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Online radicalisation

Talk to your child about online safety, explain the dangers, and make sure their social media accounts are secure. Install parental controls so you can monitor what they access.

The NSPCC has produced the following helpful suggestions to help keep your child safe:

  • Speak with your child about what they do online
  • Ask them to show you some of their favourite sites
  • Show an interest in who their friends are online
  • Ask them how they decide who to be friends with
  • Try and get them to friend you online too
  • Agree the amount of time they spend online and the sites they visit
  • Think about installing parental controls on their devices
  • Raise the issue of inappropriate content. Have they seen any?
  • Make sure they know how to report abuse online

Children don’t think of people they have met online through social networking and online games as strangers – they are just online friends. Point out that it’s a lot easier for people to lie online than it is in real life. Ideally be friends with your child on social media, but if they resist, ask a friend or family member you both trust to try.

Take an interest in your child’s online activities in the same way you do with their offline activities. What is their criteria for choosing friends? How come they have so many? Don’t be afraid to ask, as it’s important to discuss online safety with them.

Agree on some ground rules together. Consider the amount of time they are allowed to spend online, the websites they visit and the activities they take part in. Parent Zone have guides on different social media and gaming platforms.

Internet service providers (ISPs), such as Virgin Media, TalkTalk, Sky or BT, provide parental controls for laptops, phones, tablets, game consoles and other devices that connect to the internet. Parental controls help you filter or restrict what your child can see online.

Check the privacy settings on your child’s social media accounts to keep personal information private. Talk to them about what to do if they see worrying or upsetting content or if someone contacts them and makes them feel anxious or uncomfortable.

Many websites have tools to report abuse – make sure they know about these too.

There are some great websites to help you learn more about child online safety, such as Internet Matters, Safer Internet and Childnet. If you are concerned about something, you can call the NSPCC’s online safety helpline on 0808 800 5002.

Resources

Online safety advice for parents from Childnet International, a non-profit organisation helping to make the internet a safe space for children. Whether you’re puzzled by parental controls or would like to know more about gaming, Childnet International can help parents keep up to speed with what children and young people are doing online. The website includes a whole host of useful ways to keep your child safe, from the basics every parent needs to know, to hot topics and emerging web trends.

 


A note about our third-party resources 

Third-party resources are those not created directly by the Educate Against Hate team, or by the Department for Education. All third-party resources hosted on Educate Against Hate have undergone a quality-assurance process, a due diligence assessment and content review before being added to the site, so you can have confidence that you’re using trusted, accurate, high-quality content.

You should use any resources on this website at your own discretion. When selecting resources and materials to use, schools may find it helpful to review guidance produced by the Department for Education on using external agencies.


 

A website for parents, backed by the UK’s biggest Internet Service Providers, with resources and conversation starters to keep children’s online life fun and safe. It maps some of the most common apps available and highlights those that might create risky situations for children, such as unintentionally revealing personal information, stranger danger and generating large bills through in-app purchasing. It also features advice on apps that can be used to improve children learning and wellbeing to help them get the best experience out of the online world.

 


A note about our third-party resources 

Third-party resources are those not created directly by the Educate Against Hate team, or by the Department for Education. All third-party resources hosted on Educate Against Hate have undergone a quality-assurance process, a due diligence assessment and content review before being added to the site, so you can have confidence that you’re using trusted, accurate, high-quality content.

You should use any resources on this website at your own discretion. When selecting resources and materials to use, schools may find it helpful to review guidance produced by the Department for Education on using external agencies.


 

Expert information for families and schools, featuring carefully checked and curated advice and information on issues related to internet safety.

UK Safer Internet Centre is a partnership of three leading charities, Childnet International, Internet Watch Foundation and SWGfL, with a mission to make the internet a better place for children and young people. It coordinates Safer Internet Day across the UK and provides support with online safety issues via a helpline to professionals working with children and young people. The centre has produced a range of education packs covering all year groups to help schools promote internet safety.

 


A note about our third-party resources 

Third-party resources are those not created directly by the Educate Against Hate team, or by the Department for Education. All third-party resources hosted on Educate Against Hate have undergone a quality-assurance process, a due diligence assessment and content review before being added to the site, so you can have confidence that you’re using trusted, accurate, high-quality content.  

You should use any resources on this website at your own discretion. When selecting resources and materials to use, schools may find it helpful to review guidance produced by the Department for Education on using external agencies.