NSPCC shares internet child safety advice during the coronavirus lockdown
With families confined to their homes and schools closed, children are spending far more time online playing games, learning and connecting with friends and family.
Margaret Gallagher from the NSPCC shares some advice for parents who suddenly now find themselves needing to monitor their children's growing use of the internet.
The internet has been a lifesaver for many families since the country went into lockdown due to the worldwide spread of COVID-19.
Everyone is facing new demands and the way children are being educated has changed dramatically. Many children are now spending more time online to complete virtual lessons, play games, keep in touch with their friends and take part in online P.E. sessions to keep active.
Although the internet can be a positive platform for children, the risks that the online world poses are now greater than ever.
With tech firms scaling back on moderators who combat sexual abuse, offenders are seeing an unprecedented opportunity to target children online.
At the NSPCC, we think that it is vital that, despite the lockdown, tech providers ensure child safety remains of paramount importance.
This is why we are calling on firms to set out how they are prioritising child protection and share with government the volumes of referrals they make during this period to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), in order to track and identify child abuse risks.
As we know, the online world is ever changing and given the current situation we are in you may be concerned or feel you do not understand what your child is doing online.
We encourage all parents to talk with their children about what they are doing on the internet and reassure them that they can come to you with any worries.
To help you get a greater understanding about the online world you can also visit Net Aware. This is a website we have designed in partnership with O2 where you can learn about the latest apps, sites and games your children are using. It can also help you understand how to minimise the potential risks and ensure that online resources can be an important, and safe, part of coping with the implications of social distancing.
Despite the pandemic, we are still working hard to ensure we are here to support children.
Visit www.nspcc.org.uk to learn more about our work and how you may be able to support it.
Click here to read more about Kent Police's work to protect children online during the lockdown.
