The Byron Review.

The internet can be a frighteningly foreign world for the technophobes amongst us. Often it is children who spend hours online, chatting and updating their social networking profiles. As parents it is easy to see your child typing away and assume that as they are at home they are safe from danger. Unfortunately that is not always the case. Cyber bullying is on the rise and online friends may not be who they claim to be.

Recently Dr Tania Byron, a prominent child psychologist published her review: ‘Safer Children in a Digital World’. Dr Byron found that parents’ lack of confidence with new technology is leaving children vulnerable and parents need support to keep their children safe.

In response to Dr Byron’s recommendations the government is creating a Council on Child Internet Safety that will work to ensure all home computers sold in the UK have user-friendly parental control software, take action against illegal websites and raise public awareness, amongst other positive initiatives.

To help your child stay safe online it is a good idea to keep the computer in a well used family room as opposed to your child’s bedroom. This way you can keep an eye on what they are looking at and who they are talking to. Stress the importance of never meeting up with anyone they meet online. Use internet parental control settings and above all make sure your children know they can talk to you about anything that happens online that makes them feel uncomfortable.