Keep Your Child Safe Online: Guidance for parents, carers and guardians

The internet has become an integral aspect of many children’s lives. In the United Kingdom, children spend on average two to five hours a day online. Access to the internet offers children many benefits, such as developing opportunities to socialise, connect and cement friendships. Children are using the internet to support their learning for homework, creativity skills, developing literacy and numeracy skills and researching useful information (OFCOM, 2024).

However, the unregulated nature of the internet leaves many children exposed to both online and in-person risks and traumatic experiences. According to the Internet Matter’s (2024) research, two-thirds of children reported experiencing harm online and the NSPCC’s (2024) analysis indicates a 79% increase on child abuse images being collected and distributed in the past 5 years.  This demonstrates the growing need for tech companies, Government officials, policy makers, regulators, parents/carers and teachers to work together to tackle the everyday harm that children are facing online.

Doctoral research with a focus on cyberbullying by Dr Rebecca (Becky) Mulhall, Educational Psychologist, revealed that:

• Primary-aged children highly valued their parents proactive and reactive strategies for keeping them safe online. In a questionnaire, the majority of children wanted their parents to talk to them by providing guidance and supervision on their internet use at least on a weekly basis (either daily, twice a week or once a week).
• In semi-structured interviews, children wanted their parents to understand the online risks and know how to manage and mitigate difficult online situations. Highlighting the need for parents to educate themselves on the risks. Children expressed that they wanted their parents to remain calm without retaliating against the person that offended/hurt them. This demonstrates the importance of parents staying regulated and looking after themselves during these difficult online experiences.
• The systematic literature review investigated how various parental internet support approaches relate to cyberbullying victimisation. The findings suggest that when parents provide guidance, supervision, and set specific rules, their children experienced lower levels of cyberbullying. This illustrates the importance of parents co-viewing/ supervising their child’s internet use and using house rules to keep their child safe online.

Dr Becky’s Mulhall's (2023) research can be read here: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10174820

As part of Enfield’s working party for Online Safety, Dr Becky Mulhall and Samantha Hill (from the School Improvement Service) have co-created a practical, trauma-informed guide for parents, carers and guardians which relates to the most recent research on online safety and uses psychological, practical tools/strategies to mitigate and manage online risks.

References

Gabrielli, J., Marsch, L., & Tanski, S. E. (2018). T.E.C.H. Parenting to Promote Effective Media Management. Pediatrics, 142(2). doi: 10.1542/peds.2017-3718: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/ PMC6176863/

Internet Matters (2024). Children’s wellbeing in a Digital World. Children's digital wellbeing: 2024 report | Internet Matters

NSPCC (2024, March 1^st). As child abuse image crimes increase, we’re calling on Ofcom and tech companies to take action. As child abuse image crimes increase, we’re calling on Ofcom and tech companies to take action | NSPCC

OFCOM (2024, April 19^th). Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2024.  Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2024 - Ofcom