Safeguarding Children

How does what your child sees and does on social media make them feel? Take a minute to consider your feelings, as an adult, when you see some of the comments and images posted about themselves by other people on social...

The internet is quickly becoming children’s preferred source of music, films and other forms of entertainment, but it's quite easy for them to 'come unstuck' when downloading or file sharing. There are several reasons you need...

These days, it is easy to use a smartphone or tablet to download a product or service and charge it to your phone bill. Children are especially attracted to games, apps and media such as video and songs, and are able to download...

As well as engaging with your child to educate and guide them through a safe digital life - and so that you fully understand the latest developments - it makes good sense to take advantage of the filters and controls which you...

Social networking has been – and still is – one of the revolutions of the online age and when used correctly is an excellent way of keeping in touch with friends and family. But it can also be a source of harm for your child...

Online games can be great fun for children, but there are several risks involved, which you can reduce with the correct approach....

Just being able to use the internet does certainly not mean that your child has the maturity or experience to handle everything they might find there....

Your child's passwords are the key to their online life, just as yours are for you. You know the importance of choosing safe passwords ... and keeping them to yourself. For your child, it may not be so obvious....

Video gaming for your children can be enjoyable and safe, as long as games are age-appropriate, regulated and supervised by you, and playing times limited. However, there has been a massive surge in illegal websites enticing...

The internet is a great resource for research for your child’s homework and coursework. Unfortunately, however, it can be very easy and tempting to copy information straight from a website and pass it off as his or her own...

The same advice applies to texting as it does to emailing or social networking: children could be duped into thinking they’re texting (and being texted by) someone they know, whereas in fact it’s a stranger who is on the...

Unlike when they’re meeting someone face-to-face, children don’t always know who they’re actually ‘talking’ to online, even if they think they do. This makes it easy for someone who may want to hurt your child, to...

Online bullying - like bullying in the playground, street or home - can cause children misery. You should guide your child to always tell you if this is happening to them. ...

You should make your children aware that they mustn’t reveal any information that allows a stranger access to their or your personal or financial information....

Unfortunately, social networking sites are a very popular place for people trying to trip you or your child up. Your child will probably not be as cautious as you are, so you need to point out the dangers. ...

Most of us know about the dangers and consequences of our computers and maybe mobile devices being infected with malware, but is your child aware of the issues? And if they are, does it bother them?...

Advice if your child is aged 13 or over...

Advice if your child is aged 10 to 12 Set some boundaries for your child before they get their first ‘connected device’ (mobile, tablet, laptop or games console). Once they have it, it can be more difficult to change the...

If your child is aged 6 to 9 years old...

Advice if your child is under 5 years old ...

Our advice, which follows that of experts the world over, is to take a balanced approach to your children’s online safety. Doing nothing is a sure-fire way to let your kids get into trouble, whilst a heavy-handed approach will...

When parents find out that their children have been exposed to online pornography, a typical initial reaction is: “Has my child been traumatised or suffered other harm?” In reality, there is a greater potential for harm from...

The dangers to youngsters who spend hours on end on their computer or tablet in their bedroom are well documented and include health and social problems. However, one of the most serious risks is that of breaking the law online...

Using social networking sites of one kind or another is second-nature to most children. New sites are springing up every day and there are far to many to mention on this page ... just look at the photo above, and that's a tiny...