Doveridge Primary School
Safer Internet Day 2023 takes place on 7th February, with the theme of
“Want to talk about it? Making space for conversations about life online”.
Please see below our Online Safety Tips for Parents/Carers:
The most important message for parents and carers is to talk to their children and keep the lines of communication open. This is, by far, the best way of keeping them safe. Approaching topics in a calm, non-judgemental manner will give children the confidence to talk to their parents if they ever have problems online. If parent, or other adult, is too forceful, there is a risk that children may shut down and not go to them when they need help. Ask them to consider too whether taking or threatening to take, devices off children will be effective. Children often see this as being punished for something that is not their fault and fear of this may prevent them talking to a parent/carer in future if an issue arises.
As with any difficult conversation, planning what to say is important, particularly if the topic has surprised or upset the adult. Feelings like that affect the way we talk, so taking time, and possibly advice, before speaking to children can be useful.
There are lots of places parents can go for further information and advice. Sites such as the NSPCC: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/ and Internet Matters: https://www.internetmatters.org/ are excellent sources of information.
Some suggestions for talking to children about Online Safety:
- Ask them to show you their favourite games/apps/web sites. Could you play together? Get them to teach you how to play?
- Ask them how they keep themselves safe online. Have they got any tips for you? What have they covered at school?
- Ask them if they know where to go for help. Where can they go to find the safety advice, and privacy settings? How could they report or block another user on the services they use if they need to?
- Think about your family’s use of the Internet. Are there things that you could do together online?
- Ask what rules your family should have when it comes to the use of the Internet. Should dinner time be phone free? Should mobile devices be banned in bedrooms?
There are several links and documents giving advice on our 'Safeguarding - Advice for Parents' page, but we would also appreciate you reading the following:
Further information can be found below regarding specific aspects of Online activity:
Age Ratings:
