Parents' guide to internet safety
 

 

The internet is a great place for your child to find out information, research school projects and stay in touch with friends.

 
However, there are some websites out there that you'd probably rather they didn't see, and you'll rightly be concerned about who they're chatting to and what information they're telling other people about themselves.
 
To get the most out of the web, it's important that they - and you - learn to use the web safely. This section will take you through some of the web's problem areas and give you advice on how to keep your child safe online.
 
Most ISPs offer some form of parental controls that can limit the time your child spends online (so you can be sure they don't surf unsupervised. They also offer filters, which are always perfect, that prevent children accessing sites with unsuitable images or text. You can update the settings over time as your child grows up and access is controlled by a password that only you know, so you set the level that's appropriate for your child.
  • Create a separate family email address that you and your child use for entering competitions or joining mailing lists.
  • Make sure your child knows never to pass on personal information, including email addresses without your permission - and never to passwords to anyone else.
  • Never open attachments from an unknown sender.