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Online safety
Support and resources for parents and carers

Online Safety

Rapidly changing technology and the internet gives opportunities for adults, children and young people but can bring risks such as cyberbullying, identity theft, scams, exposure to inappropriate sites, online grooming and exploitation.

e-Safer Suffolk

e-Safer Suffolk is an internet tool kit, full of resources and advice to keep children, young people, families, and vulnerable adults safe while online.

Screen Savers

We are spending more time online than ever before, possibly sitting and working with poor posture as we use makeshift desks and chairs. There is a tendency to take fewer breaks and less exercise and this is affecting our physical well-being.

Beacon House, the specialist therapeutic service for young people, families and adults has produced a series of six posters outlining ways to keep safe and alert when working at home, whether children or adults.

Download the posters here:  Posters to Download from Beacon House

Further Beacon House resources can be found on their website here: Beacon House Resources

Understanding Screen Addiction and Responsible Digital Use

This guide offers:

  • Informative insights into increased screen use during COVID-19 - with phone usage up by about 30% from pre-pandemic levels.

  • Step-by-step advice on how to take control of your screen use by identifying triggers, scheduling screen time, and setting restrictions on your phone.

  • Useful information on digital detoxers and dieters: 7 in 10 people have tried to moderate their digital consumption in some way, with 37% deleting an app and 27% turning off notifications.

e-Safety Tool

Online Compass is a free, simple tool to help keep children safe online. Learn how to make online a safer place for you and your group, visit the Online Compass website for expert advice.

YOTI App

The YOTI app is a way for for children to get sexual images of themselves removed which have been shared online. The child is asked to give the link to where the image is stored online, rather than sending the image itself. The YOTI app deals with identity and age checks of the child and this information is not stored after the verification check is complete.

More services which use the YOTI app are available here:  

  • NSPCC Sexting Advice - There's section which covers what you can do if you’ve lost control of a sexual image and refers to the YOTI app.

  • Childline Report an Image or Video – This is the portal where you can report images and videos for take down and again refers to using the YOTI app to verify age.

Get Safe Online was set up to research, raise awareness and develop an online educational programme.

Young Voices Youth Parliament with help from Hearing Voices and students from Lapwings Suffolk have made a Cyberbullying film and details of how to watch are below.

Money Mules

Fraudsters may ask you to receive money into your bank account and transfer it into another account, keeping some of the cash for yourself. If you let this happen, you’re a money mule. You’re involved in money laundering, which is a crime.

For more information visit the Money Mules website

Resources

Online Harms Bill

The NSPCC has published a report (September 2020) setting out a series of tests that the upcoming Online Harms Bill must meet to protect children online. The six tests include: creating an expansive, principles-based duty of care with tech firms having a legal responsibility to identify harms caused by their sites and deal with them; tackling online sexual abuse; tackling legal but harmful content; and holding the tech industry to account with criminal and financial sanctions.

Read the press release: Our six tests for government to create laws to protect children online

Read the report: How to win the Wild West Web: six tests for delivering the Online Harms Bill (PDF)

Digital Resilience

Source: UK Council for Internet Safety

The UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS) has published a framework and tool (September 2020) for organisations, including schools, to use to embed digital resilience thinking into their products, education and services. Digital resilience helps individuals recognise and manage the risks they come across when they socialise, explore or work online. An independent online hub for professionals working with children and families has been produced to support the adoption and application of the framework. It features an introduction to digital resilience; a guide to the UKCIS Digital Resilience Framework; and case studies demonstrating how the framework can be applied in a range of contexts.

Read the framework: Digital resilience framework

Visit the online hub: What is digital resilience?

Online safety

The Marie Collins Foundation (MCF) and the NWG Network have published resources for professionals and parents and carers working with issues of online sexual harm and young people. The guidance contains information about what online harm is, the specific issues facing young people, and ways professionals and parents and carers can engage with and support young people.

Read the guidance for professionals: Online sexual harm reduction guide

Read the guidance for parents and carers: How can I help my child?

Online safety in schools

The UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC) has released data ranking the performance of 14,000 schools in England on online safety. Analysis of data based on the assessment of schools participating in the 360 Degree Safe programme, an online safety review tool for schools, shows a variation of performance across England which means that children in some areas of the country could be left more vulnerable online.

Read the news story: New data: thousands of schools need more help to tackle online safety effectively

Access the safe schools index: Online safety: how well do schools protect children throughout England?

Sharing Nudes and Semi-Nudes

Advice outlining how to respond to an incident of nudes and semi-nudes being shared, which includes:

  • risk assessing situations

  • safeguarding and supporting children and young people

  • handling devices and images

  • recording incidents, including the role of other agencies

  • informing parents and carers

Read the content: Sharing nudes and semi-nudes - advice for education settings

Sexting

NSPCC Learning has updated its content on sexting advice for professionals which covers: policies and procedures you need to have in place, what to do if you are concerned a sexting incident has taken place, reporting concerns and getting images removed from the internet and raising awareness about sexting.

Read the content: Sexting: advice for professionals

Online Sexual Harm Reduction Guide

This guide addresses the challenges professionals face when working with issues of online harm and young people. Online Sexual Harm Reduction Guide

Further Resources

More children and young people are using the internet to connect with friends and family and make new friends, play games, watch videos and browse the internet for information.

When they are online they can learn new things but there are also risks involved. By understanding the risks and talking to your child about the dangers, you can help them keep safe online.

The NSPCC has some good advice on topics such as:

  • How to set up parental controls.

  • Talking to your children about staying safe online.

  • Icebreaker emails – to help you start conversations about staying safe online.

  • Be Share Aware – advice to help you keep your child safe on social networks, apps and games.

  • How Safe are the sites, apps and games your child uses?

  • Video chat, sharing and streaming apps – learn more about specific apps and the risks children face when using them.

  • Pokémon Go – a parent’s guide.

  • Minecraft – a parent’s guide.

  • Online gaming: helping children to play safe.

Support and Resources for Parents and Carers

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying has become increasingly common and is a form of harmful bullying behaviour which happens on social networks, apps, games and mobile phones. Cyberbullying can include posting rumours about someone, threats, sexual remarks, posting nasty or embarrassing messages, images or videos and revealing personal information. Cyberbullying can happen at any time or anywhere and a child can be bullied when they are alone in their bedroom so it can feel like there’s no escape.

Children may know who's bullying them online or they may be targeted by someone using a fake or anonymous account. It’s easy to be anonymous online and this may increase the likelihood of engaging in bullying behaviour. More information can be found on the NSPCC website. 

You can report any online abuse through the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP)

Child Sexual Exploitation Online

When young people go online they are at risk of sexual exploitation. They may be persuaded or forced to send or post indecent images of themselves, engage in sexual activities via a webcam or smartphone, engage in sexual conversations by text or online. Abusers may threaten to send images, video or copies of conversations to the young person's friends and family unless they take part in other sexual activity and images or videos may continue to be shared long after the sexual abuse has stopped. They are also at risk of:

The NSPCC has released some guidance about talking to children about sexting. For more information please see our Child Exploitation page.

Sexual Abuse Online

This booklet gives information for parents on what online harm is and the ways they can effectively help and support their children.

Further Information