Week 1 - E - Safety

Safety First! 

The internet, what did we ever do without it?!

Whether it is for information or entertainment (yes that includes looking at pictures of cats) the world wide web has become a vital part of our modern lives. At the swipe of a finger we now have instant access to everything and everyone.

By becoming so familiar with the internet, it is easy to forget about the many risks and dangers that it also presents, especially to children.

Computing and Technology now takes a major role in modern education and like most things, it makes sense to start with safety first.

In fact, E-Safety is such a priority now that it has been written into the National Curriculum for Computing at Key Stage 1 where children are taught to,

"use technology safely and respectfully, keeping personal information private;

identify where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies"

  (DfE 2013)

What dangers do children need to be aware of on the internet? 

Strangers:
Just like in the real world not everybody you meet can be trusted. That is not to say every stranger presents and immediate danger but it is often better to be 'safe than sorry'. Especially online where it is incredibly easy to present a secret identity. 

If you are interacting with strangers online it is important to keep your personal information (such as full names, emails, telephone numbers and home address) private. You wouldn't give this information to someone you just met on the street so don't do it online either.

Cyber Bullying:

With children spending so much of their time on the internet sharing Facebook posts, tweets and chatting with friends the opportunity for cyber-bullying is very relevant. Children and parents need to know how to prevent cyber-bullying and how to speak out against it if they are a victim.

Safe Searching: 

Search engines allow us to find anything we might need to online. But sometimes we end up in the wrong places. For children this could be particularly dangerous. Have child safe filters on home and school computers helps to prevent this.

Stay SMART online!

E-Safety needn't be a boring or scary exercise for children. With a small set of easy to follow rules children can learn how to be SMART online and the internet can be an enjoyable and informative world, just waiting to be discovered!

The internet is a great tool but one we must all learn to use safely and as Spiderman famously learned, "with great power comes great responsibility".


For more information about E-Safety and how to be safe online please visit the following websites:

http://www.kidsmart.org.uk/beingsmart/

http://www.childnet.com/

http://www.chatdanger.com/

http://stopcyberbullying.org/