Castleford Academy
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Using the internet, mobile phones and games consoles are now an every-day part of young people’s lives. However, there are risks for children and you as parents need to know how to protect your children effectively.
We have created this page to give you some tips on how you can keep your children safe, as well as provide you with some informative websites for you to find out more information.
Castleford Academy Computing Department’s Top Tips for Parents:
Essential Reading
We have split the following information into sections to help you find the information you need:
Cyberbullying
Internet Safety
Just like adults, teens use Facebook to connect with friends — through chat, personal messages and sharing photos, videos, links and other kinds of information. They use Facebook to announce achievements, wish each other a happy birthday and plan social events — like going to the cinema or to a friend’s house.
Or help your child stay safe on Facebook by visiting the Family Safety Centre at http://www.facebook.com/safety/?ref=6pack#!/safety/groups/parents/
There was a story in the Yorkshire Evening Post recently that I would like to bring to Parents and Carer’s attention around a change in Snapchat App. We are aware that many of our pupils use Snapchat. The new feature is a tracker where you can view the exact location of your friends including their actually street and house on a map. This essentially means that anyone could see the exact location of your child. Obviously, we thought that parents may be quite alarmed about this and have received advice that if you change your settings to “ghost mode” then no one can see where you are. The new feature is only found in the most recent updates version and if you ask your child to go to “selfie mode” on the camera, zoom out and it will give you the option of changing to who can see your location. We urge you to ensure that your child has changed their setting. We have further information on E-Safety on the Parents Section of our website.
The department for Education (DfE) defines bullying as:
“Behavior by an individual or group, usually repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group, either physically or emotionally.”
This also includes the use of technology such as computers or mobile phones to do this. The difference is often that cyberbullying can seem to be anonymous and can therefore result in a greater feeling of isolation and helplessness for the victim.
PLEASE BE AWARE: Castleford Academy does not tolerate any type of bullying, including cyberbullying.
Quick Tips:
Know which websites your children visit and help them find the ‘Report Abuse’ or ‘block sender’ options so they can feel in control.
Tell your children not to reply to unpleasant messages.
Urge them to keep evidence – Not to delete bullying txts, emails or posts on social networking sites, as they can often be traced.
Encourage them to take action and talk to you if they are being cyberbullied.
Regularly check and clean their ‘friends’ lists on social networking sites.
For more information visit: Stop Cyberbullying.org
Be involved in your child’s online life. For many of today’s young people there is no line between the online and offline worlds. Young people use the internet to socialise and grow and, just as you guide and support them offline, you should be there for them online too. Talk to them about what they’re doing, if they know you understand they are more likely to approach you if they need support. Tips on how to discuss tricky issues with your child
Keep up-to-date with your child’s development online. Be inquisitive and interested in the new gadgets and sites that your child is using. It’s important that as your child learns more, so do you.
Set boundaries in the online world just as you would in the real world. Think about what they might see, what they share, who they talk to and how long they spend online. It is important to continue to discuss boundaries so that they evolve as your child’s use of technology does.
Know what connects to the internet and how. Nowadays even the TV connects to the internet. Your child will use all sorts of devices and gadgets; make sure you’re aware of which ones can connect to the internet, such as their phone or games console. Also, find out how they are accessing the internet – is it your connection or a neighbour’s Wifi? This will affect whether your safety settings are being applied.
Consider the use of parental controls on devices that link to the internet, such as the TV, laptops, computers, games consoles and mobile phones. Parental controls are not just about locking and blocking, they are a tool to help you set appropriate boundaries as your child grows and develops. They are not the answer to your child’s online safety, but they are a good start and are not as difficult to install as you might think. Service providers are working hard to make them simple, effective and user friendly. Find your service provider and learn how to set your controls
Emphasise that not everyone is who they say they are. Make sure your child knows never to meet up with someone they only know online. People might not always be who they say they are. Make sure your child understands that they should never meet up with anyone they only know online without taking a trusted adult with them.
Know what to do if something goes wrong. Just as in the offline world, you want to help your child when they need it. Therefore, it is important to know when and how to report any problem. What tools are there to help me keep my child safe?
Tips from www.thinkuknow.co.uk
For more information visit: thinkuknow.co.uk
Links in the Parents Section
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