esafety Advice for Parents

eSafety Advice for Parents The internet and related technologies, including mobile phones, games consoles and social networks are becoming increasingl...
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eSafety Advice for Parents The internet and related technologies, including mobile phones, games consoles and social networks are becoming increasingly important in the daily lives of our children and have many positive benefits. They can be used both educationally and socially and are becoming part of a child’s identity. Socially our children often use the internet for entertainment, interaction, and communication with ‘friends’. Access to the internet can take place anywhere and at anytime so we need to make sure our children are able to use the internet safely. Many children are unaware of the risks for example by having many online friends (who could be strangers), uploading inappropriate images, viewing unsuitable content or sharing too much personal information. In school the Hertfordshire Grid for Learning provides for a safe and secure online environment for children in Hertfordshire LA schools. Information about setting up filtering in your own home can be found below. Some of the advice about online safety is common sense but it’s also important that parents and carers know how to use the technology and be aware of how their children are using the internet. Information about online safety issues and how to ‘Stay Safe’ can be found on the websites below. This is just a sample of websites that can provide parents with support and information. Once parents and carers have the background knowledge and understanding of eSafety they can decide what is right for their family. www.childnet.com - A non-profit making organisation working directly with children, parents and teachers to ensure that the issues of online child protection and children’s safe and positive use of the internet are addressed. Childnet International produce an online CD guide specifically for parents KnowITAll - http://www.childnet.com/resources/kia/

www.thinkuknow.co.uk - The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre has set up its own educational website which has been designed and written specifically for children, young people, teachers, parents and carers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/ The BBC Webwise is a beginner’s guide to using the internet. There is a good section on children’s online safety.

http://www.internetmatters.org This website contains lots of information about staying safe online, with tips about games, social networking, mobile technology and more.

http://www.getsafeonline.org/ A beginners guide to using the Internet safety, including a quiz and some video tutorials about how to ‘stay safe’ on-line. © Herts for Learning Ltd. http://www.thegrid.org.uk/eservices/safety/index.shtml

www.kidsmart.org.uk/ - Kidsmart is an award winning internet safety website for parents and those working with children. It has been developed by the children's internet charity Childnet International and has excellent information on many of the technologies used by children, with guidance on how to ‘stay safe’ online.

www.bullying.co.uk - One in five young people have experienced bullying by text message or via email. This web site gives advice for children and parents on bullying.

http://www.chatdanger.com/ - This website is about the potential dangers with interactive services online like chat, IM, online games, email and on mobiles. It provides information, advice, true stories and games. The resource page also contains a number of links to other useful websites. http://parents.vodafone.com/ - Vodafone have developed this website in conjunction with mumsnet. It is very accessible and provides information and guidance to parents with understanding their child’s digital world and get more involved. There is even an on-line test to see how much you know!

Information on Parental Controls for your home broadband Talk Talk: http://sales.talktalk.co.uk/product/homesafe Sky: http://www.sky.com/products/broadband-talk/sky-broadband-shield/features/index.html Virgin Media: http://store.virginmedia.com/discover/broadband/security/web-safe.html BT: http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/products/manage-broadband-extras/

The internet is an exciting and fun place for adults and children to use and explore educationally and socially. The challenge for parents, carers and teachers is to make sure our children are aware and understand how to be safe when using the internet and related technologies.

Some Key Advice for Children · Be nice online. · Keep your personal details private. · ThinkB4Upost, send or forward. · Do not share your password with others. · Don’t arrange up with someone you only know online, and tell a trusted adult if someone asks. · Be careful who you webcam with. · Know how to keep yourself safe. · Don’t open an attachment unless you are 100% sure it is safe. · Tell a trusted adult if anything happens online that worries or upsets you.

© Herts for Learning Ltd. http://www.thegrid.org.uk/eservices/safety/index.shtml

Ask.fm eSafety Advice Ask.fm is a website where people ask and answer questions. It has become popular with young people, and there are an estimated 65 million users across the world. The service makes it possible for users to ask questions anonymously. This has led to many cases of cyber bullying and inappropriate or obscene questions. All activity on the service is public, and young people frequently share personal information and/or images in their biog or in answers.

1. You have to be 13 years old to use Ask.fm

2. Do not use your real photograph in your profile, or in answers to questions. 3. Do not use any ny p personal information in y your biog og or answers. For example, mp remember that everything is public, so don’t share your phone number, email address or information about where you are now, or where you will be meeting ng friends etc. (N (Note you yo have to gi give a valid email address duringg sign up, but this is not shared.) 4. Users should switch off the ability for people to ask questions anonymously, and choose not to show their answers on the ‘stream’. This is done through gh the Privacy section in Settings. ng 5. We suggest that users do not connect their Facebook/Twitter accounts or embed the Ask.fm widget into other blogs/websites. 6. If answering questions, do not use video replies or photos of yourself or your friends. 7. If you y receive a question q which yo you think is inappropriate, pp pr or is upsetting up g or unpleasant: np · Do not answer it. · Block the sender. This is done by either visiting their profile (if known) and clicking on the ‘block’ link, or by going to your ‘Questions’ page and using the ‘report or block’ link by the question that is offensive. · Tell a trusted adult. · Make a report to the website. This can also be done by using the ‘report or block’ link by question that is offensive, on your ‘Questions’ page. 8. If you y answer a question qu and later regret eg it, you yo can delete the answer by clicking ng the x button to the right gh of the p post, on yo your ‘Profile’ page. pag The question q will then go back into your ‘Questions’ yo Qu page pag where it is hidden from public view. 9. If you have decided that you no longer want to use Ask.fm, you can disable your profile by going to your Settings (when logged in,) choosing ‘Profile’ and then ‘Deactivate Account’ from the bottom of the page. Please note that following this guidance does not make Ask.fm safe, and there will always be risks associated with its use. This guidance was created by eSafety Advisers from the Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Board Version 1.4, December 2014 http://www.hertsforlearning.co.uk

Instagram eSafety Guidance Instagram is a popular social networking service based around the sharing of photographs and videos. It is used via a free app on a smartphone or tablet. Account holders can ‘follow’ other users and therefore view their images and videos. Users can also comment on and share other people’s posts. It is also possible to send private photos, videos and messages to another user and show the loca!on of an image. It has become a very popular way for young people to keep in touch and share what they are doing. This document is aimed at parents, carers and young people. Note screenshots are from an iPhone and may differ slightly on other devices.

1. You should be 13 or over to use Instagram. This is clearly stated in the Terms of Service, though age is not asked when a user signs up for an account. 2. When you create a new account, by default your posts are public. Anyone can follow you and see your photos and videos. If your posts are private you have to approve other users before they can see your posts. Exis!ng followers can con!nue to see your posts.

3. Anyone can see your profile picture, username and bio, even if your posts are private. Therefore, consider using an avatar or something else that is not your real photo. Do not give away personal informa!on in your bio such as your email address, home address, phone number, school etc. 4. If you choose to use the ‘Add to Photo Map’ feature when you post, the loca!on of the post is shown. This is switched off by default for new accounts, but if you switch it on it will stay on un!l you switch it off again.

5. You can tag people in content that you share on Instagram. If someone tags you on a public post, or you follow the person who tagged you, you can untag yourself by tapping on the tag that appears on the photo and choosing Remove Me from Photo (under More Op!ons.) 6. You can prevent content you are tagged in from being automa!cally shown on your profile. This is done via the se$ngs menu in the Photos of You sec!on found in your profile.

7. Instagram lets you share photos and videos to other social networks. If you do this, consider who will be able to see the photos once they are shared. 8. Think before you post. Be respec%ul to others and do not post images or videos of other people, or tag them in a photo, without their permission. 9. Even if your posts are private, you should not post images and videos that you would not want to be seen by the public, just in case. Remember it is easy for someone to copy or share what you post. 10. Be careful not to share personal informa!on in comments, photos or videos. For example, a photo of someone in their school uniform could tell the world where that person goes to school. 11. If you need to block or report a user, tap on their user name and then this bu&on: op!on to block a user or report as inappropriate.

You are then given the

12. If you want to delete your Instagram account you should log in to the Instagram.com website, click on your username, select Edit Profile and from there you can choose to delete your account (bo&om right.) 13. Instagram’s safety guide can be found here: h&ps://help.instagram.com/369001149843369/ This guidance was created by eSafety Advisers from the Her"ordshire Safeguarding Children Board. V1.4 Published December 2014 h&p://www.hertsforlearning.co.uk

13 Reasons why Facebook is for over 13s Facebook, Instagram and other social media services are increasingly being used by children under 13 years of age to socialise, share photos, videos, links and information, to chat, to plan social events and so on.

1. The minimum age to open a Facebook account is 13 years. 2. Facebook has relaxed the additional protection and security settings for teens (age 1317). It is now possible for teens to post images and status updates to people outside their friend network. 3. Facebook advertisements or apps may have content that is not appropriate for under 13s. 4. Facebook expects parents of under 13s to show their children how to delete their Facebook account, if they have one. 5. Facebook expects all users to use their real name and identities. It’s against Facebook terms to lie about your name or age. 6. Every word, message, image and video you add to Facebook will be there forever unless you take it down. 7. Facebook expects parents to discuss online safety with their child and to set ground rules. 8. Every image, including your profile photo, can be copied by others, changed by others and be online forever! 9. Facebook games may have different T & C to Facebook and only be suitable for over 18s 10. Facebook Timeline is an online representation of your child’s life based on the information they and others added. What does their timeline reveal about them? 11. Facebook will remove images that break copyright law or are pornographic but will not remove photos you just don’t like! 12. Facebook can share location in posts. Do you want your child’s online friends to know where they are? Turn off location services on mobile devices. 13. Facebook has a safety centre specifically for parents. http://www.facebook.com/safety/groups/parents/

© Herts for Learning Ltd.

13 Reasons why Facebook is for over 13s 13 Ways to ‘Stay Safe’ on Facebook Does your child have a Facebook account? What are you doing to keep your child and your family safe? Here are 13 things we can all do today to help ‘Stay Safe’ on Facebook 1. Preview your profile to see how it looks to others. This can be done by using the ‘View As’ feature in the Timeline and Tagging section of the settings. 2. Make sure that you are not a victim of ‘Fraping’ (other people using your account details to make posts etc.) Have a strong password and logout when not using Facebook 3. Check your privacy settings – do you know who can see your phone number or post on your timeline? What about your child’s timeline! 4. Turn Facebook ‘chat’ on and off to control who knows you are online (bottom right-hand corner of browser.) 5. Edit the privacy settings of the Apps you use. 6. Review posts and photos that you are tagged in before they appear in your profile by editing your ‘timeline and tagging’ settings. 7. Check before adding content, including photos, that you have the right to do so. Facebook expects you to do this. 8. Always be nice online, just as you are in the real world. Facebook does not tolerate bullying or harassment 9. Report abusive or offensive content that you believe breaks Facebook T & C by using the “I don’t like this post” at the top right of the post. Reports are anonymous and you will not be identified. 10. Only make online friends with people you know and trust in the real world. You can easily ‘unfriend’ a friend - they will not be told. 11. Create a Facebook group for your family so that you have a private space to keep in touch, share photos and learn about Facebook together. 12. Read the Terms & Conditions to make sure you know what Facebook expects from you! 13. Visit the Facebook Safety Centre http://www.facebook.com/safety/tools/

13 Reasons has been developed by the HSCB eSafety Multi-agency group. For further advice email: [email protected]

© Herts for Learning Ltd.

Mind the Gap Conversation Starter Kit Questions you may want to ask your children, and use as a way of starting a conversation about internet use and staying safe online.

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What do you like to do most online?

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Do you play online games with friends you know in the real world, or do you play with anyone?

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What do you write on your Moshi Monsters pinboard? Who can see your pinboard?

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Do you tell your online friends your secrets or things you wouldn’t tell them in the playground?

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What is the age rating of the game you are playing? Can I play/watch the game with you?

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The minimum age to be able to open an account on Facebook, Instagram and many other social networks is 13 years. Ask your child/ren what age they pretended to be and why?

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Do you know your online friends in the real world? Are you always nice to your online friends?

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If someone online says or does something to frighten or upset you would you know what to do?

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Would you let a stranger in the street ask you personal questions in the real world? Do you let a stranger online ask you personal questions? If yes, is it time to change?

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Can you show me how to change Facebook privacy settings? Are your settings as private as possible?

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Has anyone ever said something nasty to you online? o Were you frightened or scared? o Would you know what to do?

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Do you know or can you show me how to report nasty comments, images and videos on (Moshi Monsters/ Instagram / Facebook and so on). Are you aware that you can usually do this anonymously?

Once online – always online. Ask your child/ren if they are happy for those comments, images, videos to be online forever? This online content could have a long term negative impact such as not getting a job interview or generally being unhappy about what was said and done several months/ years ago.

© Herts for Learning Ltd.

Here are some things you may want to do to help your child/ren ‘Stay Safe’ in the online world ·

Set ground rules and with younger children agree which websites they can visit. Remember these will vary depending upon the ages of your child/ren.

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Agree time limits and regular breaks. Remember letting children play video games just before bedtime may stop them sleeping well and have an impact on their learning.

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Find out how to set the parental controls and safe search. Contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to see what controls they may offer as part of the service. Remember none of these are 100% effective and supervision is always advised.

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Check the home page of your child/ren’s favourite social network, game and so on. Is there a section with information for parents? This will give you an overview of the website and its suitability.

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Spend 30 minutes watching your child/ren play an online game so that you can see the content and be happy that it is suitable for them.

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Check the age ratings of games at PEGI http://www.pegi.info/en/index/ Remember video games ratings are all about the content and not the difficulty of the game.

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Say NO to your child playing any game that has a rating of 18 years and above or using websites that you think are unsuitable.

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Talk you child/ren about their privacy settings and ask them to show you how to change these settings. Encourage your child/ren to only have online friends that know in the real world.

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Tell your child/ren what to do if they ever feel frightened or scared when online or using their mobile phone. It is important that your child/ren know they can always talk to you and you will help them ( you may not know the answer but by talking to the school, other parents, ThinkUknow FAQs, mobile phone provider and so on you will be able to find a solution.)

Visit ThinkUknow ( www.thinkuknow.co.uk ) and look at the parents section. Show your child the ‘Report Abuse’ button and together click to see the advice and links. Visit Childnet and have a look at the parents section http://www.childnetint.org/safety/parents.aspx Visit Internet Matters ( www.internetmatters.org ) which contains lots of useful information and guidance.

© Herts for Learning Ltd.