Over A Third Of Parents Think Their Child Is Safer Playing Outside Than Online

With school summer holidays upon us, many children will be spending more time than usual online. Research amongst 1,000 UK parents of 4-18 year olds by YouGov and commissioned by Get Safe Online has revealed that this is a key concern.

• A third (34%) of parents in Yorkshire and Humber have no parental controls in place to try and keep their children safe online
• Of those proactive parents using controls, two thirds (69%) will block their children from inappropriate content, and a third (36%) will monitor their child’s access to devices
• More effort being made to talk to children about the potential dangers and risks online

Over a third (37%) of parents in Yorkshire and the Humber said that they felt that their children will be safer playing outside than online, yet despite this, over a third (37%) have no parental controls in place to try and keep their children safe online.

Tony Neate, CEO of Get Safe Online, commented: “Technology is now a given for children, but the online world changes so fast – we’ve seen that over the last few weeks with the mass uptake of Pokémon GO which now brings the online world into physical environments and a whole new set of risks. Our children in Yorkshire and the Humber are growing up to be extraordinarily tech-savvy which does make it difficult for parents to keep control of what they are doing online. And we can see that many are worried about the risks their kids face when they are browsing, playing games and watching content on computers and other devices. Last year, Ofcom found that over half of 3-4 year olds and three-quarters of 12-15 year olds were using tablets.”

The research found that many parents in Yorkshire and the Humber are already using a range of different tactics to help protect their children from a variety of risks, including watching inappropriate content to being bullied online:

Tech savvy tactics:

• Two thirds (69%) block their children from inappropriate content
• A third (36%) monitor their child’s access to devices like smart phones and tablets

• A third (36%) use free parental controls offered by the four ISPs
• More than half (29%) use safe browsers like Google SafeSearch

Talk it through:

• Half of parents (52%) tell their children to steer clear of pop ups or links online
• 39% tell their child what to do if approached by a stranger online

• Less than half (41%) will talk to their child about what to do if they experience bullying online

A traditional take:

• Almost a quarter (23%) of parents will restrict access to certain activities like homework
• Almost half (47%) will keep devices in places easily seen by the whole family
• 44% will agree a list of appropriate websites with their child

 Chief Inspector Matt Walker, Head of Cybercrime at North Yorkshire Police, said:

“By having open and honest conversations with your children about the potential risks and dangers of being online, you are helping to protect them.

“Many children and young people will spend more time than usual online over the summer holidays and so it is an ideal time to talk to them about their online activity and make sure you know what you can do to help keep them safe.

“There are a number of tools available to parents that will help them be able to place security controls on their children’s devices and they are surprisingly easy to use.”

Get Safe Online recommends that all parents take at least the following steps to protect their children online. Comprehensive expert, impartial, practical, free advice can be found at www.getsafeonline.org

• Talk regularly with your child about their online lives
• Guide your family – in the same way that you do in other aspects of their day-to-day lives
• Don’t be afraid to set boundaries and rules for your children from a young age
• Try out some of the technologies your child enjoys for yourself
• Speak to friends, family and other parents about their approach to keeping their children safe online. Exchanging experiences can be highly valuable
• Use parental controls on computers, mobile devices and games consoles as well as privacy features on social networking sites and safety options on Google / other search engines. Opt into your ISP’s family filters
• Install reputable parental control software and apps to help ensure age-appropriate online activity and monitor your child’s internet usage
• Stay aware of changes in your child’s behaviour or moods, as it may be a sign that your child is being bullied, harassed or abused online
• Try not to rely purely on technology to keep your child safe online, instead use it to support you in setting the limits and build a dialogue with your child
• Remember that social networking and picture sharing sites have minimum age limits – find out what they are and make sure your child isn’t using age-inappropriate networks and apps
• As your child grows up, make sure they’re aware of the basics of online safety, such as not clicking on links in emails and instant messages, good password practice, not turning off internet security programs / apps and firewalls and not revealing personal information