The internet is a wonderful place but keeping safe online is important. In order to support your child you need to know what your child is doing online, one way of doing this is to have talk to your child about their online activities. If they are worried about something they have seen online they will need to talk to someone about it. Having a two way dialogue about online activities will encourage them to talk to you. 

If you are unsure about an app your child wants to use you can research its suitability at https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ site.  The link to the site is at the bottom of this webpage.  The site contains a range of information on sites, phones, apps and other media platforms along with some recommendations for suitable for children of different ages. 

Talk to your child about keeping safe online.

1. Only talk to people you know and trust in real life - never agree to meet anyone
2. Don't give away personal information to strangers - like what street you live on, or where you go to school. Say "no" if they ask you to share photos or videos of yourself
3. Set your profiles to private
4. Be 'share aware' - once you share something online, you've got no control over what anyone else does with it and you cannot delete it
5. Be mindful of your digital footprint - it could come back to bite you
6. If you see something upsetting, or someone bullies you, tell an adult you trust
7. Don't assume everything you see is true to life. People often make their lives look more exciting online
8. Watch out for hoaxes and scams, like messages you're asked to pass on or that as you for payment details or passwords
9. Be wary of schemes that promise easy cash in return for you receiving and transferring money, and don't be fooled by anything that glamorises gang lifestyles
10. Watch out for loot boxes or other ways that games get you to pay - before you know it you can spend a lot on them - never give people online money

Further advice about keeping safe online can be found at: