Keeping children safe online
TODAY (Tuesday) is Safer Internet Day and here Marie O'Sullivan of Anokha Learning discusses how schools and parents/guardians can collaborate to keep children safe online. Anokha Learning are a Westport-based online education provider looking to make positive changes in children's lives by educating teachers in the areas of mental and emotional health, fitness, nutrition and bullying (online and offline).
Children have unprecedented access to the internet and naturally this can be concerning for parents and teachers. Devices such as laptops, mobile phones, games, etc., offer unparalleled opportunities for children, e.g. to engage in self-directed learning. However, they also pose risks to the uninitiated.
As adults we need to model safe and responsible use of technology. Children need to be explicitly taught how to minimise the dangers associated with their online activity.
Establish safe parameters
Think about how technology can impact on a child’s developmental needs. Physically, overuse of technology can affect sleep. Consider the material children are exposed to as they browse the internet. What types of values are being promoted? How might self-esteem be negatively impacted when comparing oneself unfavourably to carefully curated selfies of one’s favourite celebrity/social media influencer?
As adults, we may be conscious that such images are likely to have been digitally edited, or at least that the subject may have selected favourable poses or enhanced their features using makeup, etc. Children however may not independently develop the faculty to critically analyse the images presented to them online or in other media.
One way to combat this is to talk to the child(ren) in your life about how and why others might choose to enhance their appearance when sharing images online. Reflect on how you might model self-acceptance through your own use of social media. For example, a few years ago, many women shared makeup free selfies online as part of a charity campaign. Socially, children need to interact with peers to learn how to form friendships. Children acquire language through communicating with others. Time spent playing informs their understanding of the world. Therefore, technology use should be supervised and time limited.
Children find it very difficult to conceptualise their digital footprint. They may not anticipate the dangers that could arise from innocently disclosing information online such as the name of their school or tagging their location in real-time. Help children to understand why it is important to keep such information private.
Keep the lines of communication open
Sometimes the children are the experts on their online activity and this can leave us feeling at a disadvantage. One way to overcome this is to keep up an open dialogue about their digital lives. Discuss their favourite websites and their use of social media. Talk to them about what they can do if they encounter cyberbullying. One simple strategy is 'Stop, block and tell'.
Listening to children can uncover experiences they have encountered that may have left them feeling uncomfortable. For example, they may be concerned about a friend who has received nasty messages. We can pre-empt this by brainstorming what children can do if they or a friend are targeted by cyberbullying.
Be informed
Because technology evolves so quickly, it can sometimes leave us feeling overwhelmed or inadequate. Schools are legally obliged to have anti-bullying policies that specifically refer to cyberbullying. As the adage goes, prevention is better than cure. School-based initiatives can be very effective in teaching children how to navigate the digital landscape safely. When the school community collaborates (staff, parents/guardians and children) the unified messaging about acceptable behaviour online is very powerful. By keeping ourselves informed about simple strategies to keep safe online we empower the children in our care.
10 tips for your school community
* Distribute a list of child-friendly search engines to all staff and parents/guardians
* Set up an Internet Safety Council consisting of staff, parents/guardians and children
* Consider how you could equip less confident members of the school community to develop their knowledge of internet safety measures
* Use survey monkey to find out what sites and social media children are using. Tailor school-based initiatives and talks for parents/guardians around the information that emerges.
* Use the school newsletter and website to promote internet safety
* Invite guest experts to inform staff/parents/guardians/children about safety online
* Explain to children that they should be very careful about the information that they share online
* Once we post something online it can be shared by others. It is very difficult to retract.
* Include cyberbullying and internet safety as a topic when delivering input about transition to secondary school.
* An Internet Safety week can help to raise awareness and to promote understanding.
Suggested resources: www.anokhalearning.com - online education for teachers on internet safety and cyberbullying; www.webwise.ie -ownloadable guides for parents and teachers; and www.zeeko.ie - sign up for regular updates on topics such as smartphones, apps to be wary of, etc.
* Marie O’Sullivan is a qualified primary school teacher, counsellor, IT trainer and author/facilitator for Anokha Learning. She has integrated her extensive knowledge, experience, and skills into practical courses aimed at supporting teachers to prevent online and offline bullying and to empower the children in their care. Marie is passionate about listening to children and validating their experiences. She believes that every child has the potential to thrive and achieve when they feel psychologically safe. Marie is an advocate of the school-wide approach and the synergy which emerges when staff, parents/guardians and children collaborate.
* Anokha Learning is an online education company based in Westport. Anokha Learning provides DES approved online courses for teachers based on the tagline ‘real life real issues’. Current course offerings include: Internet Safety & Cyberbullying Prevention, Mental & Emotional Health Fitness, Bullying Prevention: Cultivating Friendship & Inclusion in School, Eatwise Nutrition and Food for Thought Nutrition. All online courses provide strategies to support the teacher as well and strategies to support and enable children in school.
Web: www.anokhalearning.com; Facebook/Twitter @anokhalearning