In North Wales, a new campaign has launched to assist young people use the internet safely.
With the school summer holidays quickly approaching, ‘Get Safe Online’ has launched a ‘Safer Kids’ campaign to encourage children in the area to use the internet safely, securely, and confidently.
Kids are increasingly utilising the internet for a variety of purposes, including education, gaming, and socialising with friends, and it is critical that they do it safely.
Get Safe Online, a service commissioned by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and North Wales Police, is a prominent source of unbiased, reliable, and simple information about online safety in the UK. Its advise for the campaign includes:
- Sit down with your child on a frequent basis to discuss their internet activities, and ask them to show you what they are doing.
- Direct your child to safe searches, websites, and apps. Check out what they’re watching and/or sharing on streaming platforms such as YouTube and TikTok.
- Familiarise yourself with new game and social media trends, particularly ones that have received bad attention because they may be violent, encourage gambling, or make it possible to message unknown strangers, allowing for potential grooming or other forms of coercion.
- Don’t underestimate the role social media and messaging applications play in your child’s life, or how what they see online might affect how they feel.
- Gaming, social networking, picture/video sharing, and many more applications and websites have age limits for a reason, so be sure your child does not use them if they are underage.
- Consider installing parental control software and apps on computers, mobile devices, and gaming consoles.
- Inform your child about sensitive information, personal details, and images/videos about themselves or others that they may share in posts, profiles, messages, and chats.
- Keep an eye on your child’s internet activity without being overly controlling, and be aware of the warning signals of something wrong.
Tony Neate, CEO of Get Safe Online, stated, “The internet has so many benefits, and giving our children the option to use it to help their studies, engage with their friends, and even purchase has become second nature.
“However, like with so many of their other activities, it is critical that we teach kids how to use the internet responsibly. This month’s campaign focuses on vital guidance for all of our children to use the internet respectfully, safely, and securely.”
Andy Dunbobbin, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, added: “During the summer months, many parents and guardians are understandably busy juggling a work, a family, and a house, and we can all sometimes leave youngsters to their own devices.
“But we can all take a few simple steps to ensure our families are using the internet safely and I would urge all people looking after children to follow this advice from Get Safe Online, which is a service I am proud to commission as part of my plan to see a North Wales where crime is further reduced and where people are kept as safe as possible.”
For further information and advice, visit the Get Safe Online website.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.