Online Safety
What is online safefy?
Online safety is a term which means not only the internet but other ways in which young people communicate using electronic media, e.g. mobile phones. It means ensuring that children and young people are protected from harm and supported to achieve the maximum benefit from new and developing technologies without risk to themselves or others.
What does online safety cover?
Safeguarding children and young people online can involve a range of potential issues such as:
- Cyberbullying
- Radicalisation
- Extremist behaviour
- Child sexual exploitation
Why is it important to stay safe online?
Most of us are ‘connected’ via our laptops, mobile phones, tablets or personal computer. The potential for the internet to be a valuable and a fun resource for entertainment, making friends, keeping in touch and learning is huge. But if you use the internet, you could be at risk of illegal activity or abuse - be it bullying, fraud or something more serious. Unlike seeing someone face to face, on the net, people aren't always what they first seem.
In the same way you learn about safety when you leave the house, it is important to learn how to stay safe online. These are skills that will stay with you for life.
Some Golden Rules
- Don't give out personal information such as your address or phone number.
- Don’t send pictures of yourself to anyone, especially indecent pictures.
- Don't open emails or attachments from people you don't know.
- Don't become online ‘friends’ with people you don't know.
- Never arrange to meet someone in person who you've met online.
- If anything you see or read online worries you, tell someone about it.
- View our acceptable uses policy for children