Internet safety advice
The internet is an integral part of children’s lives today. It opens up endless educational and social opportunities and gives them access to a whole new world of information and experiences.
To get the most out of the internet, children need to learn how to stay safe - and just as you taught them to cross the road safely, you can teach them lifelong online safety skills.
Help them understand what the risks are online and why they need to remain vigilant and cautious:
- Some people lie online and are not who they say they are - and that is why children should never ever meet up with strangers they talk to online or give out their real name, email address or phone number
- Emails from people they do not know should not be opened because they might contain something inappropriate or have a computer-damaging virus
- Not all sites are fun and harmless – they might contain something disrespectful about people’s beliefs or images they would find distressing
- Show them that they can talk to you or a trusted adult if something worries them
- The internet world can often feel separate from the real world - help them understand that they should behave online as they do usually and that nothing is private - images, messages and videos can be changed and spread across the internet very quickly
