Moray online chat safety campaign launches videos for parents and carers
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KEEPING kids safe online is at the heart of a series of videos being launched in Moray.
The videos aim to answer commonly asked questions from parents and carers about how to keep children safe online are part of the Moray – Let’s chat online safety campaign.
Moray – Let’s chat online originally launched in February with an online event for professionals working with young people and is being delivered by NSPCC Scotland and Moray Child Protection Committee.
The year-long project encourages parents and carers, professionals and young people to have conversations about online safety. It provides tools to help them do this with a range of opportunities for people to connect and learn, including online safety workshops at schools and community groups.
In a survey published in Ofcom’s Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes report earlier this year, parents expressed concerns about many aspects of children’s media use. This includes being bullied online (70 per cent) or via games (54 per cent). The most common concerns among parents related to their child seeing content that was inappropriate for their age (75 per cent), or ‘adult’ or sexual content (73 per cent).
The Moray – Let’s chat online safety videos, which will be available to watch on NSPCC Scotland’s Facebook and Twitter accounts over the next few months, cover topics such as things that parents may want to consider before they get their child’s first mobile phone, what parents and carers can do if something does go wrong for their child online, how to make the most of parental controls and explaining to your child why they’re required.
They also explain how you can help a young person who has shared a nude photo or video of themselves, and how to support a child when they are being bullied online.
Watch the first video here:
Euan Graham, NSPCC Scotland Local Campaigns Officer, said: “Many online sites have not been created with children’s safety as a priority, and young people may come across something that makes them feel uncomfortable or is harmful.
“Parental controls can be a really useful tool, but they do have limitations because when a child’s device leaves the house and connects to different wifi accounts the settings will be different.
“The best way to keep your child safe online is by having regular chats with them about how they are spending their time online, who they are chatting to, and agree some rules and boundaries with them about being online.
“A useful phrase to remember when you chat with your child about their online life is to remain ‘curious not furious’. It’s best to keep the channels of communication open at all times.”
Chair of Moray Child Protection Committee, Fred McBride, said: “We’re delighted to be launching these videos and I’m sure they will be a really valuable resource for many people.
“We know some parents, carers and professionals struggle to keep up with technology because it changes so fast, but our message is that you don’t need to be a tech expert.
“It’s about having good relationships with your children and encouraging them to come and talk to you freely about what they’re doing online and if anything is worrying them, without fear of being judged or punished.”
For online safety advice, visit www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/social-media/
If you are worried about the welfare of a child contact Moray Children and Families Access Team on (01343) 554370 or email childrensaccessteam@moray.gov.uk
Adults can also contact the NSPCC Helpline on help@nspcc.org.uk or phone 0808 800 5000.
If your child is worried about something they can contact Childline for support on 0800 1111 or childline.org.uk, or look at the moderated message boards.
