Staying safe online: Cyberbullying

Online Safety

“Cyberbullying (online bullying) is still bullying”

Cyberbullying is using the internet, email, online games or any digital technology to threaten, tease, upset or humiliate someone else.  It can make the life of a victim miserable and make them feel that it will never end, as even the safety of their own home/bedroom can become a place where they are made to feel threatened, upset or hurt.

At Carclaze, we are becoming increasingly aware of   cases of cyberbullying and wish to remind both parents and children, that as a school we have a zero tolerance on all types of bullying, including cyberbullying. In school, we talk to the children about the fact that it is their responsibility to ensure that they demonstrate the same respect towards someone when playing a game online or texting them as they would if they were with that person. We ask them to consider the question; would you say/do that if you were in the room with them? If the answer, is no, then you should stop.

We also talk to the children about what to do if they are a victim of cyberbullying and remind them that nobody needs to suffer alone and who they could talk to if they are worried.

National Online Safety website has the following tips for someone who is   being   bullied online:

Staying safe online: Be SMART

We are always talking to our children about helping themselves to stay safe online. We talk to them about the SMART rule and sharing ways to empower them to take responsibility for their online activity. Please see the poster for more information about this rule.

 

The children understand that if they see something online that makes them feel scared or worried they need to act immediately:

* Close /turn over/ walk away from the device

* Tell an adult who can help them deal with the situation

Please could we ask that you talk to your children about the SMART rule and also ensure that as a family you have a plan that everyone is aware of , that can be actioned immediately if they feel threatened by anything they come across when they are online.

Childnet (www.childnet.com) have a variety of resources available to help you keep your child safe online - please use the link on this page to access this site.

Thank you