The coronavirus pandemic has meant that more and more of us are spending more and more of our time online. The internet is a blessing in times like these, enabling us to connect, interact, stay in touch and find the help we need, all without leaving our homes. For schools like ours, the ability to harness technology to deliver education when students are not able to be in school has transformed the education landscape.

Although the internet is incredibly useful, there are also risks. We work hard with our students at Churchill to help them understand how to stay safe online, but it is always worth reminding our students – and ourselves – of the basics.

The basics of staying safe online

Google’s Be Internet Awesome curriculum provides a good outline of the fundamentals of safer internet use for students:

• Share with care – communicate responsibly
  • Encourage thoughtful sharing by treating online communication like face-to-face communication; if it isn’t right to say, it isn’t right to post.
  • Create guidelines about what kind of communication is (and isn’t) appropriate.
  • Keep personal details about family and friends private.
• Don’t fall for fake
  • Be aware that people and situations online aren’t always as they seem.
  • Discerning between what’s real and what’s fake is a vital lesson in online safety
• Secure your secrets
  • Create a strong password – you can R3pl@ce le++ers wit# sYmb0ls & n^mb3rs 1ike Thi$
  • Don’t use the same password on multiple sites
  • Don’t share anything online that you wouldn’t want your grandma, your teacher or your future employer to see
• Be Kind
  • The Internet is a powerful amplifier that can be used to spread positivity or negativity. Set an example: be kind and spread positivity
  • Stop the spread of harmful or untrue messages by not passing them on to others
  • Block unkind or inappropriate behaviour online
  • Provide support if you see bullying online
• When in doubt, talk it out
  • If you come across something questionable online, talk to a trusted adult
  • If you know that one of your friends needs help, encourage them to talk to a trusted adult – or ask an adult for help yourself

Checklist for families

We all want to support our children with their use of the internet, but more often than not they know more about the online world than we do! The following checklist is a helpful way of ensuring that you are doing all you can to support them with being safe online.

1. I have talked to my child about the sites they use. Show an interest and take note of their favourite sites. Research them, find out how to set the safety features and learn how to report any issues directly to the site.
2. I have checked that my child has set their profile settings to private. Social networking sites, such as snapchat, are used by children to share information, photos and just about everything they do! They need to think about the information they post as it could be copied and pasted anywhere, without their permission.
3. I have talked to my child about their online friends. We know that people lie online about who they are and may create fake identities. It is very important children understand this. Whether they are visiting a social network or a gaming site, the safety messages are the same. Ensure that your child never gives out personal information and is only “friends” with people they know and trust in the real world.
4. I have set appropriate parental controls on my child’s computer, mobile and games console. Filters on computers and mobiles can prevent your child from viewing inappropriate and possibly illegal content. You can activate and change levels depending on your child’s age and abilities. You can also set time restrictions for using the internet or games. Many parents and carers take phones/devices away at a certain time – say 9pm. This has been shown to aid mental well-being too.

Encourage your child to tell you if they are worried about something online – Sometimes children get into situations online where they don’t feel comfortable or see something they don’t want to see. By opening up the communication channels and talking to your child about the internet, their favourite sites and the risks they may encounter, they are more likely to turn to you if they are concerned about something.

Sources of help

If you want to know more please visit: https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents.

Internet Matters has a useful summary of the age limits for different social media services here. Please note that WhatsApp is not designed for use by children under 16.

If you are concerned that an adult has made inappropriate contact with your child you can report this directly to CEOP or the Police.  You can also find help if you think your child is being bullied, or if you’ve come across something on the internet which you think may be illegal.  Visit the Safety Centre at www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre .  If in doubt, please contact us at the Academy.

You can also see my previous post: Top 5 Safer Internet Day Tips.