This page has been designed for parents of young people with special needs who use the internet. However, it is also relevant for children without special needs. With advances in technology, access to online activities has become much easier for young people with physical and learning difficulties. This has enabled them to communicate more easily, interact with friends, access learning resources and become members of the online community.

 

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport published guidelines on

26th February 2016:

 

“Child Safety Online:

A practical guide for parents and carers whose children are using social media”

 

These guidelines highlighted the effects that inappropriate and ill-informed use of online activities can have on young people and the importance of good online safety education. The guidance makes explicit reference to what young people can be exposed to:

 

What they might see or do:

• Seeing or sharing of violent, sexual and pornographic content
• Inaccurate or false information and extreme views
• Promotion of harmful behaviours including self-harm, anorexia and suicide
• Over-sharing of personal information
• Actively or unintentionally getting involved in bullying or hurtful behaviour

 

Who they might meet:

• People who might bully, intimidate or frighten
• People posing behind fake profiles for:
• Mischief-making
• Sexual grooming and stalking
• Blackmail and extortion
• Identity theft and hacking

 

How this could affect them:

• Fear of missing out leading to excessive use or exaggeration
• Getting upset by things they have seen and being uncertain about what to do
• Engaging, or being pressured into engaging in more risky behaviour either by accident or by design
• Developing unrealistic, and perhaps depressing ideals of body image and gender
• Becoming subject to peer pressure or interactions that are intense or too difficult to handle
• Creating an online reputation that may create problems for them in the future

 (www.gov.uk/government/publications/child-safety-online-a-practical- guide-for-parents-and-carers)

 

In September 2016 the Government produced statutory guidance for schools and colleges, which includes Online Safety, in “Keeping Children Safe in Education”

 

Both of these publications demonstrate concerns about what children and young people are exposed to. 

 

So how can you help to keep your children safe?

 

• Explore Apps and websites together – discuss which ones are appropriate and safe and why.

 

• Ask your child if they have seen anything online that worried them – show them how to block websites.

 

• To block access to undesirable sites from the web browser Internet Explorer, go to its menu “Tools” and select “Internet Options.” Open the serial tab “Privacy” and click “Sites”. Enter the address of the selected sites to block and click “Block.” Confirm with «OK». 

 

• Show an interest in your child’s online activities without making them feel that you are prying.

 

• Be aware that your child may not understand what appropriate friendships are. They may also be easily led into difficult situations and conversations online.

 

• What else should you consider about your child’s online activities?

 

Cyberbullying

• There were over 11,000 counselling sessions with young people who talked to Childline about online issues last year. NSPCC (2016) Childline annual review 2015/16: It turned out someone did care.

 

• Examples of cyberbullying include:

  • emailing or texting threatening or nasty messages to people
  • posting an embarrassing or humiliating video of someone on a video-hosting site such as YouTube
  • harassing someone by repeatedly sending texts or instant messages through an app or in a chat room
  • setting up profiles on social networking sites, such as Facebook, to make fun of someone
  • “happy slapping” – when people use their mobiles to film and share videos of physical attacks
  • posting or forwarding someone else’s personal or private information or images without their permission – known as “sexting” when the content is sexually explicit
  • sending viruses that can damage another person’s computer
  • making abusive comments about another user on a gaming site

      http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Bullying/Pages/Cyberbullying.aspx

 

The video below shows the impact of cyberbullying and how to deal with it.

 

• As you can see Joe’s Mum had no idea that he was being bullied until she watched his video.

 

• Look out for changes in your child’s behaviour.  

 

What to do if your child has been affected by Cyberbullying

 

• If you are concerned or suspect that your child is being cyberbullied approach your child’s school for guidance.

 

• Click on the links in the “useful links” page on this website for further advice.

 

 

Sexting

• Around 1 in 7 young people have taken a semi-naked/naked picture of themselves. Over half went on to share the picture with someone else.

   I wasn’t sure it was normal to watch it.

 

• Sexting is when someone shares sexual, naked or semi-naked images or videos of themselves or others, or sends sexually explicit messages.

 

• When you’re under 18 it’s against the law for anyone to take or have a sexual photo of you – even if it’s a selfie.

 

• They can be sent using mobiles, tablets, smartphones, laptops – any device that allows you to share media and messages. 

 

• Sexting may also be called: 

    Trading nudes

   Dirties

   Pic for pic.

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children  safe/sexting/

 

The video below shows the impact of sexting and how to deal with it.

What to do if your child has been affected by sexting

 

• If your child has been sending explicit images or videos of themselves, you may feel shocked, upset, angry, confused or disappointed. They’re also likely to feel anxious about talking to you.

 

• listen and offer support – they’re probably upset and need your help and advice, not criticism.

 

• Click on the links in the “useful links” page on this website for further advice.

 

 

 

Online Pornography

• Childline has seen a 6% increase in counselling sessions where the young person specifically mentioned concerns about online porn or websites containing harmful content. (NSPCC, 2015) Concerns related to addiction and worries about forming relationships in the future.

 

• About 53% of 11- to 16-year-olds have seen explicit material online, nearly all of whom (94%) had seen it by 14.

   http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-36527681

 

What to do if you think your child is accessing pornography

• If you are concerned about your child accessing pornography the following website has advice and information. Click on the link below.

 

Online Grooming

• Grooming is when someone builds an emotional connection with a child to gain their trust for the purposes of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation or trafficking.

• There were over 3,700 counselling sessions with young people who talked to Childline last year about online sexual abuse.

 

The following films give advice about online grooming for Primary and Secondary age

Radicalisation

• Radicalisation is the process by which a person comes to support extremism and terrorism .

 

• There is a wealth of Far-Right and Islamic extremist material available online including; articles, images, videos encouraging hate or violence, posts on social media and, websites created or hosted by terrorist organisations. There are also terrorist training materials and videos glorifying war and violence that play on the theme of popular video games such as ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops’. These use highly emotive language and images created to play on the issues young people are struggling with such as identity, faith and belonging. Radicalisation of young people through social media

 

• Your child may actively search for content that is considered radical, or they could be persuaded to do so by others. Social media sites, like Facebook, Ask FM and Twitter, can be used by extremists looking to identify, target and contact young people. It’s easy to pretend to be someone else on the internet, so children can sometimes end up having conversations with people whose real identities they may not know, and who may encourage them to embrace extreme views and beliefs.

   How could my child become radicalised?

 

  The following film demonstrates possible indicators that a young person is in the process of being radicalised

• The Prevent Strategy (2015) places a duty on schools and other institutions to, not only protect children and young people from radicalisation and extremist view, but also to educate about British values and tolerance of other faiths and beliefs.

 

• Parents can reinforce this at home when talking to children about what is in the news and their views on recent worldwide terrorist activity.

 

   Top 5 Tips to Prevent Radicalisation

• As parents or carers your priority is keeping your children safe.

 

• Talk to them.

 

• Make them aware of the dangers.

 

• Watch the videos on this website with them.

 

• Explore the “useful links”.

 

• Complete the quizzes with them.

 

• Make sure that they know that you are not trying to spoil their fun.

 

• It’s their safety that’s important. 

 

• Click on this link to set parental controls within your home on all devices