South Yorkshire Police are showing their support of National Safer Internet Day on the 7^thFebruary.

In an aim to raise awareness and educate parents in ways to make sure their children are safe online, free sessions are going to be held at the Lifewise centre in Rotherham between 7^th-9^thFebruary.

The hour and a half sessions will cover areas such as how to use security settings on your internet and signs to look out for that your child may be in danger.

 ‘National Safer Internet Day’ is an annual event organised by INSAFE, who promote safe, responsible use of the Internet and mobile devices to young people.  The theme for the day this year is ‘Discovering the digital world together safely’.

The internet is now not just accessed by computers but children can easily access the full World Wide Web through most types of mobile phone and, in the majority of cases, the benefits of the internet easily outweigh any drawbacks.  However, it is important to be aware of potential dangers and how they can be avoided – by both you and your children.

Parents and Children need to both be aware that there are areas of the internet that contain violent, racial or pornographic images and information as well as sites that may be disrespectful to other people’s religious beliefs or cultural backgrounds.

 

Here are a few simple ways that you can keep your children safe online:

• Get to know your child’s online habits. Children are inquisitive. They will look to explore the internet as much as they do the real world. Knowing the sites they go to, the people they meet there and what they do will help to keep them safe.
• Stay alert to any sudden changes in mood or appearance, or to any major change in habits or to increased secretiveness. These are often tell-tale signs that something is not right.
• Keep lines of communication open - tell your child they can always talk to you or another trusted adult, such as a teacher, if they do end up in some sort of trouble on the internet.
• Make children aware that there are things on the internet, which may distress them.
• Spend some time surfing the internet yourself. The more that you know about the internet, the better able you are, in turn, to help your child navigate around it without coming to any harm.
• Install internet-filtering software showing a Child Safety Online Kitemark on your computer. These have been independently tested to provide a simple and effective means of support to parents, helping to ensure that a child’s online experience is a safe one.

 

You can book to attend a free session through participating schools and colleges in South Yorkshire or by calling the Lifewise centre on 01709 832455.