E-Safety
How to keep safe online
Useful Links
Here are some more links to learn about online safety
If you are worried about anything and need to talk to someone call Childline on: 0800 11 11 or talk to them online here ->
Useful Links
Here are some more links to learn about online safety
If you are worried about anything and need to talk to someone call Childline on: 0800 11 11 or talk to them online.
Keeping Safe Online Assembly
Two police officers came to see us and talked about staying safe on the internet. Here’s what they talked about as a quick reminder:
How old do you need to be?
13
You need to be 13 years old to use Facebook
Snapchat
13
You need to be 13 years old to use Snapchat
13
You need to be 13 years old to use Instagram
TikTok
16
You need to be 16 years old to use TikTok
Discord
13
You need to be 13 years old to use Discord
Tinder
18
You must be 18 years old to use Tinder
X / Twitter
13
You need to be 13 years old to use X / Twitter
YouTube
13
You need to be 13 years old to use Youtube
How old do you need to be for online games?
Grand Theft Auto
18
You must be 18 years old to play Grand Theft Auto
Fortnite
12
You need to be 12 years old to play Fortnite
Roblox
You can play Roblox no matter how old you are. But it’s really important to give your real age when you sign up. This helps keep you safe because there are special systems in place for different age groups.
Here’s a link to the NSPCC website that you can check out with your parents or carers. It’s all about how you can stay safe while playing Roblox:
Keeping Safe Online Assembly
Two police officers came to see us and talked about staying safe on the internet. Here’s what they talked about as a quick reminder:
How old do you need to be?
13
You need to be 13 years old to use Facebook
Snapchat
13
You need to be 13 years old to use Snapchat
13
You need to be 13 years old to use Instagram
TikTok
16
You need to be 16 years old to use TikTok
Discord
13
You need to be 13 years old to use Discord
Tinder
18
You must be 18 years old to use Tinder
X / Twitter
13
You need to be 13 years old to use X / Twitter
YouTube
13
You need to be 13 years old to use Youtube
How old do you need to be for online games?
Grand Theft Auto
18
You must be 18 years old to play Grand Theft Auto
Fortnite
12
You need to be 12 years old to play Fortnite
Roblox
You can play Roblox no matter how old you are. But it’s really important to give your real age when you sign up. This helps keep you safe because there are special systems in place for different age groups.
Here’s a link to the NSPCC website that you can check out with your parents or carers. It’s all about how you can stay safe while playing Roblox:
What information can I trust online?
But did you know that not everything online is true?
Why is some information unreliable?
Sometimes people put information online that might be unreliable, fake or wrong.
False information can end up online by mistake, somebody might be trying to be funny or it could be meant to trick people.
Examples of things you can’t trust
Scams
Some things online are trying to trick you so that you give them money or personal information.
Can you spot what’s happening here?
Clickbait
When people share things online, they want them to be seen. One way they try to get more views is with exciting titles or pictures. This can be called ‘clickbait’. Clickbait is when the title or pictures you want to click on seem a lot more exciting, crazy or interesting than the information you see after you click on them.
Look at how these examples try to get your attention:
CRAZY CAT VIDEO – YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!
AMAZING new dance trend that EVERYONE is talking about!
Photos and videos
Just because you’ve seen a photo or picture online, doesn’t mean it’s real. Picture can be edited (changed) or faked using technology like ‘Photoshop’.
Can you spot what editing has been done here?
Out of date information
Facts and information can change over time. When new things are discovered or created, some information online may become out of date
Jokes
Sometimes people share things online that look like they are true but are actually jokes or supposed to be funny.
Can you spot when this was posted online?
Top Tips
Seem too good to be true? Looks weird? Doesn’t make sense?
There are often clues when we can’t trust something online, so stay alert and look closely to see if things match up.
It’s always a good idea to check in lots of places when you’re trying to find information. If you see something and you’re not sure if it’s true, search online and see if you can find it on other websites, especially sites that are normally reliable.
If you’re still stuck, then you can always ask an adult you know and trust for help. Someone at home or a teacher at school can help you find out what’s true and what’s not.
What do I need to know about sharing things online?
What is personal information?
Personal information is all of those details about your life which should be kept private. They are details which could give away information about who you are or which could put you at risk if shared with a stranger.
Here are some examples:
- full name
- address
- telephone number
- birthday
- school passwords
Can you think of any others?
Look at the examples below – can you work out what personal information might be shared? Click the plus symbol to see the answer.
A selfie of you and your friends taken after school
A photo of your pet dog
A photo at your birthday party
A vlog of a day out
How long do the things I’ve shared stay online?
Once you’ve shared something online, it can be difficult to take it back. You may be able to remove the post you shared, but you can’t stop other people from copying or screenshotting it and sending it on to more people.
Check out this video from BBC Own It to see how the things you share online could end up being seen by more people than you were expecting.
Things to ask yourself before sharing
What should I do if someone online is mean to me?
It’s important to know what to do if someone is being mean online.
What is online bullying?
Online bullying or cyberbullying is bullying behaviour that takes place online or using technology.
An argument between two friends is not cyberbullying, but repeated name-calling, exclusion or other unkind messages could be.
Bullying in any form, online or offline, is never okay.
Let’s look at some examples
‘I’ve been getting lots of nasty messages. I’m not sure who they’re from but I think it’s someone at school.’
It sounds like you may be being targeted by a bully. The most important thing to do in this situation is tell an adult you trust – this could be a parent or whoever looks after you at home, or a teacher at school.
We would suggest saving the messages, for example by taking a screenshot. Then you can use this as evidence to share with an adult you trust. Explain what’s been happening. You could start by saying something like:
“I’ve received these messages and they’re upsetting me. Please can you help.”
You may be able to block the messages from coming through in future – but an adult will be able to help support you and investigate where the messages are coming from.
‘All my friends are in a group chat and they won’t let me join. I feel really left out!’
Sometimes people can forget that their actions online can still really hurt people’s feelings, so make sure they know you want to join the group and ask if there’s a reason that you can’t.
If this doesn’t help, then it’s really important to talk to an adult at home or at school about what’s going on.
Remember – if your friends are deliberately leaving you out, then they are not being very good friends to you. See if you can find a different friend or family member to chat with instead.
‘My friend posted an embarrassing photo of me online which I really don’t like.’
Firstly, have you spoken to them? It’s possible they thought you wouldn’t mind so letting them know how you’re feeling is important. You could try saying:
“Hey, I don’t really like that photo you posted of me. Please would you take it down?”
A good friend should respect your wishes and take it down when you ask, but if they refuse then you may need to try something else.
If it’s been posted on social media then you might be able to report the photo as having been shared without your permission and get it taken down this way.
But most importantly, always tell an adult you trust about what’s going on. You could say something like:
“I’m having some trouble with a friend online and need some help.”
‘Another player in the game keeps targeting me over and over. They destroy the things I build and stop me from making any progress.’
Firstly, try to remember that griefers are normally looking to get a reaction – so don’t let them win by retaliating or losing your temper in the messages. Instead stay calm and note down their username. This can be used to block them or report them via the game’s reporting systems.
Top Tips
It’s really important you tell someone about what is going on and it will make you feel better too. An adult at home or at school can help you figure out what to do next.
Try the report and block buttons. These can be found in most games and on social media and it’s a good idea to see if you can spot them.
You may want to delete a mean message as soon as you read it but remember it’s helpful to take a screenshot or save it as evidence you can take to an adult.
Don’t retaliate or respond unkindly. This can make things worse or sometimes even lead to you getting in trouble. Try and stay calm and get support from an adult you trust instead.
We’re often told that the best way to stop bullies is to ignore them, but remember you should always speak to someone about what’s been going on so that you can get support and advice.
What makes a good online friend?
Like an offline friend, a good online friend might be:
- respectful
- caring
- a good listener
- trustworthy
- fun
- honest
- thoughtful
- reliable
But nobody can be all of those things, all the time! Nobody is perfect and it’s completely natural to make mistakes or have disagreements.
Mistakes don’t have to be the end of a friendship though. There’s a really simple thing which you can do to help make the situation right.
Say sorry!
Saying sorry is a great place to start when trying to fix a friendship. It helps your friend to understand that you didn’t mean to upset them and it’s a way of letting them know that you want to make things right.
Remember that actions can speak louder than words so as well as saying sorry think about what you can do to make things better.
Top Tips
Take it down as quickly as possible. If you’re not sure how to, then speak to an adult for help and advice.
Find a way to include them – add them to the game or group if you can, and start a new one if you need to.
Show that you value your friendship by saying or doing something kind instead.
Talk to your friend in person to show them you care and want to fix the problem. Only know your friend online? Speak to an adult you trust.