Internet Safety for Young People
The internet is such an integral part of children's lives these days. It opens up so many educational and social opportunities, giving them access to a world of information and experiences. As you would protect your child in the real world, you will want to make sure that they are safe whatever they are doing. Online safety skills are skills for life; if your child understands the risks and can make sensible and informed choices online, they can get the most from the internet and stay safe whilst doing so. For further advice, go to ThinkUKnow.co.uk, which is part of CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre).
Some tips on Internet Safety
- Help your children to understand that they should never give out personal details to online friends they do not know offline.
- Younger children (under 13) should not be using social networking sites such as Facebook. Facebook will delete such accounts if they are reported. For more details, please read the letter sent home to parents in March 2010.
- Explain to your children what information about them is personal: i.e. email address, mobile number, school name, sports club, arrangements for meeting up with friends and any pictures or videos of themselves, their family or friends. Small pieces of information can easily be pieced together to form a comprehensive insight in to their lives and daily activities.
- Make your children aware that they need to think carefully about the information and pictures they post on their profiles. Inform them that once published online, anyone can change or share these images of them.
- It can be easy to forget that the internet is not a private space, and as result sometimes young people engage in risky behaviour online. Advise your children not to post any pictures, videos or information on their profiles, or in chat rooms, that they would not want a parent or carer to see.
- If your child receives spam or junk email and texts, remind them never to believe their contents, reply to them or use them.
- It's not a good idea for your child to open files that are from people they don't know. They won't know what they contain—it could be a virus, or worse - an inappropriate image or video.
- Help your child to understand that some people lie online and that therefore it's better to keep online friends online. They should never meet up with any strangers without an adult they trust.
- Always keep communication open for a child to know that it's never too late to tell someone if something makes them feel uncomfortable.
If you are concerned about something that may have happened to your child while online, you can receive help and advice at CEOP. By taking this action you may not only help your child, but you many also help make other people safer.
Please be aware that it is not just young people who are at risk on the internet. If you have a social networking account, take a fresh look at it from the point of view of someone intent on identity theft. Such crimes are on the increase and many of us are very casual about the information we share and who we share it with. Are you revealing too much about yourself to people you have never met? Do you really know who that ‘friend of a friend’ is? "You should only post information on these sites that you would be happy to give a complete stranger at a bus stop." (Tony Neate Get Safe Online). On your home computer, do you update your anti-virus software and malware software regularly to protect yourself against phishing and other malicious software? Do you change online passwords on a regular basis? In the comfort of our homes, it is all too easy to become complacent and to leave our guards down.
At Wycombe High School, we promote safe and responsible use of the Internet and we raise awareness of the risks faced by anyone using it, so that you can take the necessary steps to protect yourself and your family.
Our Policy regarding Social Networking Websites
'Wycombe High School does not encourage discussions on social networking websites that are personal and/ or potentially damaging to individuals. The ethos of Wycombe High School is one of mutual respect and enjoyment, based on our motto Fortiter, Fideliter, Feliciter (courageously, faithfully and joyfully). Any inappropriate use of Facebook, Bebo, MySpace or any other social network site will result in direct communication with parents and risk sanctions as detailed in our Behaviour Management Policy.'
For further links and advice, please visit our Moodle Help Page.