of feedback is the concern amongst parents about the speed of change in technology.
There are two major controls that parents have put in place. The first is ‘parental controls’, a series of checks on most new technology to either limit or monitor another device’s activity. The second is restricting devices around the time they are used and where they can be used (or with an adult present). These themes highlight the lack of knowledge that parents have and the naivety children have when it comes to online safety and the need for a consistent whole school approach to equip children with the strategies to navigate the online world against the backdrop of ever changing technology.
Stay Safe
Statutory
Reporting