PCC Vera Baird encourages online safety as part of Safer Internet Day
7th February 2017
School children in Alnwick have learnt about internet safety as part of international Safer Internet Day.
Yesterday, (Tuesday, February 9) marked Safer Internet Day which aims to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially among children and young people.
To help raise awareness of the importance of being safe when online officers from the Alnwick Neighbourhood Policing Teams visited Amble First school, Amble Links and St.Cuthberts RC school to talk to pupils about cyber crime and how to protect themselves online.
Issues around bullying on social networking sites and how to stop receiving unwanted to messages were also discussed.
Alnwick Neigbourhood Inspector, Paul Truscott, said: “The internet has become an invaluable resource for people of all ages.
“However, the internet is open to abuse because sometimes there is little accountability and regulation. Therefore, it is important that we are aware of the potential dangers so we can all use the internet safely and responsibly.
“Events such as Safer Internet Day provide education about the internet for parents and grandparents, and at the same time, help them to ensure that their children use it safely.
“Parents should talk to their children about their use of the internet, and there are also IT solutions available which enable parents to monitor what their children are doing online. If parents are worried in any way, they should contact police.”
Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird, said: “The internet plays such an important part of everyday life for so many young people, especially with social networking being a popular way to communicate. Safer Internet Day is about making sure young people stay safe online and are aware of the risks and what they can do to avoid them. It’s great to see everyone coming together in Amble – police officers, parents, teachers and young police cadets – everyone is doing their bit to raise awareness of the dangers to try and keep youngsters stay safe when online.”
Northumbria Police offers the following advice for parents on how to make sure their child remains safe when using the internet.
Make sure your child knows that to stay safe they should remember:
- Everyone they meet online is a stranger, even though they might seem like a friend. They should always tell you if they make contact with, or if they are contacted by, anyone on the internet.
- Always use a nickname when logging on, never give out personal details like their full name, home or school address, telephone number, personal email or mobile number. This information could let someone they meet online contact them
- Accepting emails or opening files from people they don’t really know, can get them into trouble as they can contain nasty viruses, nasty messages or links to stuff they don’t want to see
- Tell your child to talk to you or another trusted adult they know well and ask for help if they’re worried or upset about anything they’ve seen or been sent online.
Further information can also be found on our Ebeat site – www.ebeat.org.uk #SID2016
To find out more about Alnwick Neighbourhood Policing Team visit the Alnwick neighbourhood page of the Northumbria Police website www.northumbria.police.uk
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