Crime Prevention - advice for parents on how to keep their children safe online

On this month’s Crimecall Sergeant Deirdre O Neill was in studio with advice for parents on how to keep their children safe online. 

Online Safety advice: 

• Through the Garda Schools Programme Gardaí are providing internet safety talks to students. Sometimes school principals have requested that these talks are provided as they have seen issues around sexting. The sending of voluntary pictures to others without any consideration of the consequences. The aim of the talk is to provide education and teach young people to be kind online. Research has been conducted in respect of the Garda Schools Programme and the result indicates that early engagement and intervention can lead to better outcomes for students. 

One part of the school’s programme features internet safety which is delivered in conjunction with Webwise – Connect with Respect which offers step by step advice to post primary school students. (www.webwise.ie) 

Advice to parents – keep children safe online: 

• Start the conversation and highlight the dangers, so that if they occur the children will let you know.
• Cut internet access -off at 8pm for example.
• Restrict adult access on sites - Select Parental control or non-explicit options within the setting on the app.  There are full instructions on the Webwise website with regard to how to restrict access device and limit time. (This can be done by configuring the access control on the wi- fi router.
• Important of having the conversation – setting the boundaries   

Advice to adults - to be aware online: 

• Consider the information you share
• Sharing information about your children
• Holidays, weddings, funerals.
• Competitions - disclosing personal information