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Are you worried your child has too much screen time? Find out the potential effects it could have on your child with tips and advice to manage limit screen time.

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What you post online can come back to haunt you.

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Life in Likes | Children's Commissioner for England

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This Children's Commissioner's report on the effects of social media on 8-to-12-year-olds examines the way children use social media and its effects on their wellbeing. 'Life in Likes' fills a gap in...

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Do you spend too much time on your phone?

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Let’s face it, we love our phones and we use them for just about everything. Whether it’s doing schoolwork or connecting with friends, we can find ourselves endlessly scrolling and swiping. You know that you need a break but it can be hard to put down that phone! Well, you’re not alone, here are s…

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Questions, answers and tools to help you make the most of your time online.

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What are the risks of using a VR headset?

VR headsets can have similar risks to devices like smart phones and tablets. Because you can use them in different ways, the risks will depend on how your child uses the device.

Many children like to use VR headsets to play games and explore different virtual places on their own. But with VR headsets you can also chat and play games online with others. You can even use a VR headset to access the metaverse. See our page on this for more information: What is the Metaverse?

Some of the risks of using a virtual reality headset are:
Experiencing physical injury
Using VR is an intense experience and using it for long periods of time could cause problems like eye strain. There is also a risk of injury while wearing a headset as your child cannot see their surroundings. If the game requires them to move around, they could trip or fall on other items in the room. Because of the way scenes move in VR, some people can feel motion sick when using it.
Negative impact on mental wellbeing
Virtual reality is designed to be very realistic. This means that young children might find it more difficult to tell the difference between what happens in the game and in reality. One side effect of using VR can be feeling disconnected from your body. Because VR is designed to be so realistic, it can feel strange when you come out of the experience. People who spend a long time in the headset might feel disconnected from their body, making them feel anxious or worried.

If your child is playing or chatting with others in VR, there are some other risks to be aware of:
Experiencing unwanted contact
Some VR apps and games allow children to easily chat and play with people they don't know. Just like in other online games, this puts young people at risk of grooming or online forms of abuse, along with the risk of moving the conversation to other platforms or meeting up offline.

In many VR games, players use avatars to represent themselves. Your child could be approached by another player's avatar whose behaviour makes them uncomfortable.
Encountering harmful content
Because many VR experiences are happening live, it can be difficult to monitor what your child is seeing and hearing. This means that children might see or hear things that are inappropriate, such as bad language, violence or sexual content.
Oversharing private information
Young people talking to others in VR might feel pressure to share information about themselves. They might share things like their name, where they go to school or photos of themselves. Some devices, games and apps might also have location settings which give the option of sharing their location with others.
Spending real money
As in other online games and apps, you can make purchases in virtual reality. Lots of apps and games partner with brands, influencers and celebrities to encourage users to buy virtual items. Young people might use virtual coins or real money to buy expensive items, such as clothes for their avatars. They could also be targeted by scammers who try to trick people into sharing personal information or steal money from them.

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Understand the risks and get advice to help children use headsets safely.

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Designed and Developed by Will Earp, South West Grid for Learning Trust Ltd

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Downloadable booklets to guide you through your profile settings in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. It helps you control how your profile appears, what your friends and other people can see, and how to report problems.

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Fortnite Battle Royale, commonly simply called Fortnite, is a popular video game from Epic Games. It offers a knife-edge gun battle that requires practice, skill, teamwork and fast reactions. The challenge for parents is to limit risks and maximise benefits from Fortnite.

Screen time, stranger chat, rage at losing and escalating costs can seem overwhelming. However, with the right advice, this is a game that parents can make healthy and valuable for their children.

What is the age rating?

In the UK, the Video Standards council rate Fortnite as PEGI 12 for frequent scenes of mild violence. In the US, the ESRB rate Fortnite as Teen, only suitable for those 13 years and older. iTunes rates the game only suitable for children 12+ for Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence and Infrequent/Mild Medical/Treatment Information.

You know your child best and can use this information to make an informed decision about whether Fortnite is appropriate or your child. However, children under the age of 13 automatically receive a cabined account through the Epic Games Store. You must give parental permission for them to access all in-game features.

See this visual guide for more.

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Fortnite Battle Royale - What parents need to know | Internet Matters

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Fortnite Battle Royale, commonly simply called Fortnite, is a popular video game from Epic Games. It offers a knife-edge gun battle that requires practice, skill, teamwork and fast reactions. The challenge for parents is to limit risks and maximise benefits from Fortnite. Screen time, stranger chat, rage at losing and escalating costs can seem overwhelming.

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Two levels of information as a guide : The PEGI age labels

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A family agreement is a great way to start a conversation with your whole family about how you all use the internet, and to start discussions together around how to behave in a positive way when online, whether this is at home, at school or at a friend's.

Our family agreement provides a list of things to consider when creating a family agreement, and some examples to get you started. An agreement template is also provided to help families set clear expectations for positive and safe internet use.
For more information about how to put the family agreement into practice visit our blog.
Online Safety Agreement

Alternatively you may need an online safety agreement which doesn't cater to a family audience. The internet is a very important part of our lives today and setting up an agreement can help ensure that everyone within your organisation/ group are safe when navigating the online world.

This online safety agreement is designed to be used in a variety of settings, including:

youth groups and clubs

residential settings (eg boarding houses)

educational settings (eg libraries)

for professionals supporting vulnerable young people (eg foster carers)

You can find a template for this below.

For

Type

Donate

Even a small donation can support the development of our online safety resources and help our Education Team to connect with more children and young people.
Donate

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A resource to support families in staying safe online.

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Online blackmail is an education resource which aims to help young people identify key characteristics of how blackmail manifests online, understand the impact it can have, and how they access help if they experience it.

The term 'online blackmail' is used to refer to the act of threatening to share information about an individual (including sexual images or videos) to the public, or their friends and family, unless a demand is met.

Anyone can be targeted by online blackmailers, but as young people begin to become more financially independent, this can be a point of vulnerability which offenders seek to exploit.

Our Online blackmail resource has been informed by the latest research, intelligence from the NCA, and engagement with young people and professionals.

Online blackmail has been awarded the PSHE Association Quality Mark, demonstrating that it supports safe and effective teaching practice and meets the PSHE Association's 'ten principles of effective PSHE education'.

The one-hour Online blackmail session can be delivered in schools, colleges, youth groups and other educational settings.
What young people will learn
Online blackmail, like all forms of online child sexual abuse, can manifest in different ways. As such, the session helps learners recognise the early signs of manipulative, pressurising and threatening behaviour, and identify different people and organisations that can provide help if they need it.

By the end of the session, learners will be able to:

Explain what online blackmail is

Describe the impact blackmail may have

Identify some controlling and manipulative behaviours online

Explain how to get help, and the different people and organisations who can provide support with problems young people face online.

Our approach
Like all CEOP Education resources, Online blackmail has been developed on the basis of our six values for safe, effective online safety education.

1. Safeguarding first.

2. Approach from the perspective of the child.

3. Promote dialogue and understanding.

4. Empower and enable children.

5. Never frighten or scare-monger.

6. Challenge victim-blaming attitudes.

If you are interested in learning more about the evidence base for this and similar approaches, we recommend you read the research report 'Key Principles of Effective Preventative Education', downloadable from www.thinkuknow.co.uk/professionals.
Asset list
1 x Online blackmail resource pack, including session plan and worksheets

1 x Online blackmail session slides

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Online blackmail education resource for 15-18 year olds

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A one-hour learning session focussing on online blackmail (including for financial gain or 'sextortion'), helping 15 to 18 year olds in identifying risk and getting support when they need it.

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How easy is it to change yourself in photos with the click of a button? How many people do it? And is it good for us?

Sometimes, seeing everyone else's #flawless posts can make us feel like we're not quite good enough.

But we shouldn't be letting filters and editing apps make us feel down. You're perfect just the way you are and online you're often comparing yourself to a person who isn't real.

As long as you learn to be body kind, that's the most important thing.

And remember, posting photos without filters can also still be loads of fun! Here are some top tips on how to take great #nofilter pictures.

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How easy is it to change yourself in photos with the click of a button? How many people do it? And is it good for us? Sometimes, seeing everyone else's #flawless posts can make us feel like we're not quite good enough. But we shouldn't be letting filters and editing apps make us feel down.

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This page is for parents - if you are a teacher, click here

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Inappropriate content could appear at any time. Difficult to moderate.

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Link up with relatives around the world.

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The following material has been published by Farrer & Co's Safeguarding Unit, to coincide with KCSIE 2022 going live on 1 September 2022. Our new resource for addressing child-on-child abuse replaces our previous Peer-on-Peer Abuse Toolkit.
Download here
The new resource includes the below.

Key updates - which have predominantly been made:

to reflect relevant changes in KCSIE

on contextual safeguarding

on intersectionality

on digital behaviour

to provide a greater focus on race, and on child sexual exploitation and child criminal exploitation

New material/revised content from that previously included within the Peer-on-Peer Abuse Toolkit - such as:

a definition of child-on-child abuse

a diagram providing an overview of child-on-child abuse

an Appendix containing key areas of the law applicable to child-on-child abuse

an Appendix containing a glossary and key facts

an Appendix containing an expansive range of statistics, resources, educational material, support services and interventions, and Government guidance

case studies

It should be emphasised that this new resource is not necessarily intended to be read cover to cover in one sitting but is primarily intended to be used as a resource and reference document for practitioners - to consult as and when required and to the extent needed, and to help them navigate whichever area(s) of child-on-child abuse they are dealing with.

If you require further information about anything covered in this briefing, please contact Adele Eastman, David Smellie or your usual contact at the firm on +44 (0)20 3375 7000.

This publication is a general summary of the law. It should not replace legal advice tailored to your specific circumstances.

© Farrer & Co LLP, September 2022

Want to know more?
Contact us

About the authors

Adele Eastman

Senior Counsel

Adele is a senior counsel in Farrer & Co's Safeguarding Unit, which advises organisations in this country and around the world working with children and/or adults with care and support needs. Within the Unit, Adele is responsible for the charity sector, and co-leads on the sports sector.

Adele is a senior counsel in Farrer & Co's Safeguarding Unit, which advises organisations in this country and around the world working with children and/or adults with care and support needs. Within the Unit, Adele is responsible for the charity sector, and co-leads on the sports sector.

David Smellie

Partner

David is consistently rated one of the top employment and safeguarding lawyers in the UK. Whether advising on senior executive moves within PLCs or private equity, or the handling of serious or high-profile safeguarding cases, either past or present, David is acknowledged for the clarity and astuteness of his advice - always looking several steps ahead in an attempt to futureproof whatever action is contemplated now.

David is consistently rated one of the top employment and safeguarding lawyers in the UK. Whether advising on senior executive moves within PLCs or private equity, or the handling of serious or high-profile safeguarding cases, either past or present, David is acknowledged for the clarity and astuteness of his advice - always looking several steps ahead in an attempt to futureproof whatever action is contemplated now.

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Addressing child-on-child abuse: a resource for schools and colleges

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The following material has been published by Farrer & Co's Safeguarding Unit, to coincide with KCSIE 2022 going live on 1 September 2022. Our new resource for addressing child-on-child abuse replaces our previous Peer-on-Peer Abuse Toolkit. Download here The new resource includes the below.

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Social interactivity with friends where its not possible to see them often

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Educational resources & the ability to learn new skills

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I.W Keeping in contact with friends / making plans

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Risk of grooming

Exposure to relationships which may appear 'normalised' but constitute domestic abuse

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Online bullying - people say things online that they might not do / say in person

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andy.place@havering.gov.uk

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Online Safety for Redbridge SCP June 2023

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IWF talking to strangers and sharing nudes. Aimed at young people with SEND

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Selection of activities and scenarios for KS2 around seeing upsetting content.