Online Safety
The internet is an amazing place, but there are also risks. Children are spending more and more time online, and we want to share some important information about how to ensure all children are safe when using the internet. At Earlham Primary School we take the safety and wellbeing of our children very seriously. We hold regular workshops for parents about children's online safety.
Apps and Games
Apps and games have age restrictions for a reason. Some have a chat feature which could make your child vulnerable to cyberbullying and put them at risk. Letting young children use these apps could put them at risk from strangers. It is parents' responsibility to check what their children are doing if they have allowed their children to download and use these apps.
Age Restrictions for Social Media Platforms
What is the minimum age for account holders on these social media sites and apps?
Under 13
Roblox
PopJam
FaceTime
13+
X (Twitter)
Facebook and Messenger
Viber
WeChat
Monkey
Yubo
Dubsmash
Instagram
TikTok
Skype
Google Hangouts
Reddit
Snapchat
Pinterest
16+
WhatsApp
Telegram Messenger
Tumblr
17+
Line
Sarahah
Tellonym
Parental Controls
Parental controls are software and tools that can be installed on devices (and even home broadband) to filter content and control activities. O2 is offering every parent help with setting up parental controls. You can visit an O2 store (nearest in Westfield and Stratford Centre) or call 0808 808 5002 for a free appointment.
Remember parental controls are not fail safe and won't stop kids seeing inappropriate content on other devices, so it's always important to talk to your children about what they might see online.
How to Set Up Parental Controls
Parental controls can help keep your child safe. Even the most innocent searches online can bring up not so innocent results. Parental controls can be used to block upsetting or harmful content. They can also help to control in-app purchases or manage how long your child spends online. The NSPCC have made setting up parental controls really easy.
Monitoring apps
Monitoring apps are downloaded onto a child’s and parent’s devices. This allows you to see exactly what your child is up to when they’re using the internet. It can filter content, block ads, manage the time your kids spend online and track their location.
You need to help your children learn how to stay safe on the internet for when they become older or have access to other devices at friends’ houses. It’s important to talk to your child so they learn how to stay safe online.
Be Share Aware
It can be hard to keep track of what your child is doing online, or know how to keep them safe. There are so many different social networks, apps and games.
Children and young people use social networks to:
- Send and share photos or videos
- Chat online with people via messages, voice calls or video
- Film themselves and broadcast videos via live-streaming
- Access and play games
The NSPCC has great tools to help you support your children to be Share Aware, including several videos that you can watch with your children.
A Family Agreement
It is very important to talk about online safety with your child(ren). For children, online life is real life. A family agreement is a great tool for letting your child(ren) know about your expectations for how and when they use the internet/devices. Below is a link to one example that could help you get the conversation started.
Family Online Agreement template
Your guide to the social networks your kids use
You've probably heard of Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat – the most popular networks used by 11–16-year-olds. But what about Omegle, Musical.ly and Periscope?
To learn more about your children's favourite social networks, their suggested ages and how to use privacy settings, visit the NSPCC's Social Media page.
WhatsApp is the largest global social messaging platform, with over 1.5 billion users per month. Net Aware have created a free guide which covers what parents and carers need to know about the platform to help safeguard children from potential online risks, including:
- the new age limit (16+)
- scam messages
- connecting with strangers
- location sharing and more
Please click on the links for free WhatsApp guides for parents and carers:
SnapChat
Snapchat is an app that lets you send a photo, short video or message to your contacts. The ‘snap’ appears on screen for up to 10 seconds before disappearing, or there is an option to have no time limit. There’s also a feature called Snapchat Story that lets you share snaps in a sequence for up to 24 hours.
Minimum age according to Snapchat: 13+
NetAware have created a free guide for parents & carers which covers what parents & carers need to know about the platform to help safeguard children from potential online risks.
Please click on the link for free Snapchat guides for parents and carers:
Online Gaming
Gaming is extremely popular with children. When playing online, children have the opportunity to relax, socialise with their friends, and have fun. Children can play on games consoles, apps, or websites, and chat to other players or watch them play through live-streaming. However, there are some dangers to online gaming and, with so many games and apps available online, it can be hard for parents/carers to know how to keep their child safe.
What are the risks of online games?
- Children may view inappropriate or upsetting content if they play games that aren't suitable for their age. This could include sexual or violent material. It might be in-game content or produced by other players.
- Some players can be abusive towards others or try to exclude them from the game. Some players may also hack another user's account or try to steal and destroy their virtual possessions. This can be as upsetting for a young person as if it happened in real life.
- Children may play with adults they don't know. People of all ages play games. Some adults may exploit this and try to build an emotional connection with a child for the purpose of grooming.
- Some children may find it hard to stop playing games or find that gaming is getting in the way of them doing other activities.
The NSPCC has some useful information on helping children to stay safe online:
Pokémon Go
Pokémon Go is a popular online game where you collect and trade cute creatures called Pokémon (Pocket Monsters). There have been concerns raised by the NSPCC regarding the safety of children playing this game. Pokémon Go merges the real world and the virtual world. The game requires the player to travel to find the Pokémon and then swap characters with other players to create the best team.
The NSPCC have created a useful guide for parents/carers of children who are actively playing Pokémon Go on phones or other devices.
Fortnite
National Online Safety has teamed up with MusicAlternative to launch a Fortnite online safety song for schools to share with its whole school community! Their song encourages parents and carers to "stay switched on" to online dangers when their children are playing Fortnite.
Useful Links
CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) has lots of information about how to keep your children safe online and parental controls.
The NSPCC Online Safety page offers lots of helpful tips and advice parents can use to keep their children safe on the internet and social networks.
The NSPCC also has some useful information on helping children to stay safe in online games.
Wizcase – a company who specialise in cybersecurity – have put together a guide aimed at helping parents keep their children safe and free from online bullying.