Chat - Texting and Social Media
Chatting Online
Chatting online can be a fun way to keep in touch with friends and family, share interests and play games together. Children can communicate through messaging apps, group chats, video calls, social media and online games.
However, it is important to remember that not everyone online is who they claim to be. People may use fake profiles, and conversations can sometimes involve unkind behaviour, pressure to share personal information or attempts to gain a child's trust.
At Saughall All Saints C of E Primary School, we encourage children to communicate kindly, protect their privacy and speak to a trusted adult whenever something online makes them feel worried, uncomfortable or unsafe.
Top tips for chatting safely
Chat to people you know and trust. Do not accept friend requests or private messages from people you do not know in real life without speaking to a trusted adult.
Protect your identity. Avoid using usernames that reveal your full name, age, date of birth, school or location.
Keep personal information private. Never share your address, phone number, passwords, live location or other identifying information with people online.
Check your privacy settings. Make sure you understand who can view your profile, contact you, see your posts or share your photographs and videos.
Think before you post. Messages, photographs and videos can be copied, saved or shared with others, even if you delete them later.
Never agree to meet an online contact alone. Tell a trusted adult if someone you have met online asks to meet you. Never arrange a meeting without a parent or carer knowing and making appropriate safety arrangements.
Be careful with webcams and video calls. Never feel pressured to turn on your camera, remove clothing, share images or do anything that makes you uncomfortable.
Be kind and respectful. Do not send hurtful messages, spread rumours, share embarrassing images or join in with online bullying.
Block and report. If someone is unkind, threatening or makes you feel uncomfortable, stop responding, block the account and report it using the platform's safety tools.
Look out for your friends. If you are worried about something happening to a friend online, tell a trusted adult rather than trying to deal with it alone.
Never keep worrying secrets. If someone asks you to keep an online conversation secret, threatens you or offers gifts in return for photographs or personal information, tell a trusted adult.
Ask for help. You will not be in trouble for asking for help if something goes wrong online.
Emails, junk mail and spam
Email can be a useful way to communicate, but unwanted messages may contain scams, harmful links or attempts to steal personal information.
Remember to:
Only open messages and attachments when you are confident they are safe.
Be suspicious of unexpected emails asking for passwords, personal details or money.
Avoid clicking links or downloading attachments in unexpected or suspicious messages.
Check with a trusted adult if an email claims you have won a prize, must act urgently or need to provide personal information.
Delete unwanted junk mail and spam, and report suspicious messages where possible.
Never forward chain messages that threaten bad luck or encourage you to send the message to lots of other people.
Remember: Even a message that appears to come from a friend could have been sent from a hacked account. Check with them another way if something seems unusual.
Instant messaging and group chats
Messaging apps and group chats allow people to communicate quickly, but conversations can sometimes become unkind, overwhelming or unsafe.
Only join chats that are appropriate for your age and that you are comfortable being part of.
Remember that messages can be screenshotted and shared outside the group.
Do not share another person's messages, photographs or personal information without permission.
Never join in with bullying, name-calling or sharing embarrassing content.
Leave a group chat if the conversation becomes inappropriate or makes you uncomfortable.
Do not download files or click links sent by unknown people.
Tell a trusted adult if someone pressures you to move to another app, keep conversations secret or share personal photographs.
If a group chat becomes upsetting, you can mute it, leave it, block or report users and ask an adult for support.
Chatting in online games
Many online games allow players to communicate using text chat, voice chat or private messages. Although this can be enjoyable, players may be strangers of different ages.
Children should:
Use age-appropriate games and check the game's minimum age rating.
Use privacy settings to restrict who can contact them or join their games.
Avoid sharing personal information through voice chat or messages.
Never share passwords, account details or security codes.
Be cautious of players offering free gifts, game currency or special rewards in exchange for personal details.
Tell a trusted adult if another player becomes threatening, asks inappropriate questions or makes them feel uncomfortable.
Use the game's block and report functions when necessary.
Parents and carers should check the communication settings on games consoles, tablets and other devices, including whether voice chat and private messaging can be restricted.
Chain messages and online hoaxes
Have you ever received a message telling you to forward it to ten friends or something bad will happen if you do not?
These messages are often designed to frighten people or encourage them to spread misinformation. Some may include harmful links or inappropriate content.
Our advice is simple:
Do not forward threatening or suspicious messages.
Do not click links in messages from unknown sources.
Tell a trusted adult if a message frightens or worries you.
Delete the message or report it if appropriate.
You do not have to respond to every message you receive.
The SMART rules
The SMART rules are a useful way to remember how to stay safer online. Children should use these principles whenever they chat, play games or share information online.
S – Safe: Keep personal information safe and do not share it with strangers.
M – Meeting: Never arrange to meet someone you have met online without a trusted adult's knowledge and appropriate safety arrangements.
A – Accepting: Think carefully before accepting messages, friend requests, files or downloads.
R – Reliable: Remember that people and information online are not always genuine or trustworthy.
T – Tell: Tell a trusted adult if anything online worries you or makes you feel uncomfortable.
Where can you find more help?
Thinkuknow – Online contact and staying safe
UK Safer Internet Centre
Online safety advice and resources
Childline
Visit Childline or call 0800 1111 for free, confidential support for children.
CEOP Education
Report a concern to CEOP if you are concerned that a child is being groomed or sexually exploited online.
Remember
If something online feels wrong, stop, block, report and tell a trusted adult.
At Saughall All Saints, we want every child to feel confident asking for help. Children should never feel that they have to manage an upsetting online experience on their own, and they should never be blamed for telling someone when something has gone wrong.