You don’t need to talk to your pre-schooler about online safety yet, right? Wrong. If you treat online safety just as you would treat road safety, then talking about safe internet use becomes the norm and not something that they feel needs to be hidden as they get older. So if they are worried about something they have seen online they can feel confident in talking to an adult about their concerns.
Short animation for parents and childcare providers:
Podcast for parents of young children:
Parents of pre-teens
Did you Know… the number of children exploited online doubles between the ages of 11 and 12 years old? This means those at the end of primary school, about to enter secondary school are particularly at risk, especially as it’s a time when some children begin to enter the world of social media. The brain development they're going through at this age makes it hard for them to make decisions or plan ahead. They get an increased drive for risk taking and trying out new things. They’re super sensitive to social status and so they start craving peer approval.
Safety Centre CEOP Education - The CEOP Education team is a part of the National Crime Agency and we run an education programme which aims to reduce the vulnerability of children and young people to online sexual abuse. CEOP provide training, resources and information for children and young people aged 4 – 18, their families and professionals who work with them.
UK Safer Internet Centre - Tips, advice, guides and resources to help keep your child safe online.
Marie Collins Foundation- Supporting victims and survivors, empowering families and professionals, and driving change to tackle technology-assisted child sexual abuse (TACSA).
Internet Watch Foundation - IWF work to eliminate child sexual abuse imagery online, preventing the ongoing victimisation of those abused in childhood and making the internet safer for all.
Internet Matters - Because children deserve a safe digital world. This site has lots of useful information for parents and carers including device safety settings and tips to talking about online safety.
