internet

Safety online for children

There have been a number of recent reminders about the need for careful supervision of children's online behaviour. It seems timely to think about it with lots of children probably getting iPads and smart phones for Christmas.

Shocking images and videos have been found on YouTube videos designed for children. These include disturbing, violent or sexual contents that pop in when children search for suitable material - for example, Peppa Pig dentist producing images of Peppa Pig being tortured. Content on kids' YouTube is not curated or pre-screened by humans. We have also recently heard again about paedophiles using live streaming to access children and tricking them into sexual acts or exposure over the internet. There are particular risks to children and young people live streaming and making themselves vulnerable to whoever may access them in this way. 

This reminds us that the responsibility for safety on line of children remains with the parents or carers and nothing can be assumed to be safe. We also need to be alert to these risks in delivering safeguarding training to staff working with children