Nine online safety tips every parent should do for their children

An expert’s e-safety advice on how to make the internet a safer place for your children

Ministers pledged a new crackdown on the ease of access to online pornography
How can you keep your child safe online? Credit: Photo: Alamy

Parents have been having the “Stranger Danger” talk with the children for generations – and a new generation of parents have a whole new field of internet-related dangers to discuss. But a survey of parents found that, despite admitting its importance, parents feel more confident talking to their children about sex, puberty or Father Christmas’s mystical ability to distinguish the good boys and girls from the bad. More than a third say they're unsure of their own internet skills and so, as a guide for not-so-tech-savvy concerned parents, here’s are tips from Caroline Hurst, education manager at Childnet charity, on how to keep your children safe online.

Talk to your child

Just as you ask your child about their day at school, if they spend a few hours on the internet in the evening then have a chat about what they’ve done and seen online.

Never ban technology

We ran a focus group with teenagers and asked why they might not tell an adult about cyber bullying. Their number one response was that they wouldn’t want the technology they know and love to be taken away.

Set up parental controls

The four main internet service providers - Sky, BT, Talk Talk, and Virgin Media – have free parental controls that you can switch on from the router. If the controls are on, any device connected to your internet will be filtered through parental controls.

Report cyber bullying

If your child tells you they’ve been cyber bullying, the main advice is to save evidence so that they can show someone. The child should also block that contact and report that contact to whichever social network was being used.

Talk about porn

Even with the strongest parental controls, teenagers can often find a way to circumvent filters and access porn. If you go into their room and see them looking at something inappropriate, don’t go in screaming and shouting. Instead, have a conversation about what they’re doing. If they’re embarrassed, ask them why. Ask them why a parent might be upset by what they’re looking at. That way, you can talk about the dangers of porn and how it can affect real relationships.

Protect against online grooming

Talk to your children about the dangers of talking with strangers online. Make sure they know that they should never give out personal information or arrange to meet with people they don’t know. If a conversation with a stranger is making them upset, tell them they can always talk to an adult and make a report to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre.

Make sure online games are age-appropriate

Some parents that would never let their children watch an over 18-rated film might think it’s ok to play with an over-18 game. But the violence is just as graphic and can have just as strong an affect on children. Parents should be familiar with PEGI – the rating system for games that you can buy in stores.

Keep an eye on social networks

Parents should make it their business to understand privacy settings on social network and show their children how to install the right privacy settings. Children under 13 shouldn’t be on social networks at all, so tell younger children to wait until they’re older.

Once again – talk to your child

Worrying in silence is no use to anyone. If you’re concerned about your child’s internet-use then you should talk to them. And if you think your child won’t talk to you, then ask a family friend, older cousin or sibling to have a chat. Communication is key, and you can’t keep your child safe unless you know what might be troubling them.

Caroline Hurst is education manager at Childnet, a charity that works to make the internet safe for children