Online safety for Children

The internet is a great place to have fun and learn, however there are a few things to be aware of.

• Keep your personal information private – check your privacy settings so that only people you want to see your stuff can see it
• Learn how to block people/ accounts that you don’t know to stop them from being able to chat or message you
• Remember that once you share photographs with another person then you lose control of them. Never share any photographs that might be embarrassing or upsetting for you or other people if they were to be made public.
• Have a think about what you post and say online. What you think is funny now may affect you in the future
• Always use a nickname instead of your real name.  For example, instead of ‘Mark_Smith’, choose something unusual like “Sk8King_21”.
• If you see anything on a website that upsets you, turn off the screen and tell an adult you trust
• Avoid opening pop-ups as much as possible.
• If someone you have only had contact with online asks you to meet them in person, tell an adult you trust
• People online may not be what they seem. It’s better to only interact with people you know in the real world
• If you see abuse – report it!

More information about staying safe online and reporting crimes can be found on the Police Scotland Youth Hub website, the ThinkuKnow website and in our ‘How to stay safe online‘ blog post.

Resources for Children up to 11 years old

Parker the Parrot’s story really helps us to think about why it is important to keep safe.  Here are some resources you can look at with your parent, carer or other trusted adult to help you keep safe:

• If you are aged between 4 and 7, you can play a game with Jessie to see how you can stay safe when you are online.
• If you are aged between 8 and 10, you can play a game with Alfie, Allie, Sam and the Popcorn Wizards to find out about staying safe online.
• You can also visit the Childline site for under 12s, where you’ll find fun games with lots of information about keeping safe and feeling good in yourself.

Further Information and Advice

• The Child Exploitation and On-line Protection Centre (CEOP) works with child protection partners across the UK and overseas to identify and detect threats to children and young people.
• Web surfers who see any illegal images on the internet can report this to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).
• Internet Matters is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to help parents and carers keep children safe in the digital world.
• Parentzone is an online safety guide for families which contains information and advice covering a wide range of issues and concerns.
• Childline – Information and advice for children and young people
• Childnet – Information, advice and resources for children, young people, parents and professionals
• BBC Own It – Help, advice, information and support for young people