Online Safety for Pupils

Main Risks or Problems

The main risks or problems associated with the internet and mobile technology are:

  • Online sexual harassment.
  • Online bullying.
  • Online reputation.
  • Nudes and semi-nudes.
  • Social media.
  • Phishing and scams.
  • Fake news.
  • Medical misinformation.
  • Video calls.
  • Live streaming.
  • Privacy and data.
  • Digital wellbeing.
  • Location services.
  • Expiring content.

The following link provides a full description of each, including key advice - Help & Advice | Childnet


Need Someone to Talk to?


If there is an adult you trust and feel you can talk to, like a teacher or family member, you should let them know what’s happened.

Childline App

In March 2017, Childline launched a new app providing counselling to young people in the UK and Channel Islands through their smartphone. The app, named ‘For Me’ and invented by four teenagers, allows users to interact with all Childline’s online services including: 1-2-1 chat with a counsellor; the 'Ask Sam’ problem pages; and entrance to their private 'locker’, an area where they have their own daily mood tracker and can write down personal thoughts.

The app, developed in partnership with Barclays, is available as a free download so young people can easily access Childline's online services.

Stop, Speak, Support

In November 2017, The Duke of Cambridge launched the ‘Stop, Speak, Support’ campaign as part of The Royal Foundation’s Taskforce on the Prevention of Cyberbullying. 

The campaign was developed by a panel of young people to encourage their peers to take three simple steps when they see bullying online.

Find out more about the Stop, Speak, Support campaign.

'Own It'

The BBC have a website and app called Own It. The website has a lot of content for children to help them navigate their online lives, and the free smartphone app comes with a special keyboard which can intervene with help and support in the moments that children need it the most. It can be downloaded for free in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Childline

childline


You can talk to Childline about any problem you are worried about. They are available 24 hours a day and can talk to you in confidence. You can call them for free on 0800 1111 or visit their website

Cyber Mentors

cybermentors
 

If you are being bullied and need someone to talk to, you can find someone to talk to at Cybermentors, where there are people your own age and counsellors ready to listen and help.

 
CEOP - Report Abuse

clickceop
If someone has acted inappropriately online towards you or someone you know, you can report it directly to CEOP. It could be sexual chat, being asked to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable or someone asking to meet up. http://ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/

  

Get Safe Online

getsafeonline


Being the victim of online crime can be as distressing as real-world robbery. Learn about the real risks and understand the urgency of protecting yourself at GetSafeOnline.

 

General Advice

  • Only talk to people you know and trust in real life.
  • Don't give away personal information to strangers - like what street you live on, or where you go to school. Say "no" if they ask you to share photos or videos of yourself.
  • Set your profiles to private.
  • Be 'share aware' - once you share something online, you've got no control over what anyone else does with it. It's illegal to take, share or view sexual images of under-18s.
  • Be mindful of your digital footprint.
  • If you see something upsetting, or someone bullies you, tell an adult you trust.
  • Don't assume everything you see is true to life. People often make their lives look more exciting online.
  • Watch out for hoaxes and scams, like messages you're asked to pass on or that as you for payment details or passwords.
  • Be wary of schemes that promise easy cash in return for you receiving and transferring money, and don't be fooled by anything that glamorises gang lifestyles.
  • Watch out for loot boxes or other ways that games get you to pay - before you know it you can spend a lot on them.

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