Online Safety

Overview

The internet is an amazing resource which enables children and young people to connect, communicate, and be creative in a number of different ways on a range of devices. However, the internet is always changing, and being able to keep up to date with your children’s use of technology can be a challenge.

You may sometimes feel that your children have better technical skills than you do. However, children and young people still need advice and protection when it comes to managing their lives online. Issues that your child may encounter on the internet will vary depending on their age and online activities. For further information, click the button below.

Updated: 18/08/2023 758 KB
Updated: 18/08/2023 648 KB
Updated: 18/08/2023 482 KB

National Online Safety Information

As part of our #WakeUpWednesday campaign and Mental Health Awareness Week, National Online Safety has created a guide about ‘screen addiction’ - an issue which is affecting young people across the globe. The guide informs parents about the issues associated with smartphone and screen addiction among children and how they can help to control the associated risks and stop their children becoming ‘screen zombies’. For more information, click the links below.

The Report Harmful Content Button

The RHC button is an asset of SWGfL, a charity working internationally to ensure all benefit from technology, free from harm.

The button has been developed to offer anyone living in the UK a simple and convenient mechanism for gaining access to reporting routes for commonly used social networking sites, gaming platforms, apps and streaming services alongside trusted online safety advice, help and support. It also provides access to an online mechanism for reporting online harm to the RHC service for those over the age of 13 where an initial report has been made to industry but no action has been taken. RHC will review content in line with a sites' community standards and act in a mediatory capacity where content goes against these.

Children under 13 years of age are encouraged to tell an adult that they trust about what has happened and to ask for their help in reporting this going through our how we can help resource together.

RHC also have advice and links to reporting routes for other online harms people may come across or face, such as impersonation, privacy violations and intimate image abuse.

The RHC button provides a gateway to the RHC reporting pages, an area of the RHC website offering:

  • links to reporting routes on commonly used sites for8 typesof online harm
  • help, advice and support on what to do if experiencing or witnessing harm online
  • signposting to industry partners reporting forms and the ability to report legal but harmful content directly to RHC for further investigation

Reporting to RHC

Reports can be made 24/7 through the online reporting forms and helpline practitioners will review and respond to reports within 72 hours between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday.

Reports can be made to RHC by anyone over the age of 13. SWGfL operates 3 helplines and to be sure you're getting the right support take a look at the Helpline flowchart to find out who can best support you.

SWGfL Report Harmful Content