What is ‘Online Safety’ ?
Online safety is as an umbrella term for promoting the safeguarding of children and adults when using any device over the internet. We know that the online world can add great value to the lives of children and adults; whether it being personally or educationally. This It is also an evolving area, and with developments now in virtual reality, there are major shifts in how young people interact with the world.
Online Abuse
Online abuse is any abuse that is facilitated by using internet connected technology. Online abuse may take place through social media, messaging apps, emails, online gaming, live-streaming sites or other channels of digital communication. Children who are abused offline may be re-victimised online if their abuse is live-streamed or recorded and uploaded online.
Cybercrime
Cybercrime is criminal activity committed using computers and/or the internet. It is broadly categorised as either ‘cyber-enabled’ (crimes that can happen off-line but are enabled at scale and at speed on-line) or ‘cyber dependent’ (crimes that can be committed only by using a computer).
Online Crime
The number of issues that could be regarded as harmful online is considerable, but they can be categorised into four areas of risk:
- Being exposed to illegal, inappropriate or harmful content, e.g. pornography, fake news, racism, misogyny, self-harm, suicide, anti-Semitism, radicalisation and extremism. (even pre-school children may come across such content – especially on devices with voice-activated search enabled);
- Being subjected to harmful online contact with other users, e.g. peer pressure, adults posing as children or young adults with the intention to groom or exploit them for sexual, criminal, financial or other purposes;
- Personal online conduct that increases the likelihood of/causes harm, e.g. making, sending and receiving consensual and non-consensual sharing of nudes and semi-nudes and/or pornography, sharing other explicit images, online bullying, allowing apps/websites to access location, younger children sending (including inappropriate/indecent) images/information to (e.g. parent’s) device’s contact list;
- Commerce-based risks (both as victims and perpetrators), e.g. online gambling, inappropriate advertising, phishing and/or financial scams.
The Types of Risks and Harm of the Internet
Grooming
Through social media and/or gaming etc, in order to exploit children/young people, be that for radicalisation, sexual abuse, criminal activity etc.
Cyberbullying
Can occur through any ICT, especially mobile phones.
Consensual or non-consensual sharing of nude or semi-nude images
These can be self-generated or otherwise.
Sexual Abuse
This includes non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
Financial
Online gambling, in-game spending (including use of cryptocurrency), scams, e.g. being persuaded or tricked into ‘money mule’/’squaring’ (moving someone else’s money through your bank account for a commission).
Exposure to Inappropriate Materials
Pro-suicide/anorexia/self-harm etc. sites, various forms of hatred, violent, frightening or pornographic pictures and videos.
Obsessive use of the Internet and ICT
For example, addiction to video games, social media self -image and number of likes.
Other inappropriate or Illegal Behaviour
For example, exposure to/creation of hate mail, or offensive images, game hacking, device crashing, stalking, harassment, videoing/livestreaming assaults;
Copyright Infringement
For example, the illegal sharing of music, pictures, videos or documents.
Spotting the Signs…
It is not always easy to spot signs of online abuse/crime or a lack of understanding of online safety. They may include:
- Spending much more or much less time than usual online, texting, gaming or using social media and/or using different platforms than usual;
- Uploading personal information, theirs or other’s;
- Appearing withdrawn, upset or outraged after using the internet or texting;
- Being secretive about who they are talking to and what they are doing online or on their mobile phone;
- Having lots of new phone numbers, texts or e-mail addresses on their mobile phone, laptop or tablet;
- Suddenly possessing unexplained money/gifts/expensive in-game purchases;
- Talking about destroying someone’s online game;
- Signs and indicators of any offline forms of abuse/criminal activity;
- Young children talking about/enacting things they would ordinarily have no knowledge or comprehension of.
How to Stay Safe from…
Grooming
- Keep personal information private
- Review privacy settings
- Review apps, site, apps and games you or they use
- Block software you feel may not be appropriate.
- Ensure you stay educated and alert to what grooming may look like online, in the gaming world and on chat sites.
Cyberbullying
- Don’t post personal information online, like your address, your email address or mobile number. Keep personal information as general as possible.
- Never let anyone have access to your passwords. Check the privacy settings on accounts like Facebook/Twitter and make sure you know how to keep your personal information private.
- Change passwords regularly.
- Think very carefully before posting photos of yourself online. Once your picture is online, anyone can download it and share it or even change it.
- Never respond or retaliate to negative posts.
- Block any users that send you nasty messages on social media sites.
- Never reveal your real name, your friends’ names, where you go to school or your place of work.
- Don’t open emails, downloads or attachments from people you don’t know or trust as they could contain a computer virus or unwanted messages.
- Block spam emails and delete them.
Exposure to inappropriate materials
- Turn on safe search on search engines
- Set up parental controls
- Make sure every device is protected
- Set filters
- Block Pop-ups
- Explore sites and apps together
Hacking
- Protect your email by using a strong and unique password
- Install the latest software updates
- Back up your data
- Enable 2- step verification
Obsessive Use of the Internet
- Think about how your emotional health relates to internet usage
- Set usage limits on your devices
- Ask a friend or a family member to take your device away from you after a certain amount of time
- Delete/ De-activate your social media accounts
Remember, the internet is home to valuable resources and information, helping us advance vital areas such as medicine, education, and more, but, there is still negatives of the internet that we all need to be wary of.
If you still have questions, or have concerns about you’re using the internet, then get in touch with a member of our safeguarding team on safeguarding@srscc.co.uk.
