Online safety for children and young people
With recent findings showing that young people spend an average of 4-5 hours a day online (The Minimum Digital Living Standards, 2024), staying safe is essential, particularly for younger audiences who are more vulnerable to potential exploitation.
It can be daunting to think about how best to support younger people to use the internet safely, however there are lots of small steps that you can take!
Where to start?
Everyone is at a different point in their own unique digital journey, this needs to be understood when thinking about how to support younger people to feel safe online.
Reflecting on a young person’s online habits can be a great way to know where to start.
You might be interested in looking at these trusted resources for supporting children and young people with online safety:
- NSPCC | Keeping children safe online – Part of a suite of resources to support parents and carers in keeping children safe. Includes advice around specific video games, self-harm, sexting, leaving children at home and more.
- UK Safer Internet Centre – A wealth of resources and guidance for supporting children and young people to stay safe online.
- Get Safer Online - Specific sections of this dedicated online safety website include content around gaming, social medi, music, movies, parental controls and more.
More information
Want to learn more about supporting children and young people to stay safe online?
Visit this page of the Council website from our Children and Families service for more information and resources regarding online safety for young people.