Online Safety

Internet safety for children must be a top priority for everyone!

The internet is an amazing resource which enables children and young people to connect, communicate and be creative in a number of different ways, on a range of devices. Increasingly our children are online at school, at home and with their friends. Laptops, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles and media players mean they can use the internet wherever they go. Whenever they are online they are at risk from unsuitable content, accidentally disclosing their personal data, illegal downloads, file sharing, spyware, viruses, inappropriate advances (grooming) and cyberbullying.

Children are learning to navigate the world. They tend to be enthusiastic and trusting. The flip side of these wonderful qualities is that they can lack caution and the ability to discern when they might be at risk. When we meet people face to face, they give us multiple cues that help us understand whether their intentions are good or unpleasant. The internet masks these signals, and it’s far more difficult to tell whether a person you meet online really is who they say they are. So it’s vital that we work together to teach our children how to use the internet safely.

The online world is always changing, and being able to keep up to date with your children’s use of technology can be a challenge.  Furthermore, many parents feel that their children have better technical skills than they do so please refer to the information contained in the links on the right-hand side of this page to find out what you can do to protect your child whilst they are online.