By Margaret Gallagher (NSPCC Northern Ireland)
Often, the types of activities children like to do offline , such as playing, socialising, exploring, learning and creating, are the same as online and we need to make sure they are safe in both worlds.
Keeping children safe online is just as important as their safety when crossing a road or talking to strangers. As parents and carers, we so often focus on the amount of time our children are spending on devices but it’s also important to remember to focus on what they are actually doing when they are there.
We need to think about who they’re talking to, what they’re seeing and if they might be over-sharing. Innocent searches can lead to not so innocent results and children are often a few clicks away from inappropriate or harmful content.
Since the start of the initial lockdown restrictions, children and young people have been spending more time online, and that’s no different for many pre-school age children when it comes to being on devices, playing games and watching videos.
At NSPCC Northern Ireland we want to help parents and carers who want to know more about this and we’re offering them free online safety webinars. The good thing is that these virtual online safety talks are also available for groups of parents, carers and grandparents to sign up to – and remember, they won’t cost you anything!
The 30 minute sessions are presented by experienced staff from NSPCC Northern Ireland, who also provide free resources and extra support. The webinars can be adapted depending on if the audience have older or younger children and to address the particular concerns of those attending.
Topics include, for instance, why children enjoy using the internet and how it can help them, the risks and concerns that families might have about their child’s use of the internet and how families can navigate the digital landscape together safely.
For more information about the online webinars and how to organise one for yourself or on behalf of a group (community group, staff team or school), please email:
For guidance on a wide range of topics, visit the NSPCC’s online safety pages:
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