We understand that the Education Authority is assisting schools by providing laptop and electronic devices to children who require these to assist with their education at home. The Police Service of Northern Ireland would like to take this opportunity to provide some useful Crime Prevention advice which will complement the distribution of the devices.
The electronic information booklets include the Cyber Aware brochure and the Little Book of Big Scams.
We are also hoping that parents and children can be signposted to the Scamwise NI website at;
www.nidirect.gov.uk/scamwiseni
Many thanks for your assistance in spreading this important message in order to keep people safe and hopefully prevent them from becoming a victim of crime.
Parents and carers, you play a crucial role in empowering and supporting children and young people to use digital technologies responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively. Indeed, parental influence, guidance and education have a significant and long-lasting impact on children’s safety and wellbeing in the online world. Therefore, there are plenty of ways for you to participate in Safer Internet Day, whether it is by ensuring an open dialogue with your children, educating them to use digital technologies safely and positively, or acting as digital role models.
To the left is a video created by Mr Cooley and Mr McAtee, ICT teachers in Edmund Rice College. It includes some great advice on eSafety for parents.
Courses
Listed below are some courses you might wish to register for:
Empowering Healthy Online Behaviour in Teenagers
Tuesday 9th February 7.30-8.15pm
Dr Nicola Fox Hamilton, Cyberpsychology researcher, member of the Cyberpsychology Research Group at the University of Wolverhampton and lectures in Cyberpsychology and Psychology in IADT, Dun Laoghaire
Parents/guardians of teenagers
Empowering Healthy Online Behaviour in Younger Children
Wednesday 10th February 7.30-8.15pm
Mark Smyth, Consultant Clinical Psychologist
Parents/guardians of younger children
Empowering students to build digital resilience and manage their online wellbeing
Thursday 11th February 7.30-8.15pm
Webwise- Irish Internet Safety Awareness Centre
This webinar is for teachers, educators, school leaders and education stakeholders
An Introduction to 'Digital Collateral'
Wednesday 3rd March 10-10.45am
Ineqe Safeguarding Group
Professionals working with children and young people.
An Introduction to Social Media 101
Thursday 4th March 10-10.45am
Ineqe Safeguarding Group
Professionals working with children and young people
Introduction to Appropriate Use of Social Media
Wednesday 10th March 10-10.45am
Ineqe Safeguarding Group
Professionals working with children and families.
Tuesday 23rd March 6-6.45pm
Ineqe Safeguarding Group
Parents and carers of children all ages
Wednesday 24th March 6-6.45pm
Ineqe Safeguarding Group
Parents and carers of children all ages
Online Harms and Digital Resilience
Wednesday 31st March 6-6.45pm
Ineqe Safeguarding Group
Parents and carers of children all ages
Please follow these rules when using social media:
Only accept people you know personally. Do not accept friend requests from people you do not know.
Check your settings regularly – keep your account private. This means only your friends can see your content.
Remember that the Internet never forgets.
Think about what you post – keep it positive.
Do not give away personal information.
Be careful before clicking on any links.
Never ever send naked pictures over the Internet. If you receive any, do not pass them on to anyone else.
NetAware App
The NetAware App is an excellent resource to have on your phone. Download the app and it will give you information and help on staying safe on all of the most popular social media platforms. The video below will give you some information on it:
Relevant News Articles:
Please note: This is a shocking report but highlights a very important point for those responsible for young people.
Social media platform safety checklists:
These checklists provide tips and guidance on how to use safety and privacy features on a range of social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.