Suffolk Police urges parents to speak to children for Safer Internet Day
Parents in Suffolk are being encouraged to speak to their children about staying safe online
As children spend more time on devices for school and connecting with friends during lockdown, Suffolk Police has expressed the importance of staying safe online.
It's Safer Internet Day today (9 February), which aims to highlight positive uses of technology and everyone's role in creating a better and safer online community for children and young people.
SNT Digital Support Supervisor Hayley Batterham said: "We are asking parents and carers across Suffolk to sit down with their children and talk frankly about their online activity as the lockdown continues.
"The online world is a necessity for many children in accessing school work and it delivers huge benefits, not least in enabling us to stay connected to family and friends during this period. However, many parents may feel concerned about the content their children are accessing.
"Although rare, there is a risk that increased online activity and feelings of stress and isolation may be exploited by negative influences and online groomers of all kinds to target vulnerable children and young people directly."
Suffolk Police is encouraging parents to become familiar with the apps or websites their children use, ensure their privacy settings on social networks are set to family and close friends, and teach them about cyber bullying.
Adults are also asked to teach them to think before posting or engaging in "sexting", and set a positive example themselves on how to behave online.
Tim Passmore, Suffolk's Police and Crime Commissioner added: "Keeping our children safe from the potential evils of the internet is a responsibility for us all and is absolutely critical. Sadly, dealing with this issue has become even more crucial in this current climate.
"The internet has many positives, and over the past year the benefits of keeping in contact with family and friends, conducting business and continuing education have been well documented. I can’t image life without internet access but we also need to be aware of the dangers.
"Cybercrime has increased exponentially and this has been a real challenge for the Constabulary, but it is a challenge we are aware of and an area we continue to invest in to keep our communities safe.
"I urge all parents and carers to take some time this week to talk to their children about the dangers the internet can pose and look at the advice available to help them navigate the web safely."