Internet Safety Police Visit

P6 and P7 had a visit from the police today.  Constable Ritchie came in to speak to the children about internet safety.

Internet safety is something we, as teachers and parents, must be aware and vigilant of to protect the children under our care.  There are many dangers online and Constable Ritchie firstly pointed out that social media apps such as WhatsApp and snapchat have age restrictions, many of which are 18+ and that if children are on these apps when they are aged 11 and under they have given false information themselves.

Children were told that they should have a trusted adult they can turn to and immediately report anything that is not right or does not feel right when they are online, be it chatting to a stranger or cyber bullying.  These are damaging and potentially dangerous online situations.

The children were advised to remember the acronym SMART.

S – safe – keep personal details away from strangers

M – meet – don’t meet people that you know online unless you are with a trusted adult

A – accept – don’t click any links you are unsure about, ask a trusted adult

R – reliable – don’t believe everything people say online, check trusted sources for the truth

T – tell – if you see something that upsets you tell a trusted adult immediately