Online safety is never far from any debate on children and the internet. There can be little doubt that the Internet is becoming integral to the lives of all of us and the various ways that this is being used in education complements more traditional teaching methods and enables students to interact and learn more effectively. However, it seems that every other week there is a high profile news story about the latest online fraud, virus outbreak, inappropriate content being hosted on popular websites or children at risk from paedophiles using social networking.

The biggest challenge is to effectively strike the balance between delivering a safe surfing environment for young people that is not so restrictive it diminishes the benefits to be gained. This means giving them the information and skills they need to take advantage of the opportunities that today’s digital age offers and being able to deal with any risks that arise.

Technology obviously plays a major part in safe browsing but these 5 top online safety tips give advice specifically on education and training people involved in children’s web surfing.

Tip 1: Training children and young people

It is clear that simply blocking children and young people’s access to the Internet in schools is not an effective way of keeping them safe. Children and young people need to be provided with balanced and clear information that equips them with the right skills, knowledge and confidence so that they can become aware of the risks of using the Internet and the content they find and post on it.

Sites such as Facebook and Bebo are hugely popular with young people and although many social networking providers have taken steps over the past 12 months to eliminate risks and to educate young people some still consider that these sites represent the biggest source of risk and danger.

Education Providers need to introduce online safety into the curriculum, providing formal education about online safety and examples of good practice on responsible use of the Internet. Providers should also establish a Student Internet Acceptable Use Policy with the necessary resources at hand, and provide training to their students on the contents of such a policy. Time-based policies could also be an option, allowing access to certain non-curriculum-related sites such as Facebook and gaming sites, during breaks in lessons only. Education Providers need to have statistics at hand to address any breaches in this policy and block access for offenders. This process needs to be updated regularly and training given to generate awareness, reinforce good behaviour and address areas of concern.

Tip 2: Training for teachers and during teacher training qualifications

With the Internet now incorporated in today’s school learning environment and playing a part in the curriculum, it is necessary for teachers to understand and address the dangers the Internet exposes to children and young people.

Today teachers receive compulsory training on digital safety and the inclusion of digital safety in the ICT test for newly-qualified teachers ensures that teachers have the necessary training and skills to deal with online safety.

Ofsted advise that in schools where provision for digital safety is outstanding, all the staff not just teachers, share responsibility for it. Education Providers need to ensure that all staff receive ongoing training and have access to advice and policies on digital safety, such as the Glow Group’s best practice on child Internet safety for teachers or from Becta and its self-review framework. Systematic ongoing monitoring should also be introduced and training on the student Acceptable Use Policy should be undertaken so that staff can recognise and challenge suspicious behaviour.

Tip 3: Training for parents

The statistics at the start of this guide showing that 51% of teenagers in Europe say they use the Internet without supervision from their parents and 23% of parents in the UK allow children under 11 to access the Internet without supervision at home, could highlight the lack of awareness by some parents of the potential dangers of the Internet or the lack of confidence of parents using and understanding new technology – even technology that is crucial to enabling children and young people to be digitally safe.

Education Providers should initiate training for parents and carers detailing the need to manage their child’s activities online and share the available resources, such as Childnet’s Know IT All for Parents, Think U Know and MyGuide. They should also highlight their own e-safety guidelines and detail their processes around situations such as cyber-bulling and the misuse of privately owned equipment outside school hours. Sharing their Student Acceptable Use Policy, and even asking parents to co-sign it with their kids, is also a good way for parents to understand what the school is doing to keep their children safe online and what they could leverage in their own home.

Tip 4: Utilise existing education resources on online safety

The inclusion of digital safety in the curriculum is only effective where it is supported by high-quality materials, resources and training for teachers and schools.

Education Providers should leverage and utilise materials to support children and young people’s online safety in schools. Examples include Know IT All For Primary and Know IT All for Secondary, Think U Know, Teachtoday, Digital literacy and e-safety, and TeachersTV. The responsibility for the production of these resources includes UKCCIS, the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA), Becta, Childnet, Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP).

Tip 5: Reinforcement of the digital code

The Government recognises that children and young people need to be aware of the risks in the online world and how to manage such risk.

In 2010 various campaigns were introduced to promote online safety; one such campaign from The UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) was its ‘Zip It, Block It, Flag It’ digital code, advertised in print, online, TV, radio, and as posters in public areas near schools. Another example is the ‘Click Clever Click Safe’ campaign, which is the cornerstone of the strategy to inform and educate children, young people, parents and carers on how to keep safe online. Education Providers should leverage such public awareness campaigns in their ongoing Internet access training programmes with its students.

Conclusion

Education and training alone cannot solve e-safety challenges but must form part of an integrated approach that includes technology. Online safety is critical for children using the internet and awareness of these issues and challenges can create a safe surfing environment for children.