Parent and Student E-Safety Guide

Date: January 2015

Introduction This guide provides parents, carers and students with advice, information and the tools to keep safe when using the internet, as well as empowering students who use the internet. It considers the dangers associated with using the internet and the strategies parents, carers and students can use to minimise the risks. What risks do young people face?      

Unwanted contact/ grooming. A person preparing a child, significant others and the environment for the abuse of this child. Specific goals include gaining access to the child, gaining the child’s compliance and maintaining the child’s secrecy to avoid disclosure. This may include - bribery, flattery, sexualised games, threats, blackmail, desensitisation (pornography, child abuse images, video and webcams may be used). Cyberbullying. The use of digital technology (text messaging, email, social networking sites etc.) to bully, harass or abuse someone.

Children and the Internet Today, children are exposed to the internet at an early age and from a variety of places. These include:      

School - computers can be found in all levels of the education system Home - many homes now have personal computers with internet access Friends - if your child does not have access to the internet at home, it is likely that a friend does Libraries - public libraries have internet computer terminals for use by the public Public places - public places where people can access the internet Mobile internet-enabled devices - mobile devices such as phones/ music devices/ tablets can access the internet

With so many options available, children can easily access the internet. This is why you need to prepare your children for internet safety, just as you would for other issues such as fire, road and water safety. Being prepared with an internet safety strategy for your children will reduce the risk of problems occurring. What devices are used?     

Mobile phones Laptops/computers Tablets Games Consoles Music devices ( e.g. IPod Touch)

How?       

Social networking sites - Facebook, Snap chat, BlackBerry Messenger, Twitter, ASK.FM Gaming - X-Box Live, PlayStation Network Forums - a person may start arguments or upset others by posting inappropriate messages in an online community such as a forum, chat room, or blog Email Sexting - sending sexually explicit messages or photos electronically. Once a photo is sent, you lose control of that image YouTube – viewing or posting videos online Webcam/ FaceTime chat

Cyber Bullying What is Cyber bullying?      

Cyber bullying is the use of ICT, commonly a mobile ‘phone or the internet, deliberately to upset someone else It can be used to carry out all the different types of bullying; an extension of face-to-face bullying It can also go further in that it can invade home/ personal space and can involve a greater number of people It can take place across age groups and school staff; other adults can be targeted It can draw bystanders into being accessories It includes: threats and intimidation; harassment or ‘cyber stalking’; vilification/defamation; exclusion or peer rejection; impersonation; unauthorised publication of private information, images or manipulation

Responding to Cyber Bullying Most cases of cyber bullying will be dealt with through the Academy’s existing Anti-bullying Policy and this must remain the framework when incidents of bullying are investigated. However, some features of cyber bullying differ from other forms of bullying and may prompt a particular response which may involve working with our school safety police officer. School advice and support for the victim   

Emotional support; reassuring them that they have done the right thing in telling Advising the person not to retaliate or reply. Instead, keep the evidence and take it to their parent or a member of staff Advising the person to consider what information they have in the public domain

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If hurtful or embarrassing content is being distributed, aim to get it removed from the web. If the person who posted it is known, ensure they understand why it is wrong and ask them to remove it. Work with our on-site police officer and make a report to get the content taken down. The person being bullied may be able to block the person bullying from their sites and services

Working with the bully and applying sanctions The aim of the sanctions will be:       

To help the person harmed to feel safe again and be assured that the bullying will stop To hold the perpetrator to account, getting them to recognise the harm caused and deter them from repeating the behaviour To demonstrate to the school community that cyber bullying is unacceptable and that the school has effective ways of dealing with it, so deterring others from behaving similarly Sanctions for any breaches of internet/ mobile phone agreements will be applied In applying sanctions, consideration must be given to type and impact of bullying and the possibility that it was unintentional or was in retaliation The outcome must include helping the bully to recognise the consequence of their actions and providing support to enable the attitude and behaviour of the bully to change A key part of the sanction may well involve ensuring that the student deletes files

Could my child be a cyber bully? No one wants to think of their child bullying other children. But cyber bullying is different from other forms of bullying - tactics can often be hidden and more subtle so it's sometimes difficult to detect. Cyber bullies don't need to be bigger or more aggressive or even in the same place as the child they’re bullying. But like all bullies, they often rely on the support of bystanders - other children who observe what they’re doing and don't challenge them. Ask your child if they've ever done anything online to hurt or upset anyone. It’s important to emphasise to your child that being cruel to other children and taking part in an activity that could hurt them is wrong. Cyber bullying also gives children the opportunity to bully adults. Teachers are sometimes the victims of internet messaging that undermines or ridicules them. Make sure your child is aware that these activities are unacceptable and that schools will deal harshly with the students involved.

Further information on cyber bullying is available on the following websites: www.cybermentors.org.uk http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/cyberbullying-an-introduction

Tips for Parents Getting set up correctly    

Check if you are connected to a family-friendly internet service provider. If not, switch to one that can help you with internet safety. Look at where the computer is set up at home. It should be in a public area of the house, not in a bedroom where it will be easier for you to supervise. Make sure you have safety software installed on your computer. This may include a filter and other security software such as anti-virus programs, spyware and ad-aware. Use a family-friendly search engine for all web searches (KidzSearch.com, Ask for Kids, Kids Click).

Create family guidelines 

Discuss the benefits and risks of going online with your children and reassure them that you are there to help if they get into trouble.

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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.

When online    

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Supervise and monitor the use of the internet with your family. If issues arise address them quickly and know who to report problems to. Encourage and support your family with their use of the internet. Teach them to make right decisions and increase the levels of responsibility as children get older. 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. 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. 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. Make sure your

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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.

Tips for Students Social Networking    

Privacy settings need to be set to ‘friends only’ – including comments, posts and photos Limit friend numbers to people you genuinely know – people you trust Only post content and photos you wouldn’t mind showing your family Learn how to report any issues direct to the social networking site

Web chat       

Never accept people you don’t know and trust in the real world Remember that giving out personal information can be risky Remember web cam feeds can be recorded and faked Don’t webcam with people you don’t know Turn off the webcam after use Delete people that make you feel uncomfortable Know how to report a problem

Mobile phones    

Don’t enable your location or geo tagging on your phone Only let friends in the real world have your phone number, BBM or location Think before you post Understand the safety functions and how to report

Gaming    

People are not always who they say they are online Keep gaming friends ‘in game’ Don’t give out personal information Learn the reporting processes in the game

How to report an online child safety issue – for children and parents If you need to report an online child safety issue then the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) offers a simple way to do so. Click HERE to make a report. CEOP WEBSITE http://www.ceop.police.uk/

The following sites all offer support and advice on e-safety:

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/

http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/parents-and-carers

http://www.saferinternet.org/

http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/

http://www.childline.org.uk/Pages/Home.aspx

http://www.digizen.org/

http://urlm.co.uk/www.cybermentors.org.uk

http://www.getconnected.org.uk/

http://www.childnet.com/resources/kia/

http://www.chatdanger.com/

https://www.kidscape.org.uk/

http://www.youthaccess.org.uk/