Do your staff know enough about e-safety to keep children protected from online threats?
As the number of internet users worldwide continues to grow, so does the number of children regularly using it, especially on social media sites. The internet has been proven to be an excellent learning resource for children, and many primary schools encourage the use of online educational tools. However, at the same time, it is important to consider the fact that there is a large amount of content on the internet which is not appropriate for young children, and that children could potentially be exposed to harmful treatment online.
The number of children using social networking sites is increasing
Despite the fact that the majority of social networking sites require a minimum age, which is normally 16 or 18, recent studies show that by the age of 10, over half the children in the UK have had access to some form of social media. It appears that young social media users are easily bypassing minimum age requirements by simply lying about their age. For example, in a recent survey performed in association with The Telegraph, over 40% of the children involved were using Whatsapp, despite the fact that it technically requires users to be 16 years old. According to results of the survey, the average child’s social media activity begins at around age 9, and continues to develop from then on.
When do staff need e-safety training?
If your work involves children that have access to the internet, for example at a school, youth group, or after school activity, your staff need to be well aware of correct e-safety procedures. E-safety courses teach adults how to better protect children online, and examine a number of different online threats. Children are often the first to know about new internet trends, so it is vital that adults are up-to-date. An e-safety course is even more important if the children that you work with are part of a vulnerable or at-risk population.
What are the essential things to know about e safety?
E-safety refers to staying safe online. This means preventing children whom you are responsible for from being exposed to inappropriate or harmful content, or aggressive behaviour online. An e-safety course will cover cyberbullying, identity theft, and protecting children and young adults from age-inappropriate content online. The EduCare for Education package covers all of these bases, as well as child protection training, making it an excellent resource for teachers and other people that work with children.
What are the advantages to doing an online course?
There are a number of advantages to having your staff undergo an online training course. One advantage is that opting to do an online course doesn’t involve them having to go to a training centre which can often be troublesome and expensive. Additionally, online training is self-paced, which means that you can have it fit your schedule, rather than the other way around.
The internet has become a much larger part of our children’s lives than anyone might have expected ten years ago. Keeping up to date with the latest ways to stay safe online is now an essential part of safeguarding children, and ensuring that they grow up to be responsible internet users. As ongoing research proves, children are starting to become internet users at younger and younger ages. It is up to their guardians, teachers, and activity leaders to ensure that they can enjoy the internet safely, and securely.
If you believe that your staff could benefit from an e-safety training, please contact us at EduCare so that we can walk you through the various options available to you.
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