Leeds Mum Warns Parents to Keep Kids Safe Online
Parents aren't giving young children the right information on staying safe online.
A poll by the NSPCC found less than a third of mums and dads had mentioned things like privacy settings.
Laura* from Leeds knows what it’s like to get unwanted attention online. Her 11-year-old daughter was playing on a social networking app with her friends when a man performing a sex act appeared on the screen.
“She came flying through the kitchen door and just handed me the phone,” says Laura*.
“We were screaming at the phone to stop, because he could hear us. Even us as adults were stood in complete and utter shock. Apparently on this site other people can come and join your conversation and that’s what this guy had done, and he kept trying to phone back.”
The incident is now under investigation by police, but Laura is urging other parents to make sure they know what their children are looking at online.
“For me, as a mum, seeing that – I’m still in shock to this day. I haven’t a clue about half the sites that are out there, and it’s scary how quick they can actually get onto something. I keep up to date with her Facebook but I didn’t know this was out there.
“Sit them down, have that chat. I wish I’d have had a better chat with my daughter. If they want to go on a site, check the site out first. You don’t think it’s going to happen to your child. You think if it’s going to happen, it won’t happen to us – but now we are dealing with it.”
The NSPCC has today called for strangers to be automatically blocked from contacting anyone under the age of 16 on social networks or apps.
They also want it to be much easier for children and parents to report online abuse.
“The more they communicate, the more apps that come out, there’s going to be new risks,” warns Adam Hildreth, who works at a Leeds company developing software to protect kids on the internet.
“Children are still children, they need adults to look after them. Preventing these things and reporting them afterwards is essential.
"You’ve got 6-year-olds using apps and if an adult does contact them online, how many are actually going to report it? We should be stopping that from happening in the first place."
According to the NSPCC, 80 per cent of children say they’re concerned about privacy settings on things like apps, social media and games.
The NSPCC are now urging parents to be more aware of what they’re children are doing online.
*We’ve changed her name to protect her identity