Getting involved in Safer Internet Day – resources for parents and carers

For Safer Internet Day 2018, the UK Safer Internet Centre has created a pack of activities and ideas for parents and carers to use with children from the age of 3 to 18.

Safer Internet Day 2018 will be celebrated globally on Tuesday 6th February 2018 with the slogan “Create, Connect and Share Respect: A better internet starts with you”.

The resources have been designed for you to use with your children and spark discussions around using the internet safely and responsibly. The focus this year is on digital wellbeing and healthy relationships online. Safer Internet Day is a great opportunity to celebrate the way that technology allows us to connect with our friends and family whilst also providing a chance to reflect on our relationships and even our relationship with technology.

Free resources to use at home

The Education Pack and complementary SID TV film for parents and carers provide a range of discussion points and things to do at home with children of all ages. In the pack you will find conversation starters, a fact sheet, pledge cards and lots of fun activities. 

Here are some of the many things you will find in the Safer Internet Day parents and carers pack:

Conversation starters – to use with children of all ages

We know that parents and carers want to talk to their children about their lives online but it can be difficult to know how to start those conversations. Here are some questions to help you, including having a discussion about what you as a family like to do online!

Fun things to do online – Activities to use with children aged 3 to 11.

It is never too early to learn about being safe online and here are lots of ways to do this with your children. In this part of the parents and carers pack you will find stories, videos and an online quiz too.

Digital myth or digital truth? – Activity to use with young people aged 11 to 18.

Discuss the myths or have a debate at home to see what your children think. The myths look at some of the feelings, benefits and pressures that come with going online. You will find this amongst the Quick Activities.

Factsheet – for any questions you might have or if you want more information

There is a lot of great information out there for parents. Here you will find lots of useful links and advice on topics on topics like online gaming, safety tools, reporting, parental controls and social media.

Top Tips for Parents and Carers

For Safer Internet Day we have created top tips and links with some suggestions on how to get started with supporting your child to stay safe and positive online. The tops tips cover a range of topics such as having an an open and honest dialogue and also looks at the tools that are available to help you as a parent. 

Join hundreds of supporters across the UK

You can link up with the wider campaign taking place across the UK – and globally in over 130 countries – by joining the social media campaign. This year we are using the idea of a jigsaw to show how we can all connect for a better internet. It would be great if families could sit down together and fill in their own jigsaw piece with a pledge or drawing of their favourite thing to do online. Download our templates to support the Safer Internet Day social media campaign #ItStartsWithUs.

Key links

Visit www.saferinternetday.org.uk for:

• Education Pack for Parents and Carers
• SID TV film for parents
• Join the social media campaign #ItStartsWithUs
• Sign up to the Thunderclap
• Top tips for parents and carers

Safer Internet Day

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Safer Internet Day 2018: Putting the spotlight on online safety in your school

With Safer Internet Day coming up on the 6th February, now is the perfect time to reflect on how your school is promoting online safety.

Online safety is a crucial part of every school’s curriculum, but finding ways to keep key online safety messages fresh and inspiring can be a real challenge. Here are our top tips on how to use Safer Internet Day to promote online safety, alongside some of the amazing ideas we’ve been hearing from the schools already registered as supporters of Safer Internet Day 2018.

Pupil powered online safety

Young people are often incredibly knowledgeable about technology and the online world, so why not use that expertise to your advantage? Peer-to-peer and youth-led activities run by pupils are a fantastic and popular way to spread online safety messages. For Safer Internet Day at Brooke School their digital leaders will be ‘organising a range of differentiated and interactive activities for students throughout school’ whilst at Dunbar Grammar School pupil ambassadors will be visiting local primary schools to ‘teach mini lessons’.

Get Parents Involved

Make sure online safety messages are making it home by getting parents involved. You might want to consider holding a session specifically for parents or have activities that children and parents can do together. At Eastfield Infants and Nursery School they’re holding a drop-in session for parents, whilst Hendre Infants School are giving pupils the opportunity to ‘demonstrate to their parents how they keep themselves safe online’.

Creative activities

Get young people really thinking about online safety, whilst keeping the activities fun and exciting by encouraging them to get creative. At Firs Primary School, KS1 will be rewriting online safety stories and KS2 will be ‘making their own board games’. Every year we also hear about schools writing their own songs, raps and poems or, like Turning Tides Triple T’s youth clubs, ‘creating their own TV adverts.’ In Wales, thousands of schoolchildren participated in a special creative competition to express how being online makes them feel.

Use Safer Internet Day to reinforce Online Safety Messages

Safer Internet Day is a great opportunity to really put a spotlight on online safety in your school. But remember, anything you choose to do on the 6th February should form part of ongoing coverage of online safety issues. Make sure pupils understand the importance of staying safe online throughout the whole year by returning to the topic regularly. You could also think about having a dedicated online safety display, a school charter or online safety rules which everyone agrees to follow or an online safety tip of the week in your school newsletter. At Little Aston Primary they’re using Safer Internet Day as an opportunity to ‘create a new school internet safety poster’, whilst at Feniscowles Primary their priority is to ‘reinforce the messages frequently given out in school’.

Free resources from the UK Safer Internet Centre

For a range of engaging and up-to-date ideas for your class, then the UK Safer Internet Centre have specially designed a selection of free-to-download education packs. These packs are available for ages 3-7s, 7-11s, 11-14s and 14-18s. Each pack includes lesson plans, posters, presentations, quick activities and more. There’s even a pack for parents and carers to do at home! You can also take a look at the SIDTV films produced to complement the Education Packs and focussing on this year’s theme of healthy online relationships and digital wellbeing.

Whatever you’re doing to put a spotlight on online safety this Safer Internet Day, we’d love to hear about it. Register as a supporter, like all the schools mentioned in this blog or join the #SID2018 social media campaign by creating your #ItStartsWithUs pledge.

Safer Internet Day

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1 week to go until Safer Internet Day

With just one week to go until Safer Internet Day 2018, we are truly inspired by the amount of activities and celebrations that are planned for the 6th February 2018. From football clubs to banks, schools to businesses, people all across the country are helping to create a better internet this Safer Internet Day.

In this blog we want to give you a quick rundown on how you can get involved too.

7 things to do in the next 7 days:

1. Sign up to the Thunderclap – Help us spread the word of Safer Internet Day in a mass social media post on the 6th February
2. Register as a supporter - showcase what you are doing to support Safer Internet Day, join over 1,000 supporters on our supporters list
3. Join the social media campaign - #ItStartsWithUs this Safer Internet Day, share your plans to make the internet a better place on social media using the hashtags #SID2018 and #ItStartsWithUs
4. Take the Safer Internet Day Quiz – test your students’ online safety knowledge with the Safer Internet Day Quiz
5. Check out the Safer Internet Day Top Tips – top tips for parents and carers, 11-18 year olds and under 11s to help keep you safe online this Safer Internet Day
6. Download the Safer Internet Day Education Packs and watch the SID TV films to incorporate Safer Internet Day into your lessons
7. Help us spread the word – Using the campaign toolkit and suggested tweets help us spread the word of Safer Internet Day across your social media profiles!

Post this on social media:

Just one week to go until Safer Internet Day on the 6th February! Find out more about how you can get involved in making the internet a better place this #SID2018 www.saferinternetday.org.uk

Safer Internet Day

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Safeguarding young people online: Advice for professionals this Safer Internet Day

As Safer Internet Day is fast approaching, Kathryn Tremlett from the Professionals Online Safety Helpline offers advice on what to do if a young person comes to you with an online safety concern.

Safer Internet Day is a great opportunity for teachers and professionals to have a conversation with their pupils about safe internet usage. As a direct impact of Safer Internet Day 2017 1 in 4 children aged 8-17 spoke to someone about something that had been worrying them online.

At the end of 2017, the findings from Europe-wide project deSHAME were published, revealing that young people face many barriers that can prevent them from speaking up about online sexual harassment. One statistic that stands out is 56% said they would be too embarrassed to seek help from a professional.

With this in mind, if you are a member of the children’s workforce it’s important that young people see you as someone they can approach. It can be daunting for both of you when you’re approached by a child concerned about online behaviour. Sometimes it can be difficult to relate, especially when it’s about technology you may not know a lot about.

In this blog the Professionals Online Safety Helpline (POSH) sets out what you need to remember if a young person comes to you with an online safety concern.

What to do

If a young person discloses a problem to you, here are our top tips:

• Let them talk – The young person has come to you, give them the space to share what they want to in their way. Try to avoid the temptation to interrupt because you know what’s going on, prompt if necessary but let them do most of the talking.
   
• Don’t make promises you can’t keep – The last thing a young person disclosing needs is promises about confidentiality which cannot be upheld. Make sure they know that you may need to talk to other people about the issue to help protect them from anything further happening.
   
• Don’t be shocked by what they tell you – If there’s one sure way to put a young person off seeking help it’s making them feel embarrassed or ashamed about why they’re asking for help. Times change and some of the things young people do today may make us cringe sometimes, but the inherent behaviour is the same as it was when we were their age.
   
• Trust your gut - If you have concerns, act now. Speak to the child, get support from their school and if you think they are at risk, contact the police. The National Crime Agency’s CEOP command has lots of advice at thinkuknow.co.uk
   
• Remember your Duty of Care – All members of the children’s workforce have a responsibility to provide a duty of care for any young person they work with. Even if you’re not 100% sure whether other agencies need to be involved to help protect a young person, talk to your designated safeguarding officer. They may be better placed to help work out the next course of action.
   
• Remember aftercare – All too often we hear about incidents where an issue has been resolved but following on from this a young person and/ or professional continues to struggle with the emotional trauma. They may not know where to go for help and pointing them in the right direction for emotional support is just as important as dealing with the incident itself.

If a child is in immediate danger

If you are concerned a young person is in immediate danger, call 999
 

The Professionals Online Safety Helpline

POSH (the Professionals Online Safety Helpline) was set up in 2011 to provide support to all professionals working with children and young people. We work with teachers, social workers, doctors, police, coaches, foster carers, youth workers and many more.

The helpline provides free, independent, expert advice on all aspects of digital and online issues, such as: bullying, gaming, sexting, fraud, and grooming to name just a few. There are many reasons that people call the Posh Helpline; from worries about a young person who’s constantly glued to their device, to someone making a false allegation about their organisation. Whether you need support or just someone to talk an incident through with, the Professionals Online Safety Helpline is open Monday to Friday, between 10am-4pm.

Tel: 0344 381 4772 email: helpline@saferinternet.org.uk

Download our free educational resources and watch our films about Safer Internet Day 2018

Safeguarding

Safer Internet Day

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How to get involved in the Safer Internet Day Social media campaign

#ItStartsWithUs this Safer Internet Day – top tips for getting involved on social media.

Around the world on Safer Internet Day, millions of people will be joining the #SID2018 social media campaign.

The UK campaign will start with a mass social media post – already set to reach over 2 million people!

Look out for the custom emoji on Twitter and global filter on Snapchat – and get involved by sharing your pledge using our #ItStartsWithUs template.

Together we can create a wave of kindness online this Safer Internet Day!

Using the #ItStartsWithUs template

There are three easy steps when it comes to using the #ItStartsWithUs template:

1. Use the jigsaw template and fill in a pledge to do something positive online. It could be a picture of the kind things you will do online or a pledge to take a positive action to make the internet a better place. The jigsaw shows how your actions fit in with the actions of those around you, to create a better internet.
2. Take a photo of your pledge and share it on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and any other social media platform with the hashtag #ItStartsWithUs
3. Encourage your friends, family, and colleagues to get involved too!

Sharing your pledge

You could also share your pledge to do something good in a text post, Tweet or on your Snapchat Story!

Here are some examples of the kinds of things you can share online this Safer Internet Day!

• This #SID2018 I will be posting kind comments to my friends online to create a better internet #ItStartsWithUs
• For Safer Internet Day I will post funny videos to cheer up my friends #ItStartsWithUs! #SID2018
• ​This Safer Internet Day we will be sharing positive messages with our followers #ItStartsWithUs #SID2018
• This Safer Internet Day we will be helping to make the internet a better place #ItStartsWithUs #SID2018 

Showing kindness online

The internet provides a powerful way for us to spread kindness and respect and support our friends.

A key way to get involved in Safer Internet Day on social media is by taking action online. This could be sharing a positive comment, posting a picture to cheer a friend up, or supporting your friends when they post something online! This Safer Internet Day we want to promote a better internet, and this can be achieved by everyone taking small steps to show kindness and respect online! A better internet starts with you!

Why not join the Thunderclap? Simply sign up here.

Joining the global conversation

To follow the global conversation this Safer Internet Day, and see what people are doing around the world use the hashtag #SID2018!

Find out more about all of the ways you can get involved on social media, including example tweets and the templates you need by visiting www.saferinternetday.org.uk/social-media

Safer Internet Day

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Safer Internet Day reaches 1,000 Supporters

We are delighted to announce that the Safer Internet Day supporters list has reached over 1,000 supporters!

The supporters list showcases what activities are taking place across the UK on Safer Internet Day to promote the safe and positive use of technology.

A wide range of registered supporters have pledged to get involved in delivering Safer Internet Day activities; including:

• 699 schools, including primary and secondary schools across the UK
• 76 charities, including the National Children’s Bureau, NSPCC, Stonewall, The Mix, the Scout Association, UK Youth
• 90 businesses, including Facebook, Lloyds Banking Group, Microsoft and Vodafone
• 40 government, including the Department for Education, Scottish Government, Welsh Government, and local authorities across the UK
• 23 police, including Police Scotland, the Metropolitan Police, and police services across the UK
• 72 other, including Premier League Football Clubs, teaching unions, regulators, industry bodies and more!

This collective activity will achieve a hugely positive impact. Last year, together we reached 42% of UK children and 23% of UK parents and inspired conversations across the UK about the safe and positive use of technology. 

To see a full list of registered organisations and view the map visit our Supporters List.

Join the list by completing the online registration form.

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How the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) makes the internet a safer place

The following blog contains content of a sensitive nature and addresses the issue of child sexual abuse.

How the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) makes the internet a safer place

By Kate*, IWF Hotline Analyst

Every time Hayley, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, receives a brown envelope through the door, her heart pounds. She throws the brown envelope in a pile with others, and vows never to look at it. Within these envelopes are a reminder of the darkest time of her life – when she was being sexually abused as a child.

Hayley and her sister were abused from birth. Both of them told the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) that they receive two to three of these brown envelopes from law enforcement each week- notifications which detail another incident where an image of their horrific abuse was shared another time by an offender on the internet. She also told us that as well as spending her life out in public worrying that anyone she encounters might have seen pictures of her, she is terrified all the time that anyone could approach her and physically hurt her.

Hayley and her sister are just two victims of child sexual abuse which the IWF has regularly helped. The IWF Hotline remains constantly vigilant, not only processing reports from distressed members of the public who have stumbled across child sexual abuse content, but also proactively searching for this content, hunting it down so fewer offenders worldwide have access to it, while stopping them from continuously sharing the images on the open and dark web.

The IWF’s journey started in 1996 in a small office on the outskirts of Cambridge. At this point, the UK hosted a whopping 18 percent of known child sexual abuse imagery on the internet. The analysts on the team got to work; by 2003 the figure fell below one percent, and it now stands at 0.1 percent.

With big internet industry partners, the IWF has made the internet a safer place where fewer people stumble across traumatising child sexual abuse content. Meanwhile, our image Hash List has allowed child sexual abuse victims to sleep better at night knowing that their images can never resurface again. This year the IWF, after developing the latest technology, will be able to better detect previously unseen images, rather than ones already on our database of digital fingerprints (hashes), which could see law enforcement across the world finding and saving new victims from abuse quicker than ever before. A third beneficiary of the IWF’s work is our Members, whose networks remain free from illegal content using a range of services, including the URL List and Keywords List.

Every time a child sexual abuse victim’s image is shared, they suffer revictimisation. As the IWF spreads its roots across the world through its international Reporting Portals, it is saving more and more victims from sexual rape and torture. Children’s lives are irrevocably changed after child sexual abuse, and the IWF is here to make sure they no longer have to fear the images of their suffering being seen and shared. The IWF’s work as one of three partners in the UK Safer Internet Centre furthers its goal to protect children on the internet by helping to prevent children getting into unsafe situations, on top of its work helping victims after sexual abuse.

Please help victims like Hayley by spreading the word about the IWF’s work. You can sign up to our Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn pages, and encourage your local schools and other organisations to get involved in Safer Internet Day.

*Kate’s name has been changed to protect her identity.

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