At Barnwell Academy we take online safety seriously. We believe that a good, consistent and proactive approach to teaching children how to keep themselves safe online is more effective than telling them to keep away from social media. This is simply because social media is not confined to the likes of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, but forms an integral part of the majority of online activities, games consoles and smart phone apps.
It is important that children realise that all actions have consequences, and in the case of social media, comments and images that could cause offense can remain online for years to come. What is considered a harmless, throwaway statement or joke today could have serious implications in later life. There was the famous case of Paris Brown, who was forced to resign from her position as Britain’s first Youth Police and Crime Commissioner when people began to look back at Tweets she’d posted.
We find the resources at www.thinkuknow.co.uk/teachers/resources/ are really useful to share with your child and help raise awareness of online safety. Registering is free and easy. Click on the link below.