NSPCC launch new tools to help parents ensure children are ‘shareaware’
The NSPCC have updated their ShareAware campaign with new resources to enable parents and carers to 'untangle' the online world and to help them to teach the children to be 'Share Aware'. The campaign focuses on the need to talk to children about online safety, much like we do "real" world safety such as crossing the road, bullying and speaking to strangers. There is a selection of new resources available which schools and settings might wish to share with their community.
TEAM
The NSPCC suggests parents and carers are an essential part of the T.E.A.M that helps keep children safe online:
- T = Talk about staying safe online
- E = Explore their online world together
- A = Agree rules about what is ok and what's not
- M = Manage your family's settings and controls
Top Tips to start conversations
NSPCC are suggesting that parents and carers having regular conversations about what their child is doing online is the best way to keep them safe. They have shared three top tips to help parents/carers start the conversation:
- Explore sites and apps together and talk about any concerns.
- Ask your child if they know how to stay safe online.
- Talk about personal information and what to share online.
IceBreaker Emails
NSPCC have partnered with O2 and have created a series of weekly emails packed full of useful info, advice and activities to help bring parents and carers closer to their child's online world.
Each week the NSPCC and O2 will email top tips to parents and carers to help them approach a particular topic with useful information to help them have regular conversations together about staying safe online.
Parents/carers can sign up for the 6 part email series here.
Family Agreement
Share Aware suggests that parents/carers should consider putting a family agreement in place as a great way to start talking about online safety. Family agreements can help child understand what behaviour is appropriate when they're online and ensure that they'll know who they can turn to if they are ever worried about anything they see or do. NSPCC have created a helpful agreement template which schools and settings might want to share with their community.
Net Aware
NSPCC has also updated their excellent Net Aware tool, which can be useful to help professionals as well as parents and carers find out more about the social networks, apps and games that children may be using.
Helpline and Guru support
The NSPCC and O2 are also providing parents and carers with a free service via a helpline or O2 Gurus in O2 stores. The helpline is available via 0808 8005002 for parents and carers to ask any questions about parental controls, concerns about a social network site or other online safety relating issues. Parents and carers can also access free online safety advice from O2’s friendly Gurus (even if they are not an O2 customer) in-person at an O2 store. They can help set up parental controls, or teach parents how to make a phone safe for a child. Parents and carers can book a visit with a guru here.
Is your school community #ShareAware?
We would recommend that schools and settings share the #Shareaware campaign and resources via their communication channels (e.g. newsletters, websites, social media platforms etc.) with their parents/carers, as well as staff, to help ensure that online safety is seen as a "TEAM" approach.
