Online Safety
It’s a challenge staying up to date with technology and keeping our children safe in today’s digital world. Being online is an integral part of children and young people’s lives. Social media, online games, websites and apps can be accessed through mobile phones, computers, laptops and tablets – all of which form a part of children and young people’s online world. The internet and online technology provide new opportunities for young people’s learning and growth, but it can also expose them to new types of risks.
Please see below a number of useful resources that we’ve collated to help support our families in this challenging area.
ThinkuKnow
The ThinkuKnow website is brought to you by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) centre. There’s a lot of information here for both children and adults – parents even have their own area of the site!
Internet Matters
A website designed to help parents keep their children safe online. With expert support and practical tips to help children benefit from connected technology and the internet safely and smartly.
UK Safer Internet Centre
The European Commission appointed UK Safer Internet Centre is made up of three partners; Childnet International, the South West Grid for Learning and the Internet Watch Foundation. Together, this groups raise awareness about internet safety, develop information materials and resources and organise high profile events such as Safer Internet Day.
Safe Surfing Tips
The best way to know what your child is doing online is to ask. Whether you ask other parents, an internet-savvy friend, or your child about how they use the Internet asking the right questions will help you understand what your child is doing online so you can make sure they are making safe online choices. Spend time surfing the Web with your child. This is a great way to learn about what types of interactions your child is having online. Being aware of the risks your child faces, and communicating frequently with your child about these risks, will help develop their judgement and responsibility and make it easier for them to talk to you about any situations they may run into.
Reporting Harmful Content
The RHC link is an asset of SWGfL, a charity working internationally to ensure all benefit from technology, free from harm.
The link has been developed to offer anyone living in the UK a simple and convenient mechanism for gaining access to reporting routes for commonly used social networking sites, gaming platforms, apps and streaming services alongside trusted online safety advice, help and support. It also provides access to an online mechanism for reporting online harm to the RHC service for those over the age of 13 where an intial report has been made to industry but no action has been taken. RHC will review content in line with a sites' community standards and act in a mediatory capacity where content goes against these.
Children under 13 years of age are encouraged to tell an adult that they trust about what has happened and to ask for their help in reporting this going through our how we can help resource together.
RHC also have advice and links to reporting routes for other online harms people may come across or face, such as impersonation, privacy violations and intimate image abuse.
The RHC button provides a gateway to the RHC reporting pages, an area of the RHC website offering:
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links to reporting routes on commonly used sites for 8 types of online harm
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help, advice and support on what to do if experiencing or witnessing harm online
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signposting to industry partners reporting forms and the ability to report legal but harmful content directly to RHC for further investigation
Reporting to RHC
Reports can be made 24/7 through the online reporting forms and helpline practitioners will review and respond to reports within 72 hours between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday.
Reports can be made to RHC by anyone over the age of 13. SWGfL operates 3 helplines and to be sure you're getting the right support take a look at the Helpline flowchart to find out who can best support you.
Click below to report harmful content (opens in same page):
