Students

Most of us spend the vast majority of our time online. It’s important to know how to keep yourself safe.

Fake News

A lot of what we see isn’t a true reflection of what is really happening. Often stories are fake news or posts we see have been edited and altered to give a false representation. this can impact on mental health as we feel a pressure to match what we see online. Take some time to look into things and search for accurate stories/posts. Don’t always believe what you see. It’s important to question a lot of what we see online.

Contacts/Followers/Friends

Not everyone is who they say they are. It’s important that you only connect with people you know. Ensure you accounts are set to private and only accept friend/follow requests from people you know. It’s always a good idea to go through your contacts/followers/friends every few weeks and remove those who you don’t know.

Account Settings

Most young people use various different social media platforms. It’s important you follow the age guidelines and that you ensure you account is set to private. This way strangers won’t be able to see what you post. You wouldn’t go up to a stranger in the street and share your life details with them, the same applies to social media. If your unsure how to change your settings on any account ask a member of staff or contact us on our Instagram account tellus_cnchs_warrington

Sexting

Sometimes young people are targeted and are asked to share images of themselves partially or fully naked. Sometimes others of the same age might ask to share an image. Never share images with anyone. As soon as you send an image you can’t get it back! It can be saved or screenshot and shared around. It goes out of your control. Young people have been blackmailed and threatened with images used as a means of making them do things. If anyone asks you to send them an inappropriate picture make sure you tell an adult. You won’t be in trouble but the person requesting will be! It’s also against the law for you to have any images of other young people on your devices, so make sure you don’t have any!

Passwords

We quite often get young people who have given their passwords for accounts to friends or have logged in on their devices. If it comes from your account then you are responsible for it. Never give your password to someone else that way you’ll never put yourself in a difficult position

Bullying/Arguing Online

It’s quite easy for things to get out of hand when managing friendships online and being part of group chats. Just as you would in person you shouldn’t be making comments about other people. Bullying takes place online too and we will always deal with this. If you share photographs/video’s of others without consent then you could land yourself in trouble. We will often work with the Police Schools Liaison Officer when issues have happened online. Remove yourself from a group chat, don’t make comments about other people and report any issues to a parent or school.

Useful e-safety Links for Pupils and Parents

	ceop.police.uk This website has a lot of online resources that help with child exploitation and online protection (CEOP). It is targeted towards children ages 8-16, the site focuses on how to be safe, have fun and get rid of things you don’t want online. CEOP can help with identifying hazards online and helping to prevent the hazards that occur online. If you are worried about online abuse or the way someone has been communicating with you, let CEOP know.
	NSPCC.org The NSPCC is a national trust offering help to children online and domestically. They offer a wide range of supporters and guidance to children all across the UK. They provide help and the resources you need to live a happy, healthy life. They have an e-safety section where they offer knowledge about the dangers of e-safety and how to overcome the challenges we face online every day.
	staysafeonline.org Stay safe online. This website informs you of the dangers that exist online. They give steps and instructions of how to adapt your internet experience to be the best and most pleasant that it can be. This gives you academical information that most e-safety websites don’t and its very useful if you’re not sure how to report or block an individual.
	childnet.com Their aim is to help make the internet a great and safe place for children and young people. Find the latest information on the sites and services that you like to use, plus information about mobiles, gaming, downloading, social networking and much more. They provide top tips and do’s and don’ts about the online world.
	saferinternet.org.uk It has information on specific apps and websites and a lot of useful information that relate to the app. If you are looking for advice on a specific app or website then you should use this. It has methods on how to block and report people or make a complaint on the app or website.
	Internetmatters.org Get expert support and practical tips to help children benefit from connected technology and the internet safely and smartly. Need help with an online issue? Need to report something? Need help setting controls and privacy settings on a child’s device? Well look no further, internet matters have you covered.