Staying safe online and at home
There is a lot of advice and help for young people about staying safe online. Good websites recommended by Bexley young people include:
Thinkuknow is the education programme from NCA-CEOP, a UK organisation which protects children and young people both online and offline:
The BBC has a number of resources with information for young people:
https://www.bbc.com/ownit/curations/need-answers
UK Safer Internet Centre has some great advice on how to stay safe online:
https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-centre/young-people/resources-11-19s
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is bullying that happens online. It can happen through email, text, social media, online chat rooms and other online media. These websites below talk about what it means to be cyberbullied, and how to cope with it:
https://www.cybersmile.org/advice-help
https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/online-mobile-safety/
Childline have produced the short film ‘Building Confidence after Online Bullying’:
Young people with learning disabilities
Young people with learning disabilities can be more vulnerable to cyberbullying or abuse. They also may need more support to understand when someone is bullying them online.
The Mental Health Foundation has information about staying safe on emails, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for young people with Learning Disabilities:
SaferNet provide advice on staying safe online for people with learning disabilities, and those who support them:
Childnet have shared the STAR toolkit, which is a teaching resource to help children with autism and learning disabilities stay safe online and protect themselves from cyberbullying:
https://www.childnet.com/resources/star-sen-toolkit
Advice from young people in Bexley
Young people in Bexley say that if you are using the internet or other ways to communicate e.g. mobile phones, you should think about the advice below:
- Keep it private – Nothing goes away on the Internet, and once it is sent you will not be able to get it back.
- Don’t share anything you don’t want other people to see – pictures, your personal information etc.
- If you don’t know somebody, be very careful.
- If it looks too good to be true, it usually is!
- Remember people are often trying to sell you something – either for money or their opinions.
- If you’re not sure, don’t do it.
- If you feel threatened or abused, tell someone. Get help!
But, enjoy the internet, social media and using your phone! They are meant to be fun, but stay alert and if something happens online that makes you feel unhappy or unsafe, tell someone you trust.
