Online safety for children - resources?
Discussion
Is there a register or list online of sites that have any "child safety concerns" about them? My kids have been using things like Club Penguin and Build-a-Bearville for a while, and these are heavily moderated sites and limit the types of conversations that can take place (and they are connected to "real world" organisations, Disney and Build-a-Bear Workshop respectively). Recently they have been using another similar site, UK based and online-only (don't want to name it for the moment) and I heard an unsupported rumour that there were concerns about it being used for grooming youngsters.
I don't want to over-react and block access - as it seems to be an educational site as well as having an element of social networking - but I did want to search to see if there were any reasons to support that rumour. As far as I can see there is nothing behind the rumour (but it has reminded me to repeat my "online safety" lecture) but what surprised me was that I couldn't find anything that rated sites for child safety.
Is there such a register? Is such a thing needed? I still believe parents educating children about what is and what is not acceptable behaviour online is the most important thing, by the way.
Andy
I don't want to over-react and block access - as it seems to be an educational site as well as having an element of social networking - but I did want to search to see if there were any reasons to support that rumour. As far as I can see there is nothing behind the rumour (but it has reminded me to repeat my "online safety" lecture) but what surprised me was that I couldn't find anything that rated sites for child safety.
Is there such a register? Is such a thing needed? I still believe parents educating children about what is and what is not acceptable behaviour online is the most important thing, by the way.
Andy
no such register and it would not be workable. best site for advice is http://www.childnet-int.org/
best thing you can do is have the pc is a public room eg the kitchen or lounge not tucked away.
best thing you can do is have the pc is a public room eg the kitchen or lounge not tucked away.
loltolhurst said:
no such register and it would not be workable. best site for advice is http://www.childnet-int.org/
best thing you can do is have the pc is a public room eg the kitchen or lounge not tucked away.
'sfunny, that's always my first advice when people ask about keeping kids safe on PC's. They expect to hear about this or that software, or about locking down operating systems or setting up acceptable sites to visit, and get annoyed when you say "move the PC"!best thing you can do is have the pc is a public room eg the kitchen or lounge not tucked away.
aclivity said:
loltolhurst said:
no such register and it would not be workable. best site for advice is http://www.childnet-int.org/
best thing you can do is have the pc is a public room eg the kitchen or lounge not tucked away.
'sfunny, that's always my first advice when people ask about keeping kids safe on PC's. They expect to hear about this or that software, or about locking down operating systems or setting up acceptable sites to visit, and get annoyed when you say "move the PC"!best thing you can do is have the pc is a public room eg the kitchen or lounge not tucked away.
Dont let them go on sites with direct messaging and "social networking" (I hate that phrase). Why on earth would a kid who is young enough to go on Penguin club need to be encouraged to use stupid sites like facebook.
Any online site with person to person comunication is open to grooming, moderated or not. Teach them to use the computer, but teach them something useful, not how to update their status when they split from their boyfriend/girlfriend or how to post pics of themselves taken by holding their phone above their head.
As above and mentioned plenty of times before on here, put the computer in the living room (or wherever you sit of an evening) with the screen facing you. If you really are worried about your childs online safety and vet all their browsing, the worst thing you can do is put the Pc in their bedroom.
Any online site with person to person comunication is open to grooming, moderated or not. Teach them to use the computer, but teach them something useful, not how to update their status when they split from their boyfriend/girlfriend or how to post pics of themselves taken by holding their phone above their head.
As above and mentioned plenty of times before on here, put the computer in the living room (or wherever you sit of an evening) with the screen facing you. If you really are worried about your childs online safety and vet all their browsing, the worst thing you can do is put the Pc in their bedroom.
The_Jackal said:
Dont let them go on sites with direct messaging and "social networking" (I hate that phrase). Why on earth would a kid who is young enough to go on Penguin club need to be encouraged to use stupid sites like facebook.
Any online site with person to person comunication is open to grooming, moderated or not. Teach them to use the computer, but teach them something useful, not how to update their status when they split from their boyfriend/girlfriend or how to post pics of themselves taken by holding their phone above their head.
As above and mentioned plenty of times before on here, put the computer in the living room (or wherever you sit of an evening) with the screen facing you. If you really are worried about your childs online safety and vet all their browsing, the worst thing you can do is put the Pc in their bedroom.
I suspect they are more likely to be the victim of internet bullying than grooming.Any online site with person to person comunication is open to grooming, moderated or not. Teach them to use the computer, but teach them something useful, not how to update their status when they split from their boyfriend/girlfriend or how to post pics of themselves taken by holding their phone above their head.
As above and mentioned plenty of times before on here, put the computer in the living room (or wherever you sit of an evening) with the screen facing you. If you really are worried about your childs online safety and vet all their browsing, the worst thing you can do is put the Pc in their bedroom.
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