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A few basics Always supervise children & teenagers using the internet. This does not mean looking over their shoulder the whole time (you haven't got the time and they won't thank you for it). Let your child enjoy using the internet as safely as possible by making sure all internet-enabled devices are safely set up, by keeping updated on the latest developments and being aware of your kids' online activities. Computers. No
parental filter is foolproof so be aware of your child's internet use by keeping computers
& laptops & other mobile devices in rooms used by all the family. iOS, iPad, iPhone, iPod. The default browser on mobile Apple devices is Safari which cannot be set to restrict inappropriate sites. But you can disable Safari and replace it with a family-friendly browser app. (e.g. www.mobicip.com, http://www1.k9webprotection.com/, see www.apple.com/itunes for more options). To disable Safari go to settings then general then restrictions. You can also choose whether to block YouTube, what type of video content to allow etc. For more detailed and up-to-date advice and internet safety tips for kids see the links below. www.kidsmart.org.uk is especially useful. |
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BBC |
For parents |
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| Bing | To set SafeSearch on Bing click preferences then general, then SafeSearch then strict. | ||
| CBBC stay safe |
For kids Some child-friendly advice on staying safe. www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/help/web/staysafe |
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| CEOPS |
Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre. Runs very
useful website about online safety: see Thinkuknow
below www.ceop.police.uk |
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| Chatdanger |
A website for young people about the potential dangers on
interactive services online like chat, IM, online games, email and mobiles. www.chatdanger.com (for kids) |
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Childline |
For kids |
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Non-profit organisation working with others
to “help make the Internet a great and safe place for children”.
Portal to several useful sites
advising kids and carers on internet safety. |
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| CyberMentors |
For young people to help and support
each other online. |
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| Digizen |
For parents and young people. Strengthens awareness of what
digital citizenship is and shares specific advice and resources on issues
such as social networking and cyberbullying. www.digizen.org |
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Set strict
privacy settings. The default
settings change frequently so
keep an eye on this. But the
main principle is to choose
settings so that only accepted
friends can see your child's
Facebook info, photos and wall.
Go to the drop down arrow
at the top right side of the
Facebook page, choose privacy
settings, under
Control Your
Default Privacy
select friends so that
only friends see most of your
child's profile. Then go through
all the sections picking your
settings. To check you've done
this correctly, get someone who
is not "friends" on Facebook
with your child to look for
their profile and make sure they
cannot see anything except the
name and profile photo.
Mobile phone
numbers should not be posted. For a detailed explanation of Facebook and its settings see a Parent's Guide to Facebook: |
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| Gaming Devices |
Use the parental control settings to restrict games based on
age settings i.e. choose the highest game rating based on your child's age
so that a young child cannot play a violent 18+ game for example. Also set
restrictions for buying games so your chid cannot run up a nice big surprise
bill by downloading games. Apply web filtering or restrict internet access.
Make sure your settings are password protected. For some general safety advice and clear explanations on how to set these restrictions for the various game consoles including Nintendo DSi, 3DS and the Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii see www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/a-parents-guide/gaming-devices/ |
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Getnetwise |
For parents |
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| Google Safesearch |
Click settings then
search settings then scroll down and select strict filtering then save preferences. http://support.google.com/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=510 If you have a Google account (free) you can lock your safe settings. http://support.google.com/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=144686 Smart older kids may just switch to another search engine so don't forget to do change those settings too. |
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Internet Watch |
For parents |
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| iPad & iPod Touch |
To set parental
controls on iPad & iPod Touch go to settings then general then
restrictions. You can set a password and choose your settings e.g.
whether to disable Safari or YouTube, what type of video content to allow,
whether to restrict access to new apps from iTunes etc. http://knol.google.com/k/how-to-setup-parental-controls-on-iphone-ipod-touch Also look at: There are some more http://community.norton.com/t5/Ask-Marian/iPad-Family-Safety-Tips/ba-p/221041 |
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| Kidsmart |
Run by Childnet. Sections for
children, parents and schools. Very useful advice on using mobiles,
cyberbullying, safe searching, social networking. www.kidsmart.org.uk |
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| Know it All for Parents |
Simple guide to the internet for families. Particularly
useful if you're not a techie. Produced by the children’s internet charity
Childnet International. www.childnet.com/kia/parents/cd/textVersion/index.html |
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| The Lucy Faithfull Foundation |
The Lucy Faithfull Foundation is the only
UK-wide child protection charity committed solely to reducing the risk of
children being sexually abused. Specialist staff work with all those
affected by abuse including adult male and female sexual abusers; young
people with inappropriate sexual behaviours; victims of abuse and other
family members. Drawing on expert knowledge the Foundation offers a broad
range of services for professionals and members of the public. www.lucyfaithfull.org.uk |
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| Nintendo DSi |
Setting Parental Controls on the Nintendo DSi www.commonsensemedia.org/videos/setting-parental-controls-nintendo-dsi |
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| Parents Protect |
Parents Protect is a child sexual
abuse prevention and awareness website which helps adults do the best they
can to protect children from sexual abuse. The site is a useful resource of
information and guidance and features a 30-minute learning programme. |
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| Safer Internet Centre | see UK Safer Internet Centre below | ||
| Sorted |
Website for young people about keeping your personal
information safe online. www.childnet.com/sorted/ |
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| Smart Phones, Mobile Phones |
It's easy to forget that kids' smart phones have internet access
too. Even if you bought the phone clearly stating that it was for a child
your phone provider will probably assume the phone user is an adult. Call
your phone provider and ask them to add parental restrictions to your
child's mobile phone account. Make sure you have a password so only you can
change this. You can also download child safe browsers for a
small fee (e.g.
www.mobicip.com for iPhones, Android etc.). Tell your child not to give out mobile numbers to strangers or post it on message boards, Facebook etc. Advise them to never reply to texts or calls from people they don't know inc. spam. Switch off the "location service" which can indicate to other people where the phone user is. To do this go to the phone's settings or speak to your mobile provider. Ensure your child knows how to block people who send unwanted texts. As well as protecting your child, make sure they understand the importance of thinking about how they communicate with others. A hurtful (even if unintentional) text or bit of gossip can be seen as bullying. Remind them that messages can be "screen munched" (saved) so not to write anything they wouldn't want saved. For more info see this great fact sheet with a checklist on mobile phone safety: www.childnet-int.org/downloads/factsheet-mobiles.pdf And for clear explanations about smart phone uses, dangers and safety advice for iPhones, BlackBerry (BBM) and Android phones see www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-and-resources/a-parents-guide/smartphones |
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Stop it Now! |
www.stopitnow.org.uk is a useful website for anyone with concerns about
child sexual abuse. The Stop it Now! campaign operates a confidential
freephone Helpline for any adult with concerns about child sexual abuse.
This includes those worried about the behaviour of another adult towards a
child or children, those worried about their own thoughts or behaviour
towards children and those concerned about the sexual behaviour of a child
or young person |
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For kids, parents and
teachers |
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Lots of useful advice on how to use the internet and new technologies safely and responsibly. Also find a range of practical resources, news and events. |
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| Windows |
You can set parental controls for Windows but first you need
to set up a user account for your child. Click the Windows button then
Control Panel then User Accounts and
Family Safety to make user accounts and set
parental controls. www.which.co.uk/technology/computing/guides/how-to-secure-microsoft-vista/ |
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| This stuff changes fast. If you notice anything wrong or out of date above please let us know. | |||
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other links you might find useful: safe fun websites for kids homework help parents' corner |
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Internet safety
for children