As a former ICT and class blog co-ordinator within my former teaching role, online safety was a key part of my job - but it is an ever changing landscape and something that we as parents (and Teachers) need to keep on top of.
This blog post looks at the use of blogs, phones, games and devices whilst at school and at home and explains how to discuss online safety with your child and give them the tools needed to keep themselves and others safe. We also have a list of dos and don'ts for device use with children.
Tips and advice for keeping kids safe online...
Using a class blog safely:
Using a class blog with my Reception class was a great way to improve communications between home and school, whilst celebrating learning - but it also had the added benefit of being a useful tool to aid understanding of just how vast the online world can be!
Widgets that show on the home screen, such as a turning globe, just where current viewers are based can create a good visual representation of how far information can travel. Likewise with looking at viewing statistics on a map. Young children can often struggle to imagine a world outside of their own existence and so demonstrating how information can be passed on so easily is one of the first steps to aiding understanding of online safety.
Making young children aware that information posted or sent over the internet (including messaging) is not only there 'forever', but can also be shared far and wide with strangers they don't know is a really important starting point.
Explaining online safety rules to children:
Talking to children about their own online communications and making sure they understand the reasons for certain safety rules is key. For example, not giving out a surname online, and ideally, using a pseudonym for their first name. Never posting location identifying photos such as a picture outside their house, outside their school or in their school uniform. Not giving out sensitive information such as their date of birth or their mother’s maiden name.
Making children aware of the dangers of location tracking within certain social apps is key, and also making them aware of situations they may encounter online before they happen is really important. For example, private messages from people, often pretending to be a similar or slightly older age - attempting to build a relationship, to flatter them, to request images or even to meet up.
For slightly older children, it is also really important to address the issue of image distribution. Sharing unsafe images of themselves or other children is actually classed as distributing child po*n*graphy and is illegal... so what might seem like a funny snap of your friend in the changing room could land you in serious trouble!
Helping children to navigate inappropriate online relationships and grooming:
Help older children to get on board with the reality of how easily online grooming happens and how dangerous it can be by coming at it from the angle of ‘looking out for their friends’. Teach them the warning signs that they may observe should a friend become involved in inappropriate or dangerous online conversations, such as becoming secretive about their online interactions, secretive about their plans, talking about a boy/girl who you haven’t met. Being tired at school due to staying up late messaging. Becoming overly worried about their online appearance in photos etc or overly agitated if their phone or tablet is taken away.
Keeping your child safe whilst on phones, games and devices:
It's never too late to put parental controls in place when it comes to phones and online games - but the best time to do this is from the very beginning. If your child has previously had free access to phones, google, youtube, social media and online games and you would like to make them more safe, its important to explain the WHY in terms of their own physical, mental and developmental safety. Expect some pushback - but don't use this as a reason to give up.
Here are some online safety tips to put in place:
Dos and Don'ts for device use with children:
- Set screen time controls on phones so that it can only be used between certain hours and only for a max number of hours a day. Keep the screentime password safe so that they cannot simply give themselves additional time and access.
- Have a rule of zero devices upstairs in bedrooms and in any bathrooms/toilets.
- Do not allow children access to social media. The UK is looking to follow other countries and ban this before age 16 anyway - but the content they consume and the access to inappropriate materials can cause irreparable damage to developing brains.
- Ban Snapchat. Why? because messages cannot be traced and locations can be tracked. This makes this app rife with criminal activity - whether that is dealers using it to arrange drops, p**dophiles using it to groom victims or bullies using it to harm without any proof of what they have done.
- Set up online gaming controls so that your children can only play with their friends and only once you have approved them. Turn off the chat facility in online games so that they cannot be contacted by strangers.
- Do not allow your child to use Roblox. Recent research has uncovered some deeply disturbing activity - you can read what their Roblox investigations uncovered here.
- Check your children's phones. If you wouldn't allow your child to roam free in the real world, in and out of peoples houses, shops or elsewhere without checking they are safe, behaved appropriately and treated others with respect - don't allow them to do this in the online world. It's not about having a right to 'privacy' it is about keeping a child safe. Their brains are not yet developed enough to assess risk appropriately ( this doesn't happen until 21 yrs for girls and much later for boys!) and most children don't appreciate the harm their words and actions can cause to others. Periodically check their group chats, their photos, their deleted files, their messages and use this as a teachable moment, a learning opportunity or a chance to guide them into how to react next time.
- Talk about consent. involving a friend or another child in online activity either with or without their knowledge when they haven't given consent is not ok. This includes sharing images or videos of friends, sending inappropriate content or even screensharing content that they don't have access to during group calls.
Knowledge is power when it comes to online safety, and having these conversations up front is so important for keeping an open dialogue with your child, but also for making them aware that as a parent/carer, you understand technology yourself and can’t be easily fooled!
Here are some screen free ideas of how to include technology in the Early Years.
