Years 5 and 6 have been busy this week with lots of our learning based around internet safety.
In our sessions regarding being respectful to others online, we focussed on messages being sent through social media sites and thinking about why people may choose to be unkind. This was mainly discussed in our reading fluency sessions with a text around respect and safety on the internet.
Here are some ideas of what children came up with when asked why people may choose to be disrespectful online:
- ‘It doesn’t feel like real life if you type it onto a screen.’
- ‘People don’t get caught easily and there’s no consequence.’
- ‘You can’t see the other person’s feelings through a phone so you don’t know how they feel.’
- ‘People say things online that they wouldn’t say in person because they can.’
Following these responses, we looked at some top tips to help prevent us from ever taking part in this kind of online activity, and what to do if we are a victim of this.
Help at home:
Check in with your child and their experiences online. Make sure they know that they can talk without worry about their thoughts, feelings and actions online. Could you create some tips at home to help your child feel safe and to continue being respectful online?