Useful advice for parents and pupils.
The internet is an integral part of the lives of children of all ages. It is quickly becoming an essential part of their world. They will use computers and the internet for homework, to talk and share materials with their friends or for a multitude of other uses that enhance their learning. However we must be aware of what our children are doing in order to keep them safe.
At Home
- Make sure that your computer is as secure as possible ensuring firewall, updates and anti virus protection is switched on.
- Put in place some kind of parental controls e.g blocking/restricting websites, setting time limits, adding content supervisors etc.
- Know what your children are doing online and who they are talking to.
- Ask them to teach you to use any applications you have never used.
- Keeping the computer in a family room means that you can share your child’s online experience – and that they are less likely to act inappropriately (i.e. via webcam).
- Help your children to understand that they should never give out personal details to online friends — personal information includes their messenger ID, email address, mobile number and any pictures of themselves, their family or friends.
- If your child publishes a picture or video online, anyone can change it or share it. Remind them that anyone may be looking at their images and one day a future employer could!
- If your child receives spam/junk email & texts, remind them never to believe them, reply to them or use them.
- It’s not a good idea for your child to open files that are from people they don’t know. They won’t know what they contain — it could be a virus, or worse — an inappropriate image or film.
- Help your child to understand that some people lie online and therefore it’s better to keep online mates online. They should never meet up with any strangers without an adult they trust.
- Always keep communication open for a child to know that it’s never too late to tell someone if something makes them feel uncomfortable.
Teach young people how to block someone online and how to report them.
At School
- All computers connected to the Education Network have anti-virus software installed.
- In all East Renfrewshire schools, a system called Websense is used to filter and ban categories of websites. Banned categories include, for example, adult and sexually explicit, chat, advertisements, criminal; skills, drugs, alcohol and tobacco, gambling, games, personals and dating, shopping, violence, weapons and web-based e-mail. This means that access to all chat sites such as MSN and social networking , although discussion forums can be and have been set up for specific use,
- The authority’s CurricuLinks website provides easy access for staff and pupils to websites which have been recommended by staff. This assists staff with finding online websites which will enhance learning and teaching. The site is also available from home and so pupils can use the same websites at both home and school, without the need to use search engines which can throw up unexpected and inappropriate results.
- All staff can request that specific sites be be banned in categories that are allowed, for example, arts and entertainment, hobbies and recreation, if the content of the website is unsuitable.
- All Internet access and e-mail is tracked. This means that if inappropriate messages are received they can be traced back to the machine and the date and time they were sent.
- The school has an ICT policy covering the use of not only computers and network facilities, e-mail and Internet, but also mobile technologies, including laptops, CDs, digital cameras, USB pen drives and mobile phones.
- Pupils in P4-7 discuss the appropriate use of school equipment and are asked to sign the Responsible Users Agreement. Parents of P1-3 pupils sign on behalf of their child.
- All stages have opportunities to discuss Online Safety issues using ‘ThinkUknow’ activities.
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Social Networking
When children create websites, and post their own content online on social networking sites they can make themselves vulnerable by posting too much personal information, meaning that others looking at their site would be able to contact them offline – their real name, a mention of the school they go to or a mobile number for example – and also by posting images which are inappropriate and that will attract the wrong sort of attention.
Snapchat guide SupportMe
Safe Tips
What to tell your children.
Be as anonymous as possible. Avoid postings that could enable a stranger to locate you. That includes your last name, the name of your school, sports teams, the town you live in, and where you hang out.
Protect your info. Check to see if your service has a “friends” list that allows you to control who can visit your profile or blog. If so, allow only people you know and trust. If you don’t use privacy features, anyone can see your info, including people with bad intentions.
Avoid in-person meetings. Don’t get together with someone you “meet” in a profile or blog unless you are certain of their actual identity. Although it’s still not risk-free, if you do meet the person, arrange the meeting in a public place and bring some friends along.
Photos: Think before posting. What’s uploaded to the Net can be downloaded by anyone and passed around or posted online pretty much forever. Avoid posting photos that allow people to identify you (for example, when they’re searching for your high school), especially sexually suggestive images. Before uploading a photo, think about how you’d feel if it were seen by a parent/grandparent, college admissions counsellor, or future employer.
Check comments regularly. If you allow them on your site, check them often. Don’t respond to inappropriate comments. Delete them and, if possible, block offensive people from commenting further.
Be honest about your age. Membership rules are there to protect people. If you are too young to sign up, do not attempt to lie about your age. Talk with your parents about alternative sites that may be appropriate for you.
