Dear Parents & Carers We have been discussing safety issues with online gaming this week and we have identified some areas of concern that we would like to share with you. As parents ourselves, we were quite shocked to learn about some of the risks involved with online gaming, so we hope you find this information useful. It has been brought to our attention that several children play online multiplayer games in their spare time, on their computer, tablet, smartphone, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, etc. We can fully understand the excitement of doing this however we have the following concerns: 1) Age Suitability Some of our pupils are playing games which have a minimum age rating for much older players. This exposes them to a range of strong adult themes and language which are highly unsuitable for them. There have been studies conducted which link early exposure to this content, to psychological, interpersonal and self-control issues both at school and later in life. Also the online multiplayer and social elements of games with higher age ratings are likely to be much less safe for children. On the other hand, age appropriate games in moderation, can often be beneficial for children developing problem solving, reasoning and teamwork skills. 2) Multiplayer and Social Gaming Many modern games now have an online multiplayer element. Children can play against their friends however we were shocked to learn how many children have played and interacted with complete strangers on several popular games. Pupils have told us they can even chat to strangers using headsets or the device s built in microphone. There is also a high risk of peer pressure and cyberbullying. What you can do: Ask your children about the types of games they like to play and what s involved. Ask them to show you the games they enjoy. Ask who they play with online, who they meet and talk to, and what kind of language is being used in live chat (usually via headphones or instant message). Research the games they play or would like to play. www.commonsensemedia.org is a good place to start. Always remember not all reviews focus on the multiplayer/social aspect of the game. Make sure you and your family agree what games can be played and that children understand why some games are allowed and others aren t. A written family agreement is recommended. Agree the duration and times of play (late night multiplayer gaming may expose them to more adult conversation for example). Teach your children to protect themselves remind them not to share personal information which may reveal their identity or location and to keep gaming friends in the game only rather than adding them to any other social networks they may have. Remind them it s easy for strangers to hide their true identity online! Make yourself approachable if something upsets or worries them. If you are concerned that your child is not following the rules, turn off your home internet connection (router). If they have a mobile phone, remember their console, tablet or PC can still connect to the internet via this instead. Set parental control settings to restrict your child from accessing certain elements of multiplayer and social gaming, for example turning off the chat feature. Please see the manufacturer parental control/privacy instructions for the game, multiplayer platform (e.g. Steam, Xbox Live, etc.) and console/device. The attached guide offers more advice regarding online gaming as well as briefly touching on other areas of online safety. We hope you find it useful advice to keep your family safe, now and in the years to come. Regards Mrs Francis
Children and technology - A little bit of advice to keep your family safe (2019 version). Stop, look and listen! Don t talk to strangers! As parents and guardians we are good at giving our children advice, hoping it will keep them as safe as possible in the real-world. Sadly dangers also exist in the online world, some even to a greater extent! If you feel you are a bit overwhelmed by technology and the internet, you are not alone! Most of us feel the same how can we advise our children on something they seem to know more about than us? The good news is that advising your child to keep safe online is actually a lot simpler than it looks. We all know the types of things we wouldn't want our children exposed to in the real-world, the key is just to find ways of preventing them from being exposed to the same things online. Here is one of the best methods: Just ask your child to show you what they are doing online; what they are playing, what they search for and who do they send messages/talk to (remember it is very easy for someone to hide their true identity online!). Most children love showing you what they are doing. The next step is to decide on a list of simple golden rules they must follow to keep them safe. For example: Only talk to people you already know well. Keep your personal information and contact details secret at all times. Make sure friends are the only people who can see your social network profile(s) (you may wish to check profile settings with your child). It is very important to reassure your child that they will not be in trouble if they tell you about anything that upsets or worries them online, even if it is a result of misbehaviour. After all, it is better to know! Childnet have written a great family agreement template which I have attached to this document. The internet is an amazing resource, essential for modern learning, so we would never discourage children from using it. However it is vital children learn how to use it safely, like they have to learn how to keep safe when they come across real-world dangers like learning how to cross a road. Please remember, of course, that it s not just computers that can access the internet! Nowadays many devices can give your child access to the online world including some TVs, tablet computers (e.g. ipad), music players (e.g. ipod touch), ebook readers (e.g. Amazon Kindle), games consoles (e.g. Xbox, Wii, PlayStation, Nintendo, etc.), mobile phones, watches, smart speakers and so on! Even if your child is not actually looking at a website, they may still be using the internet (and even sending messages or talking to other people) when they are using programs/apps or when playing a computer game (on their Xbox, Wii, PlayStation, ipad, mobile phone, PC, etc.). Computer Games Does your child like to play computer games? Although many games are harmless fun, don t let the word game fool you. I was recently shown the types of things children are exposed to if they play or are allowed to watch some of the popular adult games. Even as an adult I was truly shocked by what I saw! The games feature anything from extreme violence to strong adult content. Some games should not be played or watched by children under any circumstances (even if their friends or older siblings play it!). Did you know computer games often have an age rating like films? Many games have a PEGI rating on the box to indicate the minimum age the game is suitable for. The PEGI rating considers the age suitability of a game, not the level of difficulty. Games on tablet computers (often called apps ) are usually given similar age ratings as well. Some games consoles, tablets and other devices even have parent control settings you can switch on to prevent your child downloading and/or playing games with a specific age rating. Some websites review games to help parents to decide if a game is suitable for their child such as www.commonsensemedia.org. Please be aware that these sites may not always review the risks associated with the multiplayer and social networking element of the game. Multiplayer Gaming & Social Networking in Gaming Most modern games include a social and multiplayer features where users can talk (via instant message, headset,
etc.) and play with their friends via the internet. As with other forms of social networking, the risk of your child speaking to strangers is high. Even if your child is just talking to their classmates, the risk of cyberbullying is also high. If you allow your child to use the multiplayer and social features in their games, it is important they follow the internet safety rules you have both agreed to. It is essential that you regularly supervise your child while using any form of multiplayer gaming or social networking. I have attached an excellent children s safety gaming guide from InternetMatters.org at the end of this document. This guide includes specific advice on all of the popular gaming platforms and parental controls you can apply to make online gaming safer for children. Social Networks & Messaging Social networks do not allow primary school children on their sites for a very good reason. Safety - at this age, they are too young. It s in their terms and conditions. If children choose to ignore this limit and sign up to social networks it is vital they are aware of the risks involved and how to keep themselves safe at all times. Please encourage your children to keep their private information private. This includes their home address, phone number, where they like to spend their time and even which school they go to. Please advise them not to post pictures of themselves in their school uniform or post message about (or like) their school as this is another way of revealing their location to strangers. Parents and guardians who use social networks (like Facebook) often add their children as friends so they can keep an eye on who they are talking to. This doesn't always work though, as children will either use private messages or sign up to another social network/messaging service to avoid parents seeing their conversations! Parental Controls Inappropriate websites, images and videos can be found either deliberately or accidentally when searching the internet. The good news is that search engines like Google often have free, easy-touse safety settings you can quickly turn on to reduce the amount of inappropriate content found during a web search. It will not stop everything bad but it should reduce it. Google calls it SafeSearch and YouTube calls it Restrictive Mode for example (these features can be set up on a range of devices to make them safer, not just computers). Alternatively there are also child friendly search engines available which do a similar job (some work really well but some aren't so safe please find one you can trust!). It is still very important to keep an eye on what your child is doing online, even if you enable these safety features. Some devices also have built-in parental controls which you can turn on (or activate by phoning the internet supplier, mobile network, etc.) to restrict what can be accessed. It won t stop everything bad but it should reduce it. Also there is a range of software available to help keep children safe online which may be useful to you. CyberSentinel (for home use), appears to be a similar product to the one we use in school - there are other good solutions worth looking at as well such as Norton Family. Some do not work on certain devices (e.g. ipads) or may have other limitations, so always check if it will be suitable for your needs. Unfortunately no solution is perfect so it is still very important to be aware of how your children are using the technology they have access to. Cyberbullying This form of bullying involves the use of technology where the victim receives upsetting and abusive messages, photos, videos, etc. It can be particularly intrusive as the victim may continue to receive hurtful communications even when they are away from the person or group of people causing them distress. Victims have said they felt they had no escape until they reported the bullying. As parents, if you find your child is sending hurtful communication to others or is receiving it, it is important that you report it to our school (and CEOP if necessary) as soon as possible so we can take appropriate action. If possible, please keep any evidence you find. Geolocation Many phones (and other gadgets) have a built in GPS (Global Positioning System). This may be useful for emergency services to quickly locate your child in an emergency or for your child to find their way
home if they get lost but their location can also be revealed to strangers via other apps if they are not careful. There are some particularly dangerous apps which allow people to chat to strangers nearby. Some even allow anonymous chat. Please read the description carefully for any apps your child wishes to use. It is recommended that you enable settings so a password is always required before a new app can be downloaded and you do not share this password with your child. This will allow you to approve the app first. Geotagging - When a photo is taken, hidden GPS data can also be included on the photo to help the user remember where the photo was taken. If the photo is posted online, someone could use this information to track down where your child could be located in the future, based on where they have been before. You may not think it is wise to disable the phone or gadget s GPS completely but it is worth checking that it is disabled for certain apps such as those related to social networking or messaging. Remember to check for any new apps or software that has been downloaded to ensure it is not revealing your child s location (or geotagging photos they post online). Parental controls may not be able to prevent them changing these settings after you set them so it is worth explaining to your child why it is important not to reveal their location! Augmented Reality Games Augmented Reality games such as Pokémon GO involve the user walking around in the real-world while playing a game on their phone (or similar device) which is linked to their actual location. These games are often great for exercise and brilliant fun! But be careful! Children (and adults alike) must not be tempted to go to isolated locations which could put them in danger. Users may meet fellow gamers while playing so stranger danger advice must be followed at all times. Also while playing, users must be fully aware of their surroundings. If they run in front of a car, there are no more lives in the real-world! Sexting A person may share nude photos of themselves with someone they know, either voluntarily or if they give in to peer pressure/bullying. The person receiving the photos could then share them with other people to cause humiliation to the victim. In some cases the photos are used to blackmail the victim into doing things against their will or face the embarrassment of having their photos released to family and friends. Sexting usually affects teenagers or adults but we are aware of cases affecting primary school children. Children should never take and share photos of this nature but if they become a victim of sexting, they must be encouraged to report it as soon as possible so that appropriate action can be taken to protect them. Further Advice - Net Aware An excellent parent guide to the social networks kids use, in partnership with the NSPCC. Visit: www.netaware.org.uk or download the NetAware app. - CEOP Videos We highly recommend you watch the CEOP videos listed below with your child (search for them on the CEOP YouTube channel). There are also many other fantastic CEOP videos to watch as your child gets older. CEOP Lee & Kim (younger children) CEOP Jigsaw (older children). - Think U Know & Internet Matters Websites www.thinkuknow.co.uk & www.internetmatters.org These are two of our favourite websites for online safety advice for parents, carers and children. There are some lovely activities for children, teaching them how to keep safe while using the internet and other forms of technology. - CEOP Button
If either you or your child have an online safety issue that does not require immediate police action, it can be reported to CEOP www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/ (the CEOP website also features some excellent online safety advice). Many websites (including our school website) have a CEOP button which will take you straight to this website to report an issue. - See Me Hear Me www.seeme-hearme.org.uk A great website for all parents and carers to help them spot the signs of sexual exploitation. - Get Safe Online & Cyber Streetwise Websites www.getsafeonline.org & www.cyberaware.gov.uk These two websites have some excellent advice on some of the other technology topics e.g. online shopping safety, how to create strong passwords and things to consider when using Wi-Fi in public places. Colmers Farm Website - Online Safety Page www.colmersfarm.bham.sch.uk The Online Safety page on our school website is definitely worth a visit from time to time! We aim to keep the advice here as up-to-date as possible. This is important as technology is changing all the while! We will also put links here to other great online safety websites. Please Remember If you feel your child is acting differently or withdrawn, looking at the technology they have access to (even at a friend s house!) could help determine the cause. If you would like any further information (or have any issues to discuss) please don t hesitate to get in contact with us. We d be happy to help! We also run internet safety workshops at school to help parents and carers keep their children safe online. Please enquire if you would like to attend. Thank you for reading.
Social Networking in Gaming Source of this article: www.internetmatters.org > Advice Tab > Social networking in gaming Online gaming is now more accessible and social than ever. With the rise of multiplayer games alongside social networking in gaming, children can speak to friends and people they may not know while they re gaming. To help them stay safe it is important to understand what these social gaming platforms are and help them to understand how to chat safely online without putting themselves at risk. Popular social gaming platforms There are many games-specific chat rooms and ways to make friends online through consoles and other internet sites. As well as large communities online, through internet forums and messaging websites like Reddit, each gaming platform has its own way of allowing users to communicate. Here are some of the most popular social gaming platforms: Steam Xbox Live Playstation Network Nintendo Network Twitch / YouTube Steam For PC and Apple Mac computers, one of the most popular platforms that you can buy and play games is Steam. It needs to be installed on a computer, be that desktop or laptop, and gives access thousands of games. There is a game store and a way to load and play games that you ve bought, but there is also a large community and social side. As well as forums, players can ask to be friends and potentially play against or with each other in games. Forums are moderated regularly by Steam staff and the minimum age to sign up for a Steam account is 13. It is essential to check the privacy controls in settings to restrict who they can talk to. This can be completely blocked or set to receive communications from Only Friends. That means, someone has to be friended before they can send messages to your child. Age restrictions can also be set so a child cannot access games on Steam that are certified for an older audience. Xbox Live Microsoft s online service for its consoles is called Xbox Live and when you re signed into the service you can chat to other Xbox Live members and befriend them. Party Chat rooms can be created between players either before or during a game, so players can discuss the action over a voice connection. Players who have accepted each other as friends can also send each other messages.
However, for Xbox One and Xbox 360 games consoles you set up an Xbox Live profile when the console is first powered up and the details entered determine which default options are available. A child s age, for example, will automatically restrict and block them from certain actions, such as accepting friend requests. This is determined by the date of birth entered when setting up the console. You can choose whether to accept friend requests and vet those trying to contact your child. Teenagers do have the ability to chat online and accept their own friend requests, but you can also block that access by changing the privacy settings of both consoles. PlayStation Network All PlayStation systems can be set up to have master accounts run by a parent and sub accounts for children. Like with the Xbox consoles, a child s profile will automatically restrict certain actions depending on the date of birth set for that child. You can block chat and messaging features by changing the privacy settings of a PS4, PS3 or PlayStation Vita. That means voice chat, text chat and messaging can all be switched off on a user by user basis. You can also prevent the use of the internet browser on the PS4 system. Nintendo Network Nintendo s consoles are more family friendly than most and therefore its chat functionality is a lot more geared to safe interaction for younger players. The Miiverse, for example, is a central hub where users can share pictures they have drawn and quick messages think a fun and friendly, family safe Twitter. Although there may not be anything rude or unsavoury in the messages, you should still keep an eye on things. If you are particularly concerned or have much younger children, there are parental controls on all Nintendo consoles that can restrict all online use, such as Miiverse on the Wii U, internet browsing or any other kind of interaction. Twitch / YouTube Most modern gaming machines and some mobile devices have access to livestreaming services such as Twitch or YouTube. These help players to broadcast their gameplay footage live over the internet to watch either through the console or in an internet browser on a dedicated website. Often, this live gameplay footage also has voice over commentary or even picture-inpicture video of the gamer, who talks through his or her progress. The services are professionally run (YouTube is owned by Google and Twitch by Amazon) and have strict guidelines on what can and cannot be broadcast, but language can be adult in tone at times. There are also live text chat options with every stream, so there can be some offensive comments posted. The type of game streamed determines the type of viewer it attracts and therefore the level of interaction. Pokemon, for example, would usually be safer than a shoot-em-up like Call of Duty. All gaming platform/console manufacturer websites have useful guides available to show parents and carers how to apply these settings to improve safety. The online version of this article has links to some of these guides. What should I know about chatting while gaming? One of the biggest concerns for parents is not the interaction players are having with their approved online friends, but those with others they are playing with or against in multiplayer, online games.
Many online games have multiplayer options that give players the chance to talk to each other in-game. This is often through a headset with a microphone, although they can also use the mic built into a peripheral such as the Kinect for the Xbox or PlayStation Camera for the PS4. These can be especially worrying for parents as it is tricky to monitor what players are saying to each other. Also, the interaction is often not limited to those in a friends list but complete strangers of all different ages can communicate while playing. A gamer can ask your child to add them as a friend, for example, during a game even if they have never met before. Set controls to prevent accepting friend request One way to prevent this is to block the child s ability to add a friend without your permission. That way, even though they might talk to someone online during a gameplay session, the interaction cannot be followed up. Make sure children are share aware You also need to explain the danger to your child of discussing or disclosing any private information, such as real name, phone number or address. There is no way to block this manually. Check the types of games your child has access to Another sure-fire way to prevent this kind of interaction is limit the type of game available to your child. Large, online multiplayer titles with voice interaction tend to be rated mature or over anyway. It is always advisable to check out reviews of games online before you allow your children to play or buy the game (reviews on www.commonsensemedia.org, etc.). That s not to say all multiplayer games should be banned full stop. Many, such as Splatoon for the Nintendo Wii U, offer fun and friendly ways to interact with others, but without the ability to talk verbally to each other. Instead, funny motions and animated gestures might be built into the game to communicate in a safe, age appropriate way. Very few, if any, games aimed at younger children have online capabilities. Having a conversation about stranger danger Social networking is naturally a concern for most parents and gaming is no different. However, if you take the time to discuss the dangers of communicating with strangers online, in the same way you would if they met them in the street, there is a good chance your child will be safe. Children naturally want to play with each other, and the same is true in videogames, but if you carefully vet friends and restrict gaming sessions to child-friendly hours, you can reduce the risk that they might encounter offensive or inappropriate behaviour.
Example Family Agreement Template