Keeping safe online
The aim of this post is to offer you a variety of websites and information as a starting point to find out more about internet safety and keeping safe online. It is always wise to be very careful and take certain safety measures while you are online. If you haven’t already done so, please take a few moments to run through the Basic Internet Safety Top 5 as well. We have split the information into two main areas – keeping children safe online and keeping everyone safe online.
We are passionate about the importance of children being kept safe, as more and more younger children are gaining accessto the internet either at home or on smartphones often left unattended. This means that, even completely innocently, children can potentially stumble across things they should never see. Parents do have a serious responsibility in this respect to help ensure that children are always keeping safe online. In all cases, we believe the older children are 16+ ideally, the better before the phones become a bigger part of their lives.
Listed below is just a small fraction of the advice and information available online on the subject of safe surfing. It is intended to be a launch-pad for your own investigations into the subject of internet safety.
Lastly, if you know of a website, Christian or not, which should be on the lists below, please let us know by contacting us here, and we’ll be glad to check it out and possibly add it to the lists below.
Keeping Children Safe
CARE for online safety We live in an increasingly digital age. There is no doubt that technology is extraordinary. It brings incredible opportunities but also daunting challenges, especially for children and young people for whom access to harmful online content is only a click or a swipe away. | Childline – staying safe online It’s not always easy to know what’s safe online and what’s not. Our advice can help you to keep safe and to know what to do when things go wrong. |
Childnet Welcome to Childnet International, a non-profit organisation working with others to help make the internet a great and safe place for children. | Focus on the Family (USA) Focus on the Family is a global Christian ministry dedicated to helping families thrive. We provide help and resources for couples to build healthy marriages that reflect God’s design, and for parents to raise their children according to morals and values grounded in biblical principles. |
Internet Matters Helping parents keep their children safe online. Get expert support and practical tips to help children benefit from connected technology and the internet safely and smartly. | National Online Safety We make it our mission to make the internet a safer place for children. |
NSPCC – online safety From setting up parental controls to advice on sexting, online games and video apps, we can help you to understand the risks and keep your child safe. | Safer Internet UK Safer Internet Centre, where you can find online safety tips, advice and resources to help children and young people stay safe online. |
Support Line Links to useful advice and information for children, young people and adults on internet safety and more. | SWGFL – South West Grid for Learning Ten Internet Safety Tips - Staying Safe Online. |
Keeping Everyone Safe
AgeUK – Staying Safe Online Email and online shopping can make our lives a lot easier, but they also create new opportunities for fraud. Online scams are becoming increasingly common and sophisticated, so it's good to know how to keep yourself safe. | CARE for online safety We live in an increasingly digital age. There is no doubt that technology is extraordinary. It brings incredible opportunities but also daunting challenges, especially for children and young people for whom access to harmful online content is only a click or a swipe away. |
Focus on the Family (USA) Focus on the Family is a global Christian ministry dedicated to helping families thrive. We provide help and resources for couples to build healthy marriages that reflect God’s design, and for parents to raise their children according to morals and values grounded in biblical principles. | Get Safe Online Get Safe Online is the UK’s leading source of unbiased, factual and easy-to-understand information on online safety. |
Kaspersky Top 10 Internet Safety Rules & What Not to Do Online | Microsoft – Online Safety Resources Learn top tips for internet safety and work. |
Support Line Links to useful advice and information for children, young people and adults on internet safety and more. |
Getting More Advice about keeping safe online
There are many places to get advice about keeping safe online. Below are a few examples of the websites you can visit to get more information about using the internet and particularly about chat rooms and singles / friendship sites. PLEASE NOTE that none of these sites are Christian based, but they do provide good advice about internet usage. Some also include information about software which can block access to certain material on the internet. When you click on a link below, the web page willl open in a new browser window.
- https://www.saferinternetday.org/
- https://www.postertemplate.co.uk/posters/workplace/health-and-safety/internet-safety-posters/
- https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/
- https://www.safekids.com/
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/findoutmore/help-me-out-staying-safe-online
- https://www.wikihow.com/Be-Safe-on-the-Internet
Find more articles about Christianity interacting with the world here.
Header photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash