Online Safety - Useful Links
Please remember to support your children when they are using the internet. There are some great resources available online to educate chidren.
http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/
https://www.betterinternetforkids.eu/discover/children-and-young-people
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/topics/stay-safe
http://www.kidsmart.org.uk/parents
http://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/
https://www.childnet.com/
Family Safety
There are many ways to help you keep your children safer on the internet when they are using computers, tablets and phones and games consoles. The following information has been put together to ensure that you are aware of the services available to you. Most of them are free, however you can purchase perental control software that will allow you to monitor and protect a number of different devices that your child uses . Norton Family, McAfee Family Protection, AV Family Safety and Net Nanny are some examples such software.
Broadband
Most broadband providers offer a free family safety feature. This will allow you to block inappropriate websites from being accessed from any devices on your home network. Some will let you setup timezones for when these filters are applied and allow or block additional websites of your chosing.
Links to parental safety information from the four biggest broadband providers are below.
BT | SKY | Virgin Meida | TalkTalk |
BT Parental Controls | Sky Shield | Web Safe | HomeSafe |
Tablets/Phones
There are many safety restrictions available to parents on the iPad/iPhone/iPod. Again, you can allow/block certain websites, restrict apps, prevent apps from being downloaded, prevent location tracking.
To enable parental controls for most Android phones and tablets you will need to check the details with the manufacturer of the device. Some Android devices have very limited family safety settings and therefor would require a third party app to be installed to offer the additional safety. Some apps like Mobile Guardian offer extra parental controls such as the ability to view websites that your child is visiting. There is often an extra cost for 3rd party apps like this, Mobile Guardian for example currently costs £2.45 per month.
Windows Phone offers a service called Kids Corner which allows you to select the apps that your child can or cannot use.
Apple Devices | Android Devices | Windows Phone |
Apple Support | Family Link | Family Safety |
You can also help your child stay safe online by setting some restrictions on the devices that they use.
Most devices such as computers, laptops, tablets, phones, games consoles have some element of family safety, helping you to restrict the type of content available to your child.
Computers & Laptops
For Windows based computers and laptops, Microsoft has created Family Safety that allows you to restrict websites, filter games/applications, prevent online purchasing and even limit the number of hours your child is allowed to use the device for.
Apple also offer parental controls for their Mac computers with similar features.
Xbox & Playstation
Xbox and Playstation also allow you filter appropriate content for your child. You can block websites, inappropriate games, films and stangers from contacting your child.