Internet Safety
At Alvaston Juniors, we prioritse the safety of our pupils online. Our Digital leaders play a role in highlighting the importance of being safe online in school.
Many of our children will be spending more time on their devices while we are staying at home during the national lockdown which may be for educational, recreational or social purposes. We encourage parents to monitor your child’s online activity,reduce their screen time and keep an open dialogue about the online activity that children are taking part in.
Safe and Sound Group
Please see the link below to access the Safe and Sound Group website. This is a charity that was established in 2002 and has been tackling child sexual exploitation to support vistims and young people at risk in Derby and Derbyshire.
The CEO of Safe and Sound, wrote to parents recently to outline to highight the signifant impact of technology on child exploitation, and she signposted parents to additional support and netorking sessions to support them with Internet Safety:
"Over 70% of children and young people we supported last year were groomed online. The youngest child we have supported was eight years old. One in twenty children will suffer some form of sexual abuse. That is one in every classroom. Sadly, it can happen to any child anywhere and at any time.
The use of some form of technology features in many cases of child sexual exploitation. Perpetrators might use social media to locate and target vulnerable children or they might use a mobile phone as a direct line to a child to facilitate the grooming process.
For children and young people growing up today being online is very much a part of their normal social experience. Most children from school age have access to the internet whether through a tablet, a mobile phone, or a gaming device.
At the same time, technology moves quickly, and it can be difficult for parents to keep up and to know what safeguards might help minimise the risks children could encounter online.
We also know during Covid-19 the risk has again escalated. Perpetrators are aware children and young people are at home spending more time at home, may be isolated from their friends. They are using this to their advantage"
Link to Safe and Sound Group - Charity Derbyshire
Additional Information for Parents
There is support available to keep your child safe online. Below are some useful links to help parents and carers:
- Thinkyouknow (advice from the National Crime Agency to stay safe online)
- Internet matters (support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online)
- Parent info (support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online)
- LGfL (support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online)
- Net-aware (support for parents and carers from the NSPCC)
- Let’s Talk About It (support for parents and carers to keep children safe from online radicalisation)
- UK Safer Internet Centre (tips, advice, guides)
