Keeping children safe online

With advances in technology, children and young people can now access the internet from almost anywhere. While the internet offers many benefits, it also contains material that may be unsuitable for children.

Many parents and guardians are understandably concerned about online safety. Below is advice to help keep your child safe online.

Hints, tips, and advice

Here are some practical steps parents can take to guide their children toward safe internet use:

  • Supervise internet use
    • Place computers in shared spaces to monitor online activities
  • Enable parental controls
    • Ensure parental controls are activated on Wi-Fi networks, computers and gaming consoles
    • Keep internet protection software updated
  • Discuss online safety
    • Talk to your child about online safety and the importance of staying cautious online
    • Explain the risks of talking to strangers and that people may not always be who they claim to be
    • Remind them not to share personal details, such as their home address, school, or phone number
    • Make sure they know never to agree to meet someone they’ve met online unless accompanied by you or a trusted adult
  • Set social media privacy
    • If your child uses social media, ensure their accounts are set to private through privacy settings
  • Address explicit requests
  • Discuss inappropriate content
    • Warn about the dangers of viewing explicit, racist, or harmful material online
  • Highlight legal risks
    • Explain that illegal downloading or file-sharing can lead to legal consequences
  • Bluetooth safety
    • Teach your child to turn off Bluetooth on mobile devices to avoid unwanted access

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying occurs when someone uses online platforms to target others with harmful or upsetting content. This can include:

  • sending abusive, threatening, or hurtful messages via email, social media, or chatrooms
  • sharing personal photos or videos without permission
  • creating and distributing video clips to embarrass someone
  • sending viruses or harmful links

Online gaming on consoles allows people to communicate, but sometimes this can be misused by cyberbullies.

Children may also feel pressured to join in bullying others online. Remind your child that cyberbullying is just as harmful as bullying in real life and should never be tolerated.

Further information

The following resources can help you talk to your child about online safety, set up child-friendly filtering and use age-appropriate parental controls:

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