We have worked very closely with Richard Pomfrett, founder of the Stay Safe initiative, to teach our children and parents about online safety. Below, you can see the recording from the online safety parent workshop.

From Richard's discussions with our children, these are our findings and recommendations for parents and children.

Social Media Usage:

All year KS2 groups mentioned using the following Apps: WhatsApp (13+), TikTok (13+), SnapChat (13+), Instagram (13+) and Discord (13+). Some pupils said they also have public accounts. This presents obvious risk, as it opens them up to anyone making a direct connection. As parents/carers, have open discussions with your children about using social media and emphasise the importance of maintaining private social media accounts. This approach is not only safer but also contributes to a more positive online experience.

Online Gaming:

In terms of gaming, all the usual suspects, such as Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite. Most gamers (across all year groups) admitted to regularly playing and chatting with people they do not know. It's highly advisable for parents to fully understand the risks of online grooming and engage in age-appropriate conversations with their children about it.

Warning Signs (Online Grooming):

Below are four warning signs we try to help children recognise, when interacting with people they do not know online (often seen as their online friends).

1. Someone showing an interest: sharing personal information online (everything from names and addresses, to hobbies and interests) with others, could lead them into further conversation and make it easier for online predators to find out more about them.

2. Decline gifts: children should not accept gifts, as adults looking to exploit them might offer in-game currency or online gifts as a way to gain trust.

3. Reject private connections: children should avoid connecting privately with unknown individuals. Adults sometimes try to move public conversations to private platforms like WhatsApp or Snapchat.

4. Never meet up: meeting in person with online friends is obviously highly risky.

Action Steps for Parents:

We urge all parents/carers to take the time to fully understand what their children are doing online and the functions available on the apps and games they use:

Can they chat with others?

Can they connect with people they don't know?

What kind of content can they be exposed to?

What are the age ratings of the games and apps they use?

What setting are available to limit risk and encourage a more positive environment?

Action Steps for Parents & Children Together:

Sit down with your children and explore privacy settings in the games and apps their children use.

Parents/carers to ask children to show them how they BLOCK & REPORT people in the games they play (lots of children can say you should, but not all know how to).

If they use social media, determe if their accounts are private or public (as stated above, some children were not sure).

 

By understanding these aspects, parents/carers can make informed decisions and provide the necessary support for their children's online activities. Knowledge is the key to fostering meaningful conversations and sharing ideas on how to ensure online safety at home. If we all (school/parents/carers) work together, we can create a safer online environment for our children. 

Action Steps for Children:

Take control of who they are letting into their digital world. We recommend our children look through who they have connected with on the games and social platforms they use and remove any people that they do not actually know in their real life.