Online Safety for Parents
The internet provides both opportunities and threats to young people, such as bullying, grooming, exposure to pornographic materials, radicalisation & extremism and sexual exploitation.
Online safety is an umbrella term for promoting the safeguarding of children and young people when using any device over the internet. We know that the online world can add great value to the lives of children and young people; whether it be personally or educationally. This is also an evolving area with developments now in virtual reality there are major shifts in how young people interact with the world.
Many adults believe that young people know more about technology than they do, but there’s more to technology that the technology itself. The internet more than ever is about relationships, choices and respect. Its proper usage requires wisdom, positive personal values, emotional intelligence and self-reflection.
Definition of Online Abuse
Online abuse is abuse that is facilitated using technology. It may take place through social media, online games, or other channels of digital communication. Technology can facilitate a number of illegal abusive behaviours including, but not limited to: harassment; stalking; threatening behaviour; sharing indecent images of children under 18; inciting a child to sexual activity; sexual exploitation; grooming; sexual communication with a child; and, causing a child to view images or watch videos of a sexual act. Using technology to facilitate any of the above activities is online abuse.
Knowing their world
It is not only computers that are internet-enabled, with games consoles, mobile phones and tablets all allowing the children who use them access to chat rooms, pornography and other sites where they may be at risk. In this digital age, online safety is a concern for all who work with or are parents to children and young people. The internet is a wonderful resource for learning but there are inherent risks in online activity. Online abuse is increasing at an alarming rate with a 298% increase in reported incidents of indecent images over the last eight years.
Sometimes when thinking about online safety we focus on risks such as bullying, sexting, CSE and radicalisation. However, we know that the online world also has the ability to compromise the well-being of an individual in terms of sleep, self-esteem, confidence, peer pressure and the fear of missing out.
Daily life is now becoming online life, so other areas of risk from our world, such as gambling, are now easily accessible online and young people can find themselves getting into difficulty. Opening up conversations to bridge the divide between the internet and young people’s lived experience in their families, schools and communities can create opportunities to help.
Knowing the Risks
grooming: through social media and/or gaming, this may involve radicalisation and/or sexual abuse;
cyberbullying: can occur through any ICT, especially mobile phones;
sexting: sending explicit or compromising photos or videos;
sexual abuse: including non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways;
financial: although this is rare towards children it does occur – online gambling is an increasing risk;
exposure to inappropriate materials, racial hatred, frightening or pornographic pictures and videos;
obsessive use of the internet and ICT, for example, addiction to video games;
inappropriate or illegal behaviour, for example, exposure to hate mail or offensive images;
copyright infringement, for example, the illegal sharing of music, pictures, videos or documents.
Spotting the signs
It is not always easy to spot signs of online abuse or lack of understanding of online safety.
They may include:
spending much more or much less time online, texting, gaming or using social media;
appearing withdrawn, upset or outraged after using the internet or texting;
being secretive about who they’re talking to and what they’re doing online or on their mobile phone;
having lots of new phone numbers, texts or e-mail addresses on their mobile phone, laptop or tablet.
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media rates movies, TV shows, books, and more so parents can feel good about the entertainment choices they make for their kids. We offer the largest, most trusted library of independent age-based ratings and reviews.
