Busy Bees Education and Training is releasing a free e-safety course for parents, to give them the confidence to identify and tackle the risks children face when spending time online.
Ofcom recently reported that 87% of adults – and 79% of 8–15-year-olds – have concerns around children using social platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. Bullying, trolling, harmful or age-inappropriate content and receiving private messages from strangers are among the top concerns[i].
The hour-long course will be free until mid-March, to give parents the safeguarding tools they need, as the amount of time children spend online rockets due to lockdowns. The session will cover social media, sexual content, discrimination and extremism, digital footprints, sexting, grooming and cyber bullying.
The course content was also created following tragic death of Breck Bednar, who was groomed online and fatally stabbed in 2014 by 18-year-old Lewis Daynes following a 13-month online relationship. This week marks the seventh anniversary since his death.
Clare Phizacklea, Managing Director at Busy Bees Education and Training, said: “The internet is an amazing place and an incredible resource with opportunities for purposeful investigation and discovery. But just like in the real world, it carries risks. That’s why it’s so it’s important to learn ways in which children can protect themselves online, as well as how and where to get support from if needed.”
To sign up for the free e-Safety course, visit https://busybeestraining.co.uk/e-learning/children-and-young-people/e-safety-for-parents-e-learning
[i] https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2020/uk-internet-use-surges