Overview of e-Safety risks

ICT offers many positive educational and social benefits to young people, but unfortunately there are some dangers.

• Copyright infringement
• Obsessive use of the internet and ICT
• Exposure to inappropriate materials
• Inappropriate or illegal behaviour
• Physical danger and sexual abuse
• Inappropriate or illegal behaviour by school staff

Schools therefore have a responsibility to educate their pupils; teaching them the appropriate behaviours and critical thinking skills to enable them to remain both safe and legal when using the internet or related technologies.

For more information about the above risks, see page 5 of Becta - 'e-Safety - Developing whole school policies to support effective practice'

National e-Safety Strategy

Becta have developed a number of documents relating to e-safety, these include e-Safety research and recommendations:

e-Safety: The experience in English Educational establishments

Safeguarding Children in a Digital World

Signposts to Safety

National and International Organisations

Internet Watch Foundation

Virtual Global Taskforce

Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre

Naace - Promoting the responsible use of the Internet in Schools

Childnet

What should schools do?

• Develop a whole-school approach to internet safety
• Implement and regularly review internet safety and acceptable use policies.
• Involve all the stakeholders in a child’s education from the headteacher and governors to the senior management team and classroom teachers, support staff, parents, and the pupils themselves.
• Designate a member of the senior management team with responsibility for internet safety.
• Ensure staff and children are aware of the dangers and how to deal with them.

(Becta - 'e-Safety - Developing whole school policies to support effective practice')