The internet is a great place for children to be. At Market Drayton Junior School we take Online Safety very seriously, but we know how difficult it can be to keep track of all the latest sites and apps that children are interested in. On this page we will try to keep help you stay up to date so that we can all work together to keep our children safe.
To kids, online life is real life. And, just like in real life, kids need help to stay safe online.
Share Aware is an NSPCC and O2 campaign to help parents have regular and informed conversations with their child about online safety. We're aiming to get every family in the UK chatting about their kids' online world, just like they would about their day at school.
We tell children that’s it’s good to share, but online it’s different and sometimes it can be dangerous. Through our straight-forward, step-by-step advice and Icebreaker email series, we’ll show parents how to untangle the web and teach children how to make the right decisions online, even when parents aren’t there.
Our new TV ad – Safety advice from a 10 year old.
Icebreakers email series – We’ve teamed up with O2 to create a bespoke email series full of tips and information on different issues eg cyberbullying and inappropriate content, with activities parents can complete with their child.
Family agreements – We have created a downloadable family agreements document for families to complete and fill in together.
Share Aware homepage - Read our step-by-step guide to being Share Aware and our TEAM (Talk, Explore, Manage, Agree) framework on how to stay safe online in four simple steps.
Net Aware - Our guide to the most popular social networks sites, apps and games that children use. New sites site such as Musical.ly, Kiwi and Pokemon Go have been added this year, along with a breaking news page and top tips from O2 Gurus on blocking, private account settings or in-app purchases. The new Net Aware can be downloaded on both iOS and Android.
Specialised advice - Advisors at our O2 & NSPCC Online Safety Helpline – 0808 800 5002 – are here to help with any questions, or anyone can make an appointment with a Guru in store.
This website is a guide to the social networks children use. It has been designed for the parents of 8 to 12 year olds and provides information about the social networks, apps or games with an interactive element that children use most frequently.
The purpose of the guide is to provide parents with the information they need to be able to keep their children safe online, to encourage parents to look for themselves and form their own views about the appropriateness of popular sites, and to give parents the confidence to have conversations about what their children are doing online. It is based on other parents' experiences and the views of young people.
Where to go to find help about the safety features available on these popular social networks.
Please click on the links below to find out information about the video games your children play. In addition, the site explains where to find the most up to date information for setting parental controls on consoles and explains how PEGI ratings work.
Cyberbullying and online harassment can be extremely distressing. They can be even be classed as criminal offences in some cases.
However, there are plenty of organisations you can turn to for help, including charities, social media service providers, and the police
Here’s an overview of what online bullying is, how you can avoid it, and where you go for advice:
Making comments or posts online that are deliberately abusive, offensive, threatening, or inflammatory.
Liking and sharing this kind of abuse can also count as bullying and harassment.
Online bullies and harassers use all sorts of platforms, including social media (like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram), forums, gaming sites, comments sections, mobile phone chat groups and more.
There’s a very detailed definition of cyberbullying at: bullying.co.uk/cyberbullying/what-is-cyberbullying/
Think before you post: when posting or commenting online, consider what you say and what effect it may have. Never post comments that are abusive, threatening or are likely to cause offence to others.
Keep personal information personal: do not say anything or publish pictures that might later cause you or someone else embarrassment. Be aware of what friends post about you, or how they reply to your posts – particularly about your personal details and activities.
Make the most of privacy settings: keep your profiles closed, allowing access only to your chosen friends and family.
Social media help sections can show you how to block users, change your privacy and contact settings, and report abusive content:
Report cyberbullying to internet service providers: lots of content online is offensive or upsetting. It’s not always a criminal offence, but it often violates the terms and conditions established by social media sites and internet service providers. Service providers are often keen to take action against users who abuse their terms of service.
If you believe that you are the victim of online bullying, keep a record of the content (for example, take a screenshot). You can use this to help your report to the service provider and, if necessary, the police.
It may feel awkward, but it's important to explain to children the risks of sexting, how to stay safe and remind them that they can talk to you if something ever makes them feel scared or uncomfortable.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) has information about sexting on its website:
Parent Zone offers advice on how to help your child:
Safer Internet Day in the UK is run by the UK Safer Internet Centre and this year’s theme, is ‘Our Internet, Our Choice, which encourages children to work together to be positive, safe and respectful online. These sessions will empower children to take control of their digital lives and consider how consent works in an online context. It will explore how young people ask for, give and receive consent online. This could be in friendships, how they take and share images and videos or how they manage their privacy and data.
Talking to children about these risks, how they manage them and what to do if they are worried is key to supporting them to make positive choices and stay safe online.
For further information, please watch the video below and look at the Factsheet and Conversation Starters for Parents and Carers.