A message from the Head...
Keeping our children safe in an ever developing technical world is difficult and at times quite frightening. Children are used to modern technology and, especially as they get older, are more adept at getting what they want from their devices - with or without permission.
In my experience parents fall into two categories. Firstly, those who seek to understand technology and use available information to keep their data and their families safe. And, those who use technology but don't really know how safe they are or what their data is used for or what/who their children are interacting with when online.
Not surprisingly we mostly fall into the rather generalist second category. I say 'we' as I'd put myself here too.
Whether or not we understand how our devices work, quite often children are allowed unmonitored access to the internet and use their devices in the privacy of their own rooms. This makes it very difficult to know how safe your children are. All of the internet related issues I have addressed with parents have been associated with un-monitored access.
There will always be 'another scare' relating to internet safety. The advice we have been given is not to draw attention to it but deal with cases as they arise. The information linked to the image below will help you gain a good understanding of the internet and the platforms the children use. Please follow the link and read the advice. This link will help you have a conversation about online safety.
As parents we are responsible for the amount of time our children spend online, for example, watching media, engaging in chat or looking at images. If we don’t supervise them we just don’t know what they are doing. Your child may be being bullied at home, in their own bedroom, without you even knowing!
Don't leave finding out until it's too late!
