Online Safety

Keeping Your Child Safe Online

A checklist for parents and carers

ask your child to show you the sites they use – this shows that you take an interest in your child it also means you can become familiar with the sites and find out how to set the safety features.
keep the computer in a family room – this means you can keep more control over what they do e.g. webcams
ask your child to set profile settings to private – settings on any social networking site should be set to prevent anyone viewing personal information and photos of your child.
ask your child about their online friends – this applies to social networking and gaming sites; people are not always who they say they are. Does your child actually know all of their ‘friends’?
set appropriate parental controls on your child’s computer, mobile and games console – filters can prevent children from viewing inappropriate content. You can also set time restrictions for using the internet or games. Explain to your child why you are doing this. Your Internet Service Provider can offer advice on this or visit CEOP’s parent site for advice.
make sure your child knows they can tell you if they are worried about something online – by opening up communication channels and talking to your child about the technology they use they are more likely to turn to you if they are concerned about something.
make sure you know where to get help if you are concerned – visit the www.ThinkUKnow.co.uk website which has a parent’s area with advice and information. If you are concerned about someone making inappropriate contact with your child you can report this to CEOP, you can also find help if you think your child is being bullied online or have found something that could be illegal www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre or look for the ‘click CEOP button’
See also ChildNet

Report Bullying	Report Sexual Harassment

Safeguarding

Online Safety

Keeping Your Child Safe Online

A checklist for parents and carers

Useful Links