Keeping Your Child Safe Online

In today's world, children are heavily exposed to the online environment, making internet safety more important than ever. Ensuring your child's online safety involves educating them about responsible internet use, setting up appropriate parental controls, and maintaining open communication about their digital activities. As technology continues to evolve, staying informed about potential online risks and fostering a secure digital space for your child is essential to protect their wellbeing and privacy.

Safeguarding

10 top tips to ensure your child stays safe online

1. Open Communication: Keep an open dialogue with your child about their online activities. Encourage them to share their experiences and concerns without fear of judgement.

2. Set Clear Boundaries: Establish clear rules regarding screen time, appropriate websites and apps, and online behaviour. Consistency is key in enforcing these boundaries.

3. Teach Online Safety: Educate your child about the importance of protecting personal information, recognising scams, and being cautious when interacting with strangers online.

4. Use Parental Controls: Utilise parental control tools offered by internet service providers, devices, and software to restrict access to inappropriate content and monitor your child's online activity.

5. Stay Informed: Stay updated on the latest trends and potential online risks for children. Regularly review privacy settings on social media platforms and gaming accounts.

6. Supervise Online Activity: Monitor your child's online activity by keeping devices in shared spaces and periodically checking browsing history and social media interactions.

7. Encourage Critical Thinking: Teach your child to think critically about the content they encounter online, including questioning the credibility of information and understanding the impact of their digital footprint.

8. Promote Positive Behaviour: Encourage your child to practice kindness, respect, and empathy online. Remind them that their words and actions can have real consequences, even in virtual spaces.

9. Address Cyberbullying: Be proactive in addressing cyberbullying by encouraging your child to report any instances of harassment or intimidation. Make sure they know to use the 'block' button to keep themselves safe. Work with school staff and other parents to create a supportive environment for your child.

10. Lead by Example: Be a positive role model for your child by demonstrating responsible and respectful online behaviour. Show them how to balance screen time with offline activities and prioritise real-life connections.

By following these steps, you can help ensure your child's safety and wellbeing in the digital world.

You will also be receiving 'Wake up Wednesday' guides every Wednesday which provide you with top tips for safeguarding your children in different contexts. 

Useful websites

The websites below may give you a start in understanding online safety for your children.

• National Online Safety - Courses, videos and resources for parents around online safety.

• Think You Know Great advice to keep children safe whilst using the internet.

• CEOP - News and articles surrounding internet safety.

• Action for Children - 'How do I help my child stay safe on games and apps?'.

• UK Safer Internet Centre - How to set up filters on your home internet to help prevent age-inappropriate content being accessed on devices in your home. The rest of the site has guides and resources around online safety.