Children and the Internet
Children are naturally trusting, curious and keen to explore the web and the relationships it brings. They need careful parental supervision and common sense advice on how to 'surf' safely. Potential risks include:
- The use of chat rooms by paedophiles (who may pretend to be another child) to establish deceptive relationships with children
- Internet pornography
- Cyber-bullying
You can help to protect your child online by:
- Asking your Internet Service Provider about installing parental controls to help prevent your child accessing inappropriate websites.
- Monitoring your child's use of the Internet and, as far as possible, avoiding your child going online in private.
- Checking that your child knows that they should not give out personal information over the Internet such as their address or telephone number.
- Making sure that your child knows that they should under no circumstances arrange to meet a new friend made on the Internet without a trusted adult present.
Further information
You can get more detailed information from the websites listed below:
SWGFL Safe (http://www.swgfl.org.uk/Staying-Safe) A detailed resource offering a wide range of information on how children and young people use the internet and how to help them stay safe.
Parents Centre (http://www.parentscentre.gov.uk/) A resource for parents covering everything to do with using computers and the internet.
NSPCC (http://www.nspcc.org.uk/) 'Help your child surf in safety' - more information on safe surfing.
