Featuring teaching resources, education packs, resources for young people and Safer Internet Day films, this website aims to help children and young people stay safe online - saferinternet.org.uk
Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE)
Internet Safety
Children and young people today are growing up in a digital world. They need support now, more than ever before, to develop the skills they need to navigate safely though the digital landscape, both at home and in school.
They need to be able to balance technology’s benefits with a critical awareness of their own and others’ online behaviour, and develop effective strategies for staying safe and making a positive contribution online.
Teachers and parents/carers also need to develop effective strategies for managing online risk, helping children and young people to stay safe, while maximising the benefits that technology has to offer. Online safety is a whole-school issue that should be addressed in school internet policies and in other policies such as the anti-bullying policy (cyberbullying).
Cyberbullying, online grooming, access to inappropriate images and sexting are just some of the ways in which digital technology can negatively impact on children’s and young people’s lives.
The Children’s Code came into force on 2 September 2020. This code is designed to protect children in the digital world by providing high privacy settings by default, switching off geolocation services and not using push notifications to encourage children to give up more personal data. See the Information Commissioner's Office page The Children's code: what is it? for more details.
To safeguard children and young people, it’s essential that teachers and parents/carers educate them about staying safe online and what they should do if something goes wrong.
This area of the RSE Hub signposts to resources and guidance information for teachers, parents/carers, and children and young people on internet safety issues. It also signposts to organisations that can offer advice and support.
Primary
The internet plays an increasingly central role in children’s lives, exposing them to new and varied risks. Schools should therefore use strategies that help children develop safe online habits from an early age, while ensuring that they recognise the positive aspects of using the internet as well as the dangers.
To stay safe online, children should:
- understand the importance of maintaining a positive online reputation;
- be aware of the benefits and potential risks of sharing personal information online;
- be able to communicate respectfully with people they know and trust;
- know that other people’s feelings can be hurt if something unkind is said about them online;
- understand the harmful consequences of cyberbullying and know who to talk to if it happens to them;
- understand early on that it is okay to say no to anyone who asks them to do something they feel bad about, in real life or online;
- avoid talking to strangers online and be aware that some people are not who they say they are online;
- tell a trusted adult if they feel uncomfortable or frightened by something they have experienced online; and
- realise that spending too much time online can have a negative impact on them.
Primary Unit
Unit 1: Staying Safe Online
In this unit, pupils learn about their rights and responsibilities when using the internet and how to behave appropriately online. The unit also includes activities for learners with SEN.
Primary Links
Here are some links that we think are particularly useful for this topic:
Our page features information and a video on embedded opportunities for e-safety in the curriculum.
DE’s circular includes principles for keeping pupils and the wider school community safe online and for prioritising online safety - education-ni.gov.uk
Aimed at 8–10 year olds, this game can help children learn how to stay safe from the online risks they might encounter and distinguish between safe and unsafe behaviours - thinkuknow.co.uk
Featuring three animated films and supporting activities for 8–10 year olds, this resource can help children learn how to stay safe from sexual abuse, exploitation and other online risks - thinkuknow.co.uk
Aimed at teachers, parents and carers, the Safer Schools App provides up-to-date advice, warnings and alerts on topics such as image sharing, online bullying and safer gaming.
This page features general e-safety information, as well as specific advice on how parents and carers can keep their children safe online.
SBNI’s Online Safety Hub provides helpful advice and resources on a range of topics to help adults and the young people in their care stay safer online.
This hub includes important information and links to resources and sources of support to help young people stay safe online. Age-appropriate content is split into guidance for those under and over the age of 13.
This page gives contact details for the Gateway teams in Northern Ireland. If you think a child or young person under the age of 18 is being abused, exploited (including online) or neglected, contact the Gateway team in your local Health and Social Care Trust.
Post-Primary
As the internet plays such a key role in young people’s lives today, schools should use strategies that help them develop safe online habits, while ensuring that they recognise the positive aspects of using the internet as well as the risks.
To stay safe online, young people should:
- know strategies to protect their online identity and profiles;
- understand the importance of maintaining a positive online reputation;
- be aware of the benefits and potential risks of sharing personal information online;
- understand that how they present themselves online can have positive or negative consequences;
- understand the harmful consequences of cyberbullying and who to talk to if it happens to them or their friends;
- be aware that a person’s online identity might not be who they are in real life;
- be aware that their online identity can be copied or modified;
- understand the benefits and drawbacks of manipulating digital images or content;
- understand how media can shape ideas and opinions;
- be able to describe and understand some of the pressures that people can feel when using social media, for example peer pressure and fear of missing out (FOMO);
- be able to challenge inappropriate online messages and behaviour;
- know how to contribute positively to online discussion and debate;
- know the laws governing online behaviour, for example sharing explicit sexual images;
- realise that spending too much time online can have a negative impact on them; and
- know how to report an online issue.
Post-Primary Units
Unit 1: Staying Safe Online
In this unit, pupils learn about internet terminology, online behaviour, rights, responsibilities and the law, and strategies for keeping safe.
Unit 2: Cyberbullying
In this unit, pupils learn about cyberbullying, its consequences and how victims can get help.
Unit 3: Sexting
In this unit, pupils learn about the meaning of sexting, how to recognise the pressures to send images or videos of a sexual nature, the personal and legal consequences and the strategies that can help them to resist the pressures to share inappropriate images.
Unit 4: The Impact of Online Pornography on Young People’s Lives
In this unit, pupils learn some risks associated with watching pornography and explore ideas for resisting peer pressure. They can also learn about the law around pornography.
Post-Primary Links
Here are some links that we think are particularly useful for this topic:
Resources for young people with learning disabilities
Our page features information and a video on embedded opportunities for e-safety in the curriculum.
Covering topics like cyberbullying, sexting, peer pressure and self-esteem, teachers can filter these resources by Key Stage, audience and key words - childnet.com
Created with Barclays, this lesson plan covers topics like how misusing social media can create a negative digital footprint and the importance of internet privacy - barclayslifeskills.com
These online training courses can help teachers learn about different aspects of child protection and safeguarding such as keeping children safe online - learning.nspcc.org.uk
Aimed at teachers, parents and carers, the Safer Schools App provides up-to-date advice, warnings and alerts on topics such as image sharing, online bullying and safer gaming.
This page features general e-safety information, as well as specific advice on how parents and carers can keep their children safe online.
SBNI’s Online Safety Hub provides helpful advice and resources on a range of topics to help adults and the young people in their care stay safer online.
This hub includes important information and links to resources and sources of support to help young people stay safe online. Age-appropriate content is split into guidance for those under and over the age of 13.
This page gives contact details for the Gateway teams in Northern Ireland. If you think a child or young person under the age of 18 is being abused, exploited (including online) or neglected, contact the Gateway team in your local Health and Social Care Trust.