North East-Child Safety Book

CHILDREN
SAFETY BOOK

You can’t always be with your kids when they’re
online, but Google SafeSearch can.
There are some things on the Internet no child should see. So it’s good to know that
SafeSearch allows you to filter adult content from your search results so your family
can explore the wonders of the Internet more safely. And because kids will be kids,
SafeSearch lock ensures it can only be turned off with a password.
To find out more on how to be safer on the Internet, go to google.co.uk/goodtoknow

WHOOPS! CHILD SAFETY BOOK // 1
CONTENTS
Introduction by Carole Hewison, of The Whoops Child Safety
Project 3
About The Whoops! Child Safety Project 5
Choking Hazards 8
Accidents at home 11
Child Abuse 16
Child Safety Risk Assesment 18
Water Safety 20
Cyberbullying 23
Keeping young children safe online 27
Kaspersky UK 28
Designed and Published by IJC Media Limited @ Gateshead 2013
Thanks to the following contributors:
• The Whoops! Child Safety Project
• The Children’s Foundation
• Newcastle NHS Trust
• Kaspersky UK
IJC Media Limited wishes to thank all the advertisers whose support has made this publication possible. Whilst
every care has been taken in the compilation of this publication and the statements contained herein are
believed to be correct at the time of publication, the publishers and promoters of this publication shall not be
liable for any inaccuracies. The publishers or the Whoops! Child Safety Project does not sanction or endorse
any of the products or services that feature in this publication. IJC Media Limited cannot be held liable for the
origination of the text and images within this publication.

INTRODUCTION // 3
WELCOME & HELLO!
It is my pleasure to introduce this new and
exciting child safety book. You will see
from the supporters within this book that
there are many organisations around the
region who care deeply about preventing
harm to children – no more so that the
Whoops Child Safety Project.
Whoops, a part of The Children’s
Foundation has been around for the past
13 years and I have been fortunate to
have been here for every minute of that
time. We have worked with in excess
of 250,000 parents, carers, children and
professionals in an attempt to eliminate
serious injuries sustained from preventable
accidents and incidents.
We don’t want to wrap children up in cotton wool. Scrapes and bruises,
breaks and bleeds are part of growing up however we don’t think children
should die, be disabled or disfigured from what could very well be a
predictable or preventable instance.
I want to work with your staff teams to ensure we equip them with info
they need – not the red tape and reams of paper they don’t need. I want
the opportunity to have a say in the risk assessment for your children
and to help make your school, children’s centre a centre for excellence
in child safety. I want your staff team to be able to spot a child who is
depressed – not just label then “naughty – or bad blood”and I want teams
of educators to be able to spot a child whose parents have given up on
them and they come to school unkempt, smelly or hungry.
I hope you get some helpful information from this book…..Happy reading
Kind regards,
Carole Hewison
Project Director

What to do if you are worried
about a child or young person in
Northumberland?
All Children have the right to grow up safe from harm or abuse. If you
think a child or young person is being abused or mistreated or you
have concerns about the safety or welfare of a child, you must speak to
someone immediately. You can ring the Safeguarding Team on 01670
623978 (offi ce hours) who will connect you to your local Children’s Social
Care Team or ring 0845 600 5252 (out of hours). In an emergency, phone
the police 999.
All concerns about children are treated seriously and in confi dence.
Most people feel anxious about making a referral about a child to social
workers. Talking through your concerns can help clarify whether there is
something to be worried about or not - don’t think ‘what if I am wrong?’ -
think ‘what if I am right?’
The Northumberland Safeguarding Children Board (NSCB), is an independent partnership
responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The NSCB website
provides accessible and up-to-date advice and information for children and young people,
parents and carers and professionals. For more information about the NSCB, please call
01670 623980, email SafeguardingChildren@northumberland.gov.uk, or access the NSCB
Website: www.northumberland.gov.uk/SafeguardingChildren

ABOUT WHOOPS! // 5
WHO ARE WE?
Whoops! Successfully deliver child safety initiatives to health professionals, parents/carers and children
across the region – we delivered child and maternal mental health as there is a direct link between
poverty/accidents and mental health.
Facts about us:
• Whoops! are the only Child Safety
organisation outside of London.
• Whoops! are the forefront for all child safety
across the North East. Often creating
opportunity and identifying the need for
intervention prior to addressing it.
• Whoops! home safety/baby burns
initiatives have played a major part
in reducing the number of children in
Gateshead alone admitted to hospital by
62% (2000 82 admissions, 2007/8 – 54
admissions)
• Whoops! education to parents increases
positive mother/child attachment in the first
few months, thus reducing the number of
children presenting with a mental health
problem in adolescence.
• As a direct result of our programmes –
immediate behavioural changes are made
in and around the home to prevent lifethreatening
injury/injury deaths.
• Whoops! are synonymous in bringing
communities together. Professionals and
service users (parents and grandparents
and children) from across PCT, NHS,
Local Government, and community
based service and the third sector and
are equipped to make life-saving changes
direct where it is most required.
• Whoops! train other front line professionals
to identify and address child safety to
prevent brain damage, disability and death.
• Whoops! are evaluated as non-threatening
and are welcomed by all service users no
matter what their social standing as “there
to help”.
• Whoops! targets disadvantage – making
a difference where there is no positive role
models in a young mothers/fathers and a
child life – to set a precedent to recognise,
promote and motivate mothers and fathers
to ensure their children are safe.
Why are we doing this?
• Over the next 12 months 250 children will die from an accident – a
further 2 million will visit A&E as a result of an accident.
• “Three children in every classroom have a diagnosable mental health
problem.
• Around 1 in 12 children and young people deliberately self harm.
if this is not a
good enough
reason, then
I’m not sure
what is!

6 // ABOUT WHOOPS!
Be a Child Safety Officer
FF
FF
FF
FF
Is your place of work a “centre of excellence” for children?
Do you have a child safety officer in your centre?
Do all your staff know what to do in every emergency situation?
Do your staff conduct dynamic risk assessment every day?
If you have answered no to any of the above then you need to complete our 1 day child
safety officer training. An absolute must if children are visiting or staying in your venue
for any length of time.
All too often we hear of child deaths, serious life threatening incidents and many
more near misses to children while they go about their daily lives – it is now the time
we “made it our business” to put an end to the pain and suffering and long term
consequences of injury. Protecting your organisation from future closure, litigation and
guilt is paramount in today’s society.
The Child Safety Officer course is designed to instil child safety awareness and
practices into every business/organisation working with or having children coming
through their doors. – Examples could include children’s centres, early years and
nursery provision, shops, café’s bars and restaurants, holiday and travel companies,
children’s leisure and play organisations, merchant associations and similar, bus - rail
and aero companies, voluntary sector, banks, theme parks, stadiums – sport, facility
management and so on and so on – the list is endless.
Within your business, who is responsible for assessing risks and hazards for visiting or
working children?
• Is your business fully protected?
• How do you protect your staff, premises and practices from fault or blame?
• Could your business withstand a lengthy court case, costly fines and litigation
payments?
As a responsible business you can create a safer environment. This child safety
officer’s course is designed to equip key people in your organisation to take
responsibility for risk assessing from a child’s point of view. Creating a child safety
policy, will add value to your existing policies and communicate with the right people,
ensuring your business can be a safe environment for young people.
To contact us and book please call 0191 4777366, or email information@
whoopschildsafety.co.uk

Are you
worried
about a
child?
If you have concerns about the safety of a child
then you should talk to someone immediately.
You can phone the council (in confidence) on:
0191 433 2410 (office hours)
0191 477 0844 (out of hours)
In an emergency phone the police: 999
Young people with concerns can
also phone: Childline: 0800 1111
For more information on safeguarding and
protecting children in Gateshead visit the
Local Safeguarding Children Board website
at: www.gateshead.gov.uk/lscb

8 // CHOKING
CHOKING
Young children and babies are prone to choking. The most common cause of choking in this age
group are food and small objects like buttons, beads and coins and small toys left lying about by older
siblings. When an object is stuck in the throat it can block the airway, making breathing difficult, or the
throat can go into a muscular spasm. If the airway is only partially blocked the casualty should be able
to clear the blockage; if it is fully blocked, then the casualty will not be able to breathe, speak or cough
and this will fast lead to unconsciousness so action must be prompt.
Choking Child
Your first aim is to try to encourage the child to cough as this could allow them to remove the
obstruction themselves. However, if the child becomes weak or shows signs of difficulty in breathing,
then we need to deliver one or all of the following techniques:
1. Backslaps 2. Chest Thrusts 3. Abdominal Thrusts
Bend the child forward
and using the heel of your
hand, aim to deliver 5 sharp
backslaps in the middle of the
shoulder blades. Check the
mouth to see if the obstruction
is cleared and if you can see
something in the mouth use a
one-finger sweeping action to
remove it. Never go into the
mouth blindly in case you push
the obstruction further down
the throat. If backslaps fail then
try chest thrusts.
Stand or kneel behind the child,
placing your fist against the
lower part of the breastbone.
Take hold of your fist with the
other hand and pull sharply
inwards and upwards. Give up
to 5 chest thrusts, checking
the mouth again using the
sweeping finger to remove any
obstruction. If this fails try the
abdominal thrusts.
Place the thumb side of your
fist between the naval and the
ribcage. Roll your fist sharply
in an “inwards and upwards”
movement into the abdomen.
Repeat this rolling technique 5
times. Check the mouth to see
if the obstruction has cleared
using the finger sweep action.
If the obstruction is not cleared, carry out the backslaps and chest thrusts a further 3 times. Never
perform abdominal thrusts on a baby. Dial 999 for an ambulance and continue the backslaps/
chest thrusts until help arrives or the choke is removed. Check the level of response and be
prepared to resuscitate if necessary.

Choking Baby
1. Backslaps 2. Chest Thrusts
CHOKING // 9
Lay the baby face down along your forearm,
supporting the head, with the head lower than
the legs, and give up to 5 firm back slaps. Check
the mouth and remove any obstruction with your
fingertips.
How safe is your home?
If the backslaps fail, turn the baby onto their back
and give up to 5 chest thrusts. Using 2 fingers,
one finger’s breadth below the nipple line,
push inwards and upwards on the breastbone.
Perform the chest thrusts at a rate of one thrust
every 3 seconds. Check the mouth.
Did you know, every year 1000s of children go to hospital after suffering an accidental injury at home.
Help stop your child being one of them by following our safety tips check list:
FF
FF
FF
FF
FF
FF
FF
FF
The stairs and landing are kept clear of
clutter that could cause a fall.
Toys for older children are kept away from
babies and toddlers, in case they choke
on small parts.
Medicines and chemicals are kept high
up and out of reach, to prevent a child
from drinking something harmful.
The highchair has a 5-point harness to
stop babies climbing or falling out.
Baby nappies are always changed on the
floor, to help prevent falls.
Babies and toddlers are always
supervised in the bath, to prevent
drowning.
A smoke alarm is fitted and working to
give the family extra time to escape in the
event of a fire.
Hot drinks are never left where young
children can reach them, to prevent
scalds, as a cup of tea is still hot enough
to scald after 15 minutes.
FF
FF
FF
FF
FF
FF
FF
FF
There are safety gates fitted to stop
babies and toddlers climbing and falling.
Plastic bags are knotted and put away
safely to avoid suffocation.
Cigarettes, matches and lighters are kept
out of reach to prevent burns.
Use back rings on the cooker or turn
handles away from the edge to avoid
scalds.
Have a family fire escape plan worked out
and discuss it with your children – don’t
wait until it is too late.
Always replace dead batteries in your
smoke alarm – you cannot replace your
children.
Have someone in the family take a first
aid course to help cope if an accident
happens.
Ensure hair straighteners are NEVER left
If you require more information on keeping safe,contact the Whoops! Child Safety Project on
(0191) 477 7366.

BABIES CAN
SUFFOCATE ON
NAPPY SACKS
ALWAYS KEEP NAPPY SACKS OUT OF REACH.
Babies naturally grasp anything and put it in their
mouths - nappy sacks can kill.
© Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust 2011

HOME SAFETY // 11
HOME SAFETY
What are the most common types of Accidents?
Falls account for over 40% of all home accidental injuries to children. They are by far the most
common single cause of home accidental injury.
Collisions with a person or object are the second most common type of accidental home injury and
the only one where the injury rates are approximately the same for children of all ages. Typically these
accidents happen when children run in to objects, run in to each other or are struck by a falling object.
The need to remove a foreign body that has been swallowed, inhaled or is stuck elsewhere was the
second most common cause of hospital attendance for accidental home injury in 2002 with over
50,000 attendances, almost 40% being aged between 5 and 14 years.
Burns and scalds are another common type of home injury. In 2002 there were almost 37,000 hospital
attendance. Burns and scalds particularly affect babies and very young children with scalds from hot
drinks being the most common cause.
The fourth most common reason for children being taken to hospital is suspected poisonings. These
happen when parents or carers think that children have consumed
medicines, household cleaners, DIY or gardening chemicals. Nine out of ten suspected poisonings
involve children under five years old.
The following safety tips can help prevent injuries
to children by making the home a safer place for
them:
Falls
• Fit safety gates to prevent children accessing
stairs
• Check banister or balcony railings to make
sure children cannot climb on them or fall
through gaps
• Fit safety catches on upstairs windows
• Keep furniture away from windows
• Never leave babies unattended on furniture or
changing tables; they can easily roll off
• Wipe up spills as soon as they happen to
avoid slips
• Encourage children to put their toys away
after use
• Fix loose carpets and mats and do not have
trailing flexes
Striking & Collisions
• Fit corner guards to sharp edges of furniture
Burns and Scalds
• Fit smoke alarms and check regularly that
they are working
• Close doors at night to stop fire spreading
• If possible install a fire extinguisher and fire
blanket
• Keep matches and lighters out of sight and
reach of small children

12 // HOME SAFETY
• Use fireguards on all heaters and fires and do
not use them to dry clothes
• Keep children away from ovens, hobs and
hotplates
• Turn pan handles towards the back of the
stove and use back rings for cooking when
possible
• Never fill a chip pan more than one third full
and never leave a hot chip pan unattended
• Use short or curly flexes with kettles and
keep them out of the reach of children
• Do not hold a child when you have a hot
drink and keep mugs and cups of hot drinks
well out of the reach of young children
• Turn irons off immediately after use and never
leave the flex dangling
• Fit a thermostatic mixing valve to your hot
bath tap
Suffocation, Strangling & Choking
• Do not use pillows, duvets and bean bags for
babies under a year old
• Never use strings, ribbons and ties on very
young children’s clothes
• Strings on toys over cots or playpens should
be shorter than 20 cm
• Don’t take your baby to sleep with you in
your bed or on the sofa. You may accidentally
suffocate him or her while you sleep.
• Never string toys across a cot or pram
• Stay with young children when they are
eating or drinking and get them to sit still
• Supervise small children if they are eating
small pieces of fruit or vegetables. Do not
give peanuts to children under six
• Keep small objects like coins and parts of
toys away from young children
• Always keep plastic bags and plastic film
away from children
Poisoning
• Keep dangerous substances out of reach of
children – these include household chemicals
such as cleaners, detergents and bleach,
as well as DIY materials such as paints,
thinners, strippers, varnishes, glues and other
adhesives
• Keep all medicines out of sight and reach of
children – preferably in a locked cupboard
• Remember that perfumes, essential oils and
alcohol can also be poisonous to children
and keep them out of reach
• Keep all dangerous substances in original
containers
Cutting & Piercing
• Mark large areas of glass with stickers.
• Fit safety glass in low level glass in doors and
windows
• Use safety film on glass in furniture, or re-fit
with safety glass
• Fit safety catches on drawers containing
sharp cutlery and knives
• Keep kitchen gadgets and sewing materials
out of reach
Drowning
• Always supervise children in or near water
• Never leave a child under five alone in a bath
even for a moment – do not use bath seats
as they do not prevent drowning
• Drain or securely cover garden ponds.
• Empty the bath immediately after use
• Do not leave anything in the garden that
could collect rainwater–turn buckets,
wheelbarrows etc over or put them away
after use.

Blind Cord Danger
Looped blind and window
cords are dangerous as
they can strangle a child.
Ensure all cords are kept
securely out of reach and
never put a child in a cot,
high chair or playpen
within reach of a curtain
or blind cord
For safety advice please contact
City of Newcastle Upon Tyne
Trading Standards Service
tradingstandards@newcastle.gov.uk
0191 2116121

x126597_NHS_p2_dw_x126597_NHS_p2_dw 06/09/2013 12:20 Page 1
Newcastle Hospitals Community Health
Be a
SAFETY HERO
and prevent children suffering from
burns and scalds
Burns and scalds
• Most accidents to children 0-4 years happen in the home in the
presence of an adult and are usually PREVENTABLE.
• A high number of children suffer from a burn or scald.
• Most burns and scalds happen in the kitchen from cups of tea,
cookers, irons.
• High numbers of children suffer burns from hair straightners.
• Children are particularly at risk from burns/scalds as their skin is
20-30% thinner than adults.
Tips
ALWAYS place hot drinks out of reach of children.
A drink can stay hot enough to scald for up to 15 minutes
ALWAYS run the cold water first when running a bath and check
temperature using your elbow
ALWAYS keep kettles, irons their wires and handles out of reach.
They can be pulled over very easily
NEVER leave hair straightners where a child can reach them

x126597_NHS_p2_dw_x126597_NHS_p2_dw 06/09/2013 12:20 Page 2
Newcastle Hospitals Community Health
Be a
SAFETY HERO
and prevent children suffering from
burns and scalds
First aid for burns and scalds
Place under cold water for at least
10 minutes to cool burn
•
If burn severe call 999
•
Remove clothing that is not sticking
to the burn
•
Cover with clingfilm loosely to
reduce infection
•
Keep the child warm at all times

16 // SEXUAL ABUSE
SEXUAL ABUSE
Together we can prevent child
sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is something adults would rather not think
about or talk about – but the best way of protecting children from
harm is for adults to do just that! By not being afraid to talk about
the issues, with each other and with our children, we become
much better able to understand the steps we can take to keep our
children as safe as possible. There are no hard and fast rules, but
here are a few suggestions on things to think about and how to
start these important conversations with your family and friends.
SMART rules for parents & carers
Secrecy
Sexual abuse thrives in secrecy. Children find it very difficult to tell anyone that they are
being abused by an adult or another child. Talking to and listening to your child is the best
prevention.
Monitor
Monitor your child for signs that they are not happy. Be alert to the warning signs that they
may be being abused.
Attention
Be aware of who is paying attention to your children and who their friends are. Don’t ignore
any unease you feel about people showing interest in your child.
Respect
Respect your child’s wishes if they don’t want to be with someone or to stay somewhere.
Discuss with them why they feel this way.
Talk
Talk openly to your children about keeping safe. If your child does confide in you, listen
calmly and be re-assuring.

TEEN ABUSE
Abuse in a relationship can happen to anyone. It’s never ok.
It can destroy your self-confidence, have a negative impact on your health and wellbeing and leave
you feeling isolated and lonely.
Abuse doesn’t have to be physical and violent. It can also be mental abuse - this means that you are
threatened and your partner degrades you by putting you down.
Other examples include being forced into situations you don’t want to be in, feeling pressurised into
spending time with your partner when you ‘d rather be doing something else, or made to feel guilty
about having your own friends and interests.
It can be very difficult to talk about your feelings and what’s happening in your life.
Some problems won’t go away even if you try to sort them out.
Sometimes people try and ignore the problems but this can just make things worse.
So if you have been affected by an abusive relationship and need advice or just want to talk to
someone, please visit one of the websites or call one of the numbers listed in this book.

What price would
you put on your
child’s safety?
½ million children under 5 sustain a serious
injury in the home each year.
Approx. 300 of these children will die as a
result of their injuries.
For the price of a night out at the cinema you can
help ensure your home is safe for your child!
For only £25 (redeemable against the price of our cost price safety pack)
Whoops! Child Safety Project Safety Proof Scheme
can offer you a full home safety risk assessment.
Including:-
A visit from one of our fully trained home
safety advisors.
Advice and guidance on how to keep your
child safe.
A £25 voucher towards a home safety
equipment pack supplied by Whoops! at
cost price.
Don’t let your child become another statistic!
For more information on Safety Proof call Whoops! on
(0191) 477 7366

What’s Included in the Home Safety Pack?
2 Safety Gates
Fire Guard
2 Cupboard Locks
Extra Long Non Slip Bathmat
2 Packs Corner Cushions
2 Cord Winders
Extra items can be purchased separately from us at cost price.
We can provide you with names of qualified fitters in your area if
you would like to arrange professional fitting of the equipment to
British Safety standards.
If you would like to book a safety visit you can either phone the Whoops!
office or complete and return this form to the address below.
NAME……………………………………………………………………………….
ADDRESS………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………POSTCODE………………..
TELEPHONE…………………………………….………………………………….
NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN HOME………….…………………………………
AGES OF THE CHILDREN………………………………………………………
When you are booking your home safety check why
don’t you book a check for Granny & Granddad’s
house too.
Whoops! Child Safety Project
12 Gladstone Terrace, Gateshead, NE8 4DY
Tel:- (0191) 477 7366 Email:- info@whoopschildsafety.co.uk
www.whoopschildsafety.co.uk

20 // WATER SAFETY
DROWNING & WATER SAFETY
It is important to be aware that a baby can drown in as little as 5cm of water. This means
that anywhere that water can collect can become a hazard.
What can be done to reduce the number of
drownings?
• Fit a strong cover, such as a heavy metal grid,
over the garden pond or fill it in. Ponds can
make excellent sandpits for young children
• Be sure that toddlers cannot get into
neighbours gardens – they may have a pond,
pool or other hazard
• Have fencing around pools with self-locking
gates that children cannot open or climb
• Empty paddling pools after us and either
cover or turn them over
• Check regularly in the garden for anything
that could collect water – put buckets,
wheelbarrows or any other containers away or
turn them upside down.
• Always supervise children closely when
playing in or near water such as paddling
pools, at the beach, in parks and gardens
• When on holiday with children check out the
environment for any water hazards, such as
unfenced ponds or pools, rivers or canals
• Never leave a baby or child under 6 years old
in the bath without an adult to supervise them.
How to help children to learn about water safety
as they develop?
• Encourage safe water play with young children
• Make sure children learn to swim – all schools
should be teaching swimming to children
between five and fifteen years old
• Encourage children to swim in safe places
such as public pools where there are trained
lifeguards
• Teach children the meaning or warning flags
or signs at beaches and other bodies of water
• Explain to children why they should never
swim in areas such as canals, weirs or
quarries.
• Learn basic first aid techniques and
encourage older children to do the same.

WATER SAFETY // 21
How many unintentional
drownings happen
each year? (Britain, 2002)
• 35 children under fourteen years old were
drowned
• 21 of these children were under five, 7 were
between five and nine and 7 were ten to
fourteen years old.
The places where these
accidents happen reflect
children’s developmental stages
and where they spend their time.
• In the younger age group the most
common place where children are
drowned is in the home or garden. Of
the children under five who drowned, 14
of them did so in the bath.
• Older children are more likely to drown
while playing outside the home.
As well as these fatalities many near drownings occur each year. In 2002 in England and Wales
about 200 children were taken to hospital after nearly drowning. Not surprisingly most unintentional
drownings happen in the summer months.
Near drowning can have long-term consequences, resulting in permanent disability and serious health
problems. The longer a child is immersed in water with loss of consciousness and breathing the more
likely is it that such long-term consequences will arise.

Road safety’s
simple
l
Hold
hands
Belt up
Shut up
SLOW DOWN
PROTECT THE ONES YOU
Road
Safety
Week.org
Organised by
Brake
the road safety charity
Registerd charity No. 1093244
Road Safety Week is kindly sponsored by

CYBER BULLYING // 23
CYBER BULLYING
What Every Parent
Needs to Know About
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is an act of one child, preteen,
teen or young adult which is intended to harass,
embarrass, or humiliate another child, preteen,
teen or young adult using the Internet, mobile
phones or other digital technology. Cyberbullying
usually has at its root a desire to (1) balance or
establish perceived power, (2) inflict harm on the
other person, and (3) repetition of the bullying
action to achieve the bully’s end.
Forms of Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying can take many forms. A recent
study indicated that 63% of cyberbullying attacks
come via social media, 25% come by email
and 19% by phone. Posting photos online with
a victim’s head atop a body that is not theirs,
hacking into a victim’s Facebook page, posting
embarrassing videos on YouTube, sending
photos taken with a camera phone to many
people, creating websites that tell lies or share
embarrassing details have all been techniques
used in recent years to harass unwitting victims.
Cyberbullying Statistics
Statistics from government reports and research
estimates that 38% of young people have
been affected by cyber-bullying. Statistics also
suggest that girls are much more likely to be
victims than boys.
How Cyberbullying
Differs from Other
Forms of Bullying
Bullying usually takes place in person and in
front of a relatively small number of people. In
contrast, cyberbullies harass their victims either
anonymously or at least in a setting where the
victim’s reaction is not immediately seen. This
can result in the bully having no immediate
feedback on their bullying, which may cause
the attacks to intensify quickly. In addition,
cyberbullies’ attacks often encompass large
groups of people through mass texts, Facebook
posts, emails or posted videos that can at times
go viral.
What Parents Should
Do If Their Child is a
Victim?
Talk with your child to learn the extent of the
attack(s). Help them think through options for
dealing with this attack and to prevent future
attacks. If the attacks turn vicious or threatening,
report the actions to local police and school
officials. Block the harasser from sending text
messages or instant messages. Change all
passwords for your child’s email and other
online accounts and have him or her keep them
confidential. Check her online presence regularly
to monitor for further problems.

24 // CYBER BULLYING
If your child has been on the receiving end of a cyberbully’s attack, there are some specific steps you
should take to discuss the issue with your child and to prevent further attacks from having an impact
on his or her life.
1. Watch for warning signs
Cyberbullying can be quite embarrassing
and often our children are reluctant to
talk about it when it happens. Experts
suggest that some of the warning signs of
cyberbullying include:
• Dropping grades
• Avoiding going to school or social
activities
• Lower self-esteem
• Stress-related health issues
2. Open the communication
channels
Often, fathers will find out through the back
door or by seeing warning signs that their
children have been victims of cyberbullying.
Sit down with your child and talk about the
experience. How did he or she feel? What
do they think might have caused the attack?
Do they know who did it?
3. Show empathy
At this stage, it is important to let your child
know that you feel bad about the situation,
but that it was not his or her fault. Helping
them feel a connection to you now and later
will help you stay on top of the issue and
give her good advice.
4. Generate ideas for your
child to address the
issue
At this stage, it is important to let your child
know that you feel bad about the situation,
but that it was not his or her fault. Helping
them feel a connection to you now and later
will help you stay on top of the issue and
give her good advice.
5. Document the attacks
Print off the social networking pages, emails
or text messages when they come. As
you work through all of the issues, having
consistent and accurate documentation
is critical. Sometimes cyberbullying raises
to a legal issue (assault, harassment,
terroristic threats, etc.) and having good
documentation will be helpful to the
authorities.
6. Block the bully
If the bully has been sending harassing
text messages, block him or her from your
child’s phone list. Block the bully’s access
to your child’s email or social networking
pages. Children are notorious at sharing
their passwords with friends, so change all
of your child’s passwords for email, social
networking, instant messaging and more.
Taking some of these precautions will help
prevent further attacks.
7. Communicate with the
school
If the cyberbullying involves people at
school, notify the school officials of the
problem. They can often block Internet
access at school, which will often slow down
the frequency of the attacks. They can also
watch for other instances of violations using
school resources and take appropriate
action. Most schools have strict policies
about cyberbullying.
8. Stay on top of your kids’
online presence
Make sure you have your children’s
passwords for their email, social networking
and instant messaging. Your family cell
phone provider may also have parental
tools available where you can track your
child’s text messages as well. Check these
accounts frequently to stay on top of issues
before they become unmanageable.

CYBER BULLYING // 25
Cyberbullying Statistics
1. Call your mobile phone provider to see what tools might be available to regulate your
child’s use of their phone. You may be able to block text messages by specific senders
or even read copies of text message traffic.
2. Remember that one of the reasons that cyberbullying is a problem is that the bully does
not get immediate feedback as he or she would in a real life bullying experience. So
sometimes the attacks can escalate quickly and get out of hand almost within a few
hours. Vigilance is very important.
3. Remember that cyberbullying can occur in many venues. Text messaging, Facebook,
Twitter, YouTube, gaming sites and other websites can all be tools for cyberbullying.
Parents need to be aware of all ways in which their children communicate online.

KEEPING
SAFE ONLINE
Latest Ofcom research has shown that 91% of 5-15 year olds live in a household with internet access
and over a third of all 3-4 year olds are now accessing the internet in their homes. We know that
children need support in these environments, to get the best out of using the internet, and there are real
advantages in making sure that children are supported in their internet use right from the start.
The best way to keep your family safe online, and to understand your children’s internet use, is to use the
internet together. Active engagement and conversations with your children are key. Be positive and embrace the
technologies that young children enjoy and look for family activities or games. Take time to explore the games
and services that your children are using, or want to use, and look out for any safety features that may be
available. This will give you a better understanding of the different ways that children are engaging with
technology and help you to feel more confident.
In the same way that you set rules for most areas of your children’s lives, establish your expectations regarding
online activities. Creating a family agreement is a useful step, which might include time spent online, sites that
can be visited, and behaviour expected; remember, what’s right and wrong offline is also right and wrong online.
It’s a great idea to agree these rules from the outset, so that you and your children are aware of their boundaries.
Placing your computer or laptop in a busy part of the house e.g. the living room or kitchen can be helpful. This
can make it easier for you to be involved in their technology use. But remember, the internet can be accessed
from a number of portable devices, for example smartphones, iPod Touch, games consoles and tablets.
Portable devices may allow you to ensure your children are using them where you can see them and your
children can still be supervised. To find out more about the internet capabilities of smartphones, gaming
consoles and other devices, check out our Parents’ Guide to Technology.
Children can be enthusiastic users of technology. The challenge can be to harness this enthusiasm and ensure a
balance, so that the use of technology does not negatively impact on other important areas of young children’s
lives. There are some strategies that can be used to help manage the time online issue, such as agreeing time
limits or using time limiting tools, designating weekly times to use the internet together, or removing portable
devices from your child’s bedroom at night to avoid tiredness.
There are free parental controls and filters available, to help you set safer boundaries for your children, but you
will usually be required to set them up. Your internet service provider (such as BT or TalkTalk) will provide free
filters to help block age inappropriate content for children, and on the UK Safer Internet Centre website you can
watch video tutorials that show you how to find and set these up. All mobile phone operators (such as O2 or
Vodafone) also provide such parental controls for free. The websites of device manufacturers (such as games
consoles) should also outline the controls to which you have access.
Filtering options can be found within websites and services themselves, for example on YouTube or 'safe search'
settings can be applied to search engines such as Google or Bing. There are even some search services
designed for children (such as Yahoo! Kids). Parental controls can be password protected, so it’s advisable to
choose a strong password and not share it. Parental controls and filters are a good starting point but it is
important to recognise that they are not 100% effective. They are a great help, but not a solution, and work best
in combination with parental supervision and engagement, to help your children understand how to stay safe
online. As children grow and develop, so do their online needs, therefore you may want to periodically review
your parental controls to accommodate this.

Education is the best tool that a child can have, so discuss with your child the importance of telling an adult
immediately if someone, or something, upsets them online. Make sure that your children know that they can
come and talk to you (without necessarily getting into trouble) if they see anything that worries them on the
internet, and encourage them to feel confident enough to do so. Other immediate strategies to deal with
unwanted content or contact could include; switch the screen off, close the laptop, exit the website, or turn the
iPad or phone over and put it down.
Younger users may be distracted by advertising and pop ups and with just a couple of clicks, or a spelling
mistake, may find themselves on a different website. Children are naturally curious and will innately push
boundaries. Bookmarking sites or creating a 'favourites' list is a simple way to help your children find the content
they want without having to search the internet for it. It is also important whilst beginning to explore the internet
that your child realises that other internet users may not be who they say they are and that 'friends' made online
are still strangers, so personal information should be kept safe, including their name, address, phone numbers
and passwords etc. Encourage the use of screen names and nicknames where possible. This is where a family
agreement can be incredibly useful, to establish rules and good online behaviour in advance.
There are many different online games and playing experiences currently available to children e.g. via computers,
consoles, internet games and apps. Gaming may be the very first way that your child encounters life online.
Some games however are for adults or older audiences and contain images and language that are not suitable
for children. Therefore it is important that the games your children play are the correct age rating. Like film
classifications, these ratings are determined by the game’s content, and all video games sold in the UK are
clearly marked with age ratings set by PEGI (Pan European Games Information). Some online games may also be
age rated or be classified ‘PEGI OK.’
Many games allow children to play with other internet users and may have chat features enabled. Some games
provide a “safe chat mode” where simple predetermined phrases can be used. Playing these games yourself can
be fun and will also enable you to identify the safety features provided, such as reporting to a moderator.
Reading online reviews of games can be a really useful way to hear other parents’ experiences and feedback,
and highlight potential safety issues like whether ‘in-app’ adverts are present, and whether the adverts displayed
are suitable for the audience for which the app is intended. There have been news stories of young children
running up large bills by inadvertently making ‘in-app’ purchases whilst playing, so do look out for whether you
can spend real money during the game; it should be in the app description in the app store. You can also
disable ‘in-app’ purchasing on a number of devices within the settings.
Reports can be made to websites through safety/help centres and moderation services. If you are suspicious
about the behaviour of others online, reports can be made to CEOP and inappropriate media content, online and
offline can be reported via Parentport. Criminal content online can also be reported to the IWF. For more
information regarding reporting, visit our Need Help? section on the Childnet website.
Useful Links:
This guide has been written and produced by children's charity
Childnet International as part of the UK Safer Internet Centre.
Copyright © 2013. Registered Charity no. 1080173.
Co-funded by the
European Union

28 // FRAMEWORK
PROVIDING A SAFE ONLINE
FRAMEWORK FOR OUR
CHILDREN
We face threats online everyday: malware,
phishing, junk-mail… But there’s an extra
dimension when children are involved. They’re
less worldly-wise, and less wary about sharing
private information, answering fraudulent
messages or clicking through to websites.
Children face not only undesirable content like
pornography, violence and drugs, but also sites
about self-harm or suicide. Sadly, inappropriate
material can be just a few clicks away, appearing
in search results for terms like ‘Peppa Pig’ and
‘Fireman Sam’.
Children are also exposed to legitimate
marketing. Often using their parents’ credit
cards, they become a prime target for marketers
pushing products like computer games, films and
apps.
Social networks encourage children to treat their
Facebook page like the family notice-board - and
they do, posting where they are, who they’re
with, what they’re doing… with pictures! But
while the kitchen notice-board is only accessible
to friends and family, what’s posted on social
sites is shared worldwide. Personal information
can be used by a predator to profile a child, gain
their trust and arrange a real world meeting.
Shared pictures could be used by peers to bully
or coerce them. Adults are more likely to see the
catch in a ‘share everything’ culture - children
won’t. Until something goes wrong.
Unfortunately, we face a technology generationgap.
Parents are worldly-wise, but often less
tech-savvy, not always understanding what’s
possible. Children have no trouble with the
technology, but are often blindly unaware of the
real-world dangers.
That’s why parents need to get involved at a very
young age, ‘mentoring’ their children, shaping
their experiences. Of course, the message
needs to be tailored to the age of a child. We
can’t expect a young child to understand about
online threats. But they do need to know what’s
good and bad. When a child is old enough to
walk around town, we introduce them to road
safety and the importance of staying close to us.
Similar with the Internet. We should explain the
online safety equivalent of a pedestrian crossing
– Internet security software - to block harmful
code. We should explain how to passwordprotect
things, and not disclose personal
information. These messages need to be
reinforced and developed as a child gets older. If
they’re taught early enough, they’re less likely to
think you’re being unfair.
Tips:
1. Talk to them about the dangers and
about their experiences - what makes
them uncomfortable or threatened?
2. Set clear ground-rules about what
they can and can’t do. Explain why.
Review the rules as your child gets
older.
3. Use parental control software to
support your rules. Configure different
controls for different children. How
much time can they spend online?
When? What content should be
blocked? And what types of activity?
4. Protect the computer using Internet
security software.
5. Protect their smartphone. Mobile
security solutions can often filter out
inappropriate people or content.

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