Cyber bullying

Unfortunately due to the extended use of online devices by children and the advancement of technology cyber bullying is on the rise. It is an issue which we all must be aware of. 

Parents:

1. Please remind your child(ren) about the being kind while online-whether they are using a phone or IPAD/laptop.
2. Be vigilant and keep a close eye on the activities taking place on your child’s phone/Ipad.
3. Set up safety features on your child's device-preventing others to access to cause harm.
4. Only allow the use of the device under your supervision within a set timeframe.
5. Check your child's device regularly.
6. Remember platforms like whatsapp and Ticktok are only for 13 year olds so should not be used by any child attending Elfrida.

As a school we can offer support and advice. If you are concerned about your child being bullied online please report this to the police if cyber bullying takes place outside of school hours.

PLEASE READ THE POSTERS BELOW FOR ADDITIONAL TIPS.

E safety advisor information

We held a number of online safety workshops last year for our children and parents.

All of Luke's slides can be accessed here.  If you have any questions please ask.  

The company who delivered the training is Education Child Protection Ltd.  You can follow them on Twitter or Facebook as well as looking at their website for further information. 

Website:     www.ecplimited.com 

Linkedin:    @Education Child Protection LTD. 
Twitter:       @ECP_LTD

Facebook:  @ECPLimited

E safety is all about keeping our children safe on line

Our children's safety is always our priority.  With an ever changing online world, it is vital that we try to keep up with what is going on so that we can keep our children safe.

You wouldn't let your child wander off into London without knowing where they were and who they were talking to.  In the same way please don't let your children wander around the virtual world without having the same knowledge.  

Share Aware offers simple, step–by–step advice that will help you have the right conversations with your children about online safety.

Learn how to untangle the web through the Icebreaker email series. In just six weeks you'll be an expert in a child's online world and how to spot potential risks.

E-Safety Advisor - Monthly Newsletters

Alan McKenzie is a e-safety advisor who works in many different schools across the country.

He has his own website that promotes e safety and regularly publishes a newsletter with all of the latest information in it.

You can access Alan's web page at https://www.esafety-adviser.com/latest-newsletter// 

The internet allows us all to explore, learn and develop.  It allows us to be independent, to be in control, to develop our identities.  It also allows us to create social connections with others.

These are great things and a reason to encourage children to use the internet.

Sadly, the internet is also a place where we can be taken advantage of and lied to. Just as in the real world, there are some people who will take advantage of the virtual world and use it to harm others.

Our children will use the internet.  

It is vital that we teach them to stay safe.

Questions to ask children when they are online:

* What are you sharing?  Can you share images and locations?

* Who are you sharing with?

* Can you 'chat' to other members?  Is this chat public - ie in a chat room where others can see the messages, or is it private, where messages are only seen by the sender and the recipient.

* Is it a gaming site?  Who are you playing with - ie other members, friends, strangers, the computer?

Rules to give children for online safety

* Never give out your address to anyone.

* Never give out your phone number.

* Tell your parents your passwords but NO ONE else.  

* Never arrange to meet anyone you have met online without checking with your parents first.

* Never put pictures on line without checking with a parent that they are suitable.  

* Do not respond to any messages that are rude or make you feel uncomfortable.  ALWAYS tell an adult if this happens. 

New apps are being developed almost daily.  Many of these are free to download and can be very useful.

The main social media apps that children use are 

     Instagram  Tiktok - 

Snapchat    WhatsApp   

Youtube   Roblox  

Houseparty                                          Twitch

 (Group video chat)                           Live computer gaming

Discord

Chat app (mainly about  

computer games)  

There are age restrictions in place on these apps and they are there in an effort to help your child stay safe.  

If you allow your child to have an underage account it is vital that you know what they are posting and who they are communicating with.

Remember that not everyone is who they say they are and on many of these sites anyone can contact your child. 

Click here for the Parents guide to Instagram

Please make sure that you are also up to date with the Apps security settings.  Many apps have a way of blocking unwanted contact and preventing the sharing of information.  It is very important to talk to your child about their security settings and ensuring that they are as high as possible.

Click on each of the App logos above to see more details about the Apps and securing your child's account

Children will keep up to date with the development of Apps far quicker than adults will, but there is help out there!

We advise that before downloading any new app you check it out on www.net-aware.org.uk

The NSPCC and 02 have got together to look at social media apps for children.  This site lets you know what the app is and they are reviewed by parents like you.  So please arm yourself with the information you need before letting your child use the app.  

Please remember some apps are not what they seem.

Vault apps:

These are apps that are designed to hide content.  As if staying on top of all the other apps is not hard enough work as a parent or carer, there are some apps that are deliberately designed to ‘hide’ information, photos and communication on a phone or tablet. These apps are often discreet with their icon and look like any other app, such as a calculator, thus deceiving anyone except the phone user of its function: to hide inappropriate content.

These vault apps can be used to hide communication, such as sexting.

Secret calculator (iOS) looks like a calculator app, but once the user enters a code it accesses the secret storage. There is also a ‘secret’ camera function.

Private Photo Vault (Android, iOS) works in the same way as the secret calculator although is not as discreet with its icon. It also contains an unfiltered web browser that users can access, which overrides any safety browser you have in place on your child’s smartphone or tablet.

Best Secret Folder (iOS) prides itself on being hard to notice as a secret folder.

Tip to find out if your child has downloaded a vault app:

1.  Log into the App store or the Play store.

2.  Search for Vault Apps

3.  If an app comes up and says 'open' then your child already has this app on their device.  If the app says 'Get' then they do not have it.  

Child Safety on Fortnite

Fortnite is an online video game where players compete to be the last person standing in a post-apocalyptic world. The most popular version is Fortnite: Battle Royale, which sees up to 100 players pitted against each other to stay alive on an island. Players can build and demolish structures, and collect weapons, supplies and armour to help them along the way.

Players shoot each other using a range of lethal weapons, but the brightly-coloured, cartoon-style graphics and lack of bloodshed mean it doesn’t feel too gory or graphic.

To play, the age recommendation is 12 and above due to ‘mild violence’, although you don’t have to provide your age when creating an account, so younger children can still log on easily.

Fortnite: Battle Royale is free to download on PC/Mac, Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo Switch and iOS devices (Apple phones and tablets). It’s coming to Android soon.

It has about 45 million monthly users worldwide including the England football team, who reportedly played it in their World Cup downtime.

What are the concerns?

You may have seen news reports or heard concerns raised about the:

• Communication between players: a chat function allows players to talk to each other either over a headset and microphone, or using messaging. Children could use it to speak to strangers, or it could put them at risk of cyberbullying
• In-app purchases: players can build up large bills on their parents’ accounts by buying cosmetic items like outfits for your character and better-looking weapons (otherwise known as ‘skins’)
• Addictive nature of the game: anecdotal stories tell of children staying up all night to play, or falling asleep in lessons after playing for too long. Some commentators attribute this to the communal feel of the game – you can play with your friends – and the game is different every time you play, keeping it fresh

What safety options are available to parents?

Use the parental controls on the gaming device

Most devices allow you to set time limits on game play, set age limits for content, and restrict in-app purchases.

Visit the website ‘ask about games’ for links to detailed instructions on the device your child uses – the site covers Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Apple and Android phones, and Nintendo Switch.

Ask About Games

www.askaboutgames.com/advice/parental-controls

The battles in Fortnite last around 20 minutes. When trying to limit your child’s screen time, make the most of this natural stopping point. Set a limit in terms of matches rather than hours and minutes, or set time limits in 20 minute increments.

Turn off the voice chat feature

Speak to your child to make sure they know this feature exists, and encourage them to use the options below if they encounter someone who is offensive or inappropriate.

You can disable the voice chat function in the game if you:
 

• Open the settings menu (the 3 lines on the right-hand-side of the screen), then choose the ‘cog’ icon
• Select the ‘audio’ tab
• You should be able to turn off ‘voice chat’ by tapping the arrows next to it

You can also ‘mute’ individual players in the game by:

• Pausing the game
• Hovering over the player you wish to mute
• Selecting the mute button (a loudspeaker icon)

Make sure your child knows how to report inappropriate behaviour

You or your child can report players who make them uncomfortable using the in-game feedback tool (located in the main menu).

You can also use the ‘support’ section of the Epic Games site (the makers of Fortnite). You’re asked to select the platform you play the game on, the game mode you’re playing, and then you can select ‘report player’. You can provide more detail such as the player’s name, and attach a screenshot.

Support, Epic Games
https://fortnitehelp.epicgames.com/customer/portal/emails/new?b_id=9729&q=email+us

What else can I do?

Further tips

• Download and play the game to help you understand it
• Talk to your child about what they’re doing online, and make sure they know they can talk to you about anything that has upset them
• Check your bank statements and gaming system account balance regularly to look for in-app purchases you’re not happy with, and to make sure your child isn’t getting around any passwords you’ve set up

More sources of support

• Non-profit organisation Internet Matters has put together 5 top tips to manage children’s screen time.

https://www.internetmatters.org/hub/guidance/5-top-tips-to-manage-childrens-screentime/

• The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) has a range of resources for parents on internet safety.
  https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/

• The NSPCC has also teamed up with O2 to offer advice to parents. You can call their free helpline on 0808 800 5002, or make an appointment with an O2 Guru in an O2 store.
  https://guru.secure.force.com/O2DeskStoreLocator

Sources for this factsheet

Fortnite, Epic Games
https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US/home

‘Fortnite chat raises stranger danger fears from NSPCC’, BBC News, 3 May 2018
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-43988210

Fortnite: all you need to know, Net aware, from the NSPCC and O2
https://www.net-aware.org.uk/news/fortnite-all-you-need-know/

Reporting online misuse or abuse

It is important that children and adults know how to report online behaviour that they feel is inappropriate or dangerous.  

CEOP is the main way of reporting online abuse.  This is an agency linked to the National Crime Agency and is responsible for child exploitation and online protection.

The 'click CEOP' button can be found on many social media websites and will enable anyone to report online abuse.  

Please note that this is not a 24 hour service and if your feel a child is in immediate danger you should always call 999.

If you need to report a case of abuse please click the button below to be linked straight to the CEOP site to make your report.

On line bullying is another issue that is on the rise.  Bullying no longer ends at the school gates.

If your child is being bullied on line it is important that they talk about this.   

Our main advice is 

* Do not respond to any messages that are rude or unpleasant.

* Keep evidence of anything you feel is bullying.  This can be through screen grabs or printing.

* Talk to someone.  Come into school to talk to us, contact the online provider or the police.

Kidscape also has some great advice.  Click on the picture to find out more.

Childline is also a good place for children to go if they are feeling worried or concerned.  We would obviously prefer that they speak with a trusted adult so that we can support them with the things they are worried about, but this is a great support for when children don't feel they can talk to us.

Using the internet with the whole family

It is currently thought that 1 in 4 children under the age of 6 has a smart phone and that more than 50% of children over 10 have their own as well.  

If you want more control over what your children can access on line then this is a package recommended by the ECP trainer who we have had in school.

Click on the icon to see how you can control not only what your child sees, but when they can see it!

Think about setting time limits and rules around your whole family's use of the internet and their device.  

On Apple Devices .....

Family Sharing makes it easy for up to six family members to share App Store purchases and Apple subscriptions, including an iCloud storage plan and more – all without sharing an Apple ID. It includes the ability to set up an Apple ID for children, set permissions remotely with Screen Time and approve spending and downloads from a parent’s device. Your family can also share a photo album, a family calendar, and even help locate each other's missing devices.

On Android .....

Not all screen time is the same. Help your child make healthy decisions about what they do on their device, with activity reports showing how much time they are spending on their favourite apps. 

Handy notifications lets you approve or block apps that your child wants to download from the Google Play store.  You can also manage in-app purchases and hide certain apps on their device. 

Don't forget - Be a role model for your child -  don't stop their devices and then continue to use yours in front of them!

On Tiktok .....

You can use Digital Wellbeing to get more control over how much time your child spends on TikTok and limit content that may not be appropriate for all audiences.

On the whole internet .....

Sky Broadband Buddy lets you manage each screen in your home from an app on your phone or tablet. It’s like a remote for the internet with loads of great features.

Other supports

Need to talk to someone?

Sometimes it's easier to talk about a problem. That's why 02 and NSPCC set up an advice line, to answer any questions you or your child might have about staying safe online.

Whether you're after techy advice on things like:

• information about an app or service in general
• privacy setting on apps
• parental controls on your wifi

Or want help with more personal matters such as:

• how to stop online bullying
• what to do about who your child's messaging
• how to talk about sexting.

They're there to help.

Whatever you're worried about, big or small, give us a call on 0808 800 5002 for free, Mon – Fri 9am – 7pm . If your child's worried about you talking to us, you can call us together, and we'll reassure you both.