Online Safety for Parents
At Unstone Schools Federation we take the safety of our pupils in all aspects of their life very seriously. Within that remit we are committed to educating our young people to be safe internet users and in supporting parents with this very important skill at home too.
What to do if they see something they didn’t want to
Speak to them. Encourage your child to speak to you. They may have questions about what they have seen and need to discuss these with a trusted adult.
Block and report on platform. Help your child to block a user or report inappropriate content on the platform they are they are using. For guidance on how to block and report on many popular social media platforms, visit Internet Matters here.
Report outside platform. If a child or young person is in immediate danger, please call 999. Alternatively, harmful content, including violence and threats, can be reported online at Report Harmful Content.
The best way to protect your children online is to be informed yourself and make it part of your day to day life. We train our children to cross the road and stay away from strangers in the outside world in all the daily little messages we give them before we ever let them out there on their own.
Training them to be safe online should be an equal part of these safety messages, after all they can be out in the `world wide web’ from a very young age, unsupervised at times. Use the websites below to help you find the best ways to talk to your children about keeping safe online.
Please remember that Social Media Sites (e.g. Facebook, You Tube, Twitter, Instagram etc) have a minimum age requirement of 13+ in their terms and conditions. Also Whats App and other internet based messaging services can only be used by 16 year olds and over.
Please read the leaflets below which also have links to useful websites;
What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Snapchat
This updated online safety guide examines Snapchat’s latest features, including AI tools, Snap Map, and subscription content, and the potential risks they pose to young users, from screen addiction to sextortion.
What Parents Need to Know about YouTube
This online safety guide focuses on YouTube. It highlights a number of risks such as connecting with strangers, inappropriate content and high visibility.
What Parents Need to Know about Combating Online Bullying
This online safety guide focuses on combatting online bullying. It highlights a number of tips such as playing online games with your child, talking about your child’s online life and being prepared to listen without showing any judgement or criticism.
Top Tips for Setting Boundaries Around Gaming
This online safety guide looks at the benefits of setting boundaries around video gaming to help young people learn healthy online habits.
Top Tips for Adopting Safe & Healthy Online Habits
This online safety guide looks at cultivating safe and healthy habits in our online lives. We’ve compiled a list of useful suggestions which could help you and your family strike the right balance and build digital resilience.
