Early use of digital technology has been shown to improve language skills and promote children’s social development and creativity. But it’s not without risks for young children, who may come across inappropriate content or begin to copy what older children do online. As a school for students with learning difficulties, our Curriculum Learning and our Online safety policy addresses those issues that are relevant to our school. 

Preventing Online Abuse

As a parent or carer, you play an important role in helping your child to have positive experiences online. If your child has additional needs, then this role can be even more important, and it can feel like a lot of responsibility when you hear about some of the risks young people face online.

Make sure to regularly check in with your child about who they’re talking to online and what kind of things they chat about. Exploitative friendships, sometimes known as ‘mate crime’, can happen in different ways but might include: 

• Pressuring people to give money
• Asking someone to share things about themselves that should be private
• Asking some to share images, videos or livestreams that are considered sexual

To support your child, help them build an understanding of how some people can behave online, and remind them that you’re always there for them if they want to talk. Our Friendships activity could help with this conversation.

Information regarding specific online safety subjects and links to other organisations can be accessed via the Parent Secure Area on the Website.