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Online Safety and Cyber Bullying

Online Safety

Our children are growing up in a world of ever changing technology and whilst the use of this technology is mainly a positive aspect of today’s life, there are risk attached to using the internet and accessing the online world.

Potential online risks may include:

  • Access and exposure to inappropriate /disturbing images and content
  •  Access and exposure to racist or hate material
  •  Sexual grooming, luring, abuse, and exploitation by/with strangers
  •  Sharing personal information with strangers that could identify and locate a child offline
  •  Online bullying (cyberbullying) by peers and people they consider their ‘friends’
  •  Being encouraged to take part in violent behaviour such as ‘happy slapping’
  •  Sending or receiving sexually explicit films, images, or messages of themselves or others (this is known as sexting when sent by mobile phone)
  •  Glorifying activities such as drug-taking or excessive drinking
  •  Physical harm to young people in making video content, such as enacting and imitating stunts and risk-taking activities
  •  Leaving and running away from home as a result of contacts made online.

Advice for pupils:

  • Always be careful when you are using the internet. It can help you to keep in touch with your friends and help your education, but it can also cause harm; to you and to others.
  • Remember help is always available at school if you are having any problems online.
  • Don’t be afraid to talk to your teacher or another adult at school.

Advice for parents and carers:

There are several ways to help keep children and young people safe online:

  • Educate yourself and children and young people know about the dangers online
  • Tell them what they should do if anything goes wrong online or upsets them i.e. tell someone about it
  • Explain that anything shared online or by mobile phone could end up being seen by anyone
  • Ensure computers and laptops are used where you can see and not out of sight in a bedroom
  • Use parental settings, filtering software, and privacy setting to block inappropriate sites and content

For more information please see our Online Safety Policy

Parental Guides to Online Safety