Keeping your child safe online

Increasingly, there are more opportunities for children to get online – at home, at school, and through their own mobile phones and games consoles. The Internet can be of great benefit to your child. It can help them with their homework and it can help them to make new friends. However, the Internet can pose risks to your child as well. It is important to be aware of these dangers and to know how to keep your child safe online.

What are the risks to children?

• Seeing disturbing information or images online.
• Being the victim of online bullying (also known as cyberbullying).
• Being contacted and manipulated by an adult for sexual purposes (also known as grooming).
• Sharing personal and identifying information with strangers.
• Sending or receiving sexually explicit films, images or messages of themselves or others (this is known as sexting when sent by mobile phone).

Keeping your child safe

• Talk to your child about the dangers posed by the Internet.
• Tell them what they should do, if they become worried or concerned.
• Explain that anything shared online or by mobile phone could end up being seen by anyone.
• Understand what your child does online and know which websites they visit.
• Put the computer where the whole family can see it, not out of sight in a bedroom.
• Use filtering software to block inappropriate sites.

Understanding the Internet

You may feel your child knows more about the Internet than you do and find the idea of using it yourself a bit daunting. However, to keep your child safe, it’s important that you have an understanding of it.

Your child may be able to show you what they do and how it works. Or, your local library, college or community centre may run classes on computers and the Internet.

More help

NSPCC: Advice and support for adults concerned about a child.

CEOP: Organisation that works to stop child abuse on the Internet.

Know-IT-All: Information on the benefits, risks and safety on the Internet.

Which?: Information and advice on child internet safety.

Click Clever, Click Safe: Code developed by the UK Council for Child Internet Safety.

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