We now live in a digital age where our pupils are growing up in a world of ever-changing technology. While we feel that the use of technology is a largely positive aspect of modern life, we cannot ignore the risks that can be associated. It is important that children and their parents know how to stay safe online.
We teach our Computing programme through Purple Mash and we teach the children to follow the SMART rules. A reminder of these is below
Purple Mash have also created a guide for parents called: Parenting in an Digital World
We know that parents and carers will be very concerned that their children are protected and safe when using the Internet, both in school and at home. Consequently, we have added some documents below that contain useful information on how to keep your children safe, tips on how to initiate conversations around the subject of Online Safety and specific advice on online gaming.
In addition, the school now subscribes to The National Online Safety Hub. The hub contains a wealth of useful information to support schools and parents in keeping children safe online. As members of the hub, our parent community can access all the resources too. These include: Parent guides, explainer videos and training on how to keep your children safe online
The websites below are full of useful information about staying safe online and talking to your children about online safety.
Purple Mash
We teach our Computing programme through Purple Mash and we teach the children to follow the SMART rules. A reminder of these is below.
They have also created a guide for parents called: Parenting in an Digital World
Social Media Guide
The NSPCC have created a useful guide for parents on the types of social media their children might be useful and their levels of safety.
For more information on how to stay safe online, look at the links below:
What is the MOMO Challenge?
Mirroring the ‘Blue Whale’ suicide-game of 2017, The MOMO Challenge is targeted at children and young people through social media by people presenting as MOMO, a terrifying looking doll.
The doll encourages them to add a contact on messaging service WhatsApp from an unknown number, once contact is made, children are subsequently bombarded with terrifying images and messages reportedly ranging from threats and dares which encourage them to self-harm and even commit suicide.
Although known of in other parts of the world since last year, it appears to be making its way across the UK.
MOMO has been associated to multiple platforms used by children including Youtube, Kidstube, Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.
Police in Northern Ireland have warned parents after a mother reported finding the ‘creepy game’ on her 7 year old daughter’s iPad; they have since posted a message about the challenge on Facebook, referring to a video of a MOMO interaction in America showing an ‘ominous sounding voice recording’ sent to a child, telling them to use a knife on their own throat – with another making threats against a child’s family if a 'challenge' is not completed, describing it as ‘chilling viewing’.
So far, a 12-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy, both from Colombia, are thought to have killed themselves after taking part in the MOMO challenge. The deaths occurred in September, just 48 hours apart, it was thought that the two knew each other. After the police seized their phones, they said they found messages that were linked to the game.
A concerned British mother spoke to the media last week to highlight that the ‘sick game’ had already spread to Manchester, after her 7yr old son told her that some of his schoolmates told him to look up the MOMO challenge; she went on to say that when they watched the video, the MOMO character told him to tell everyone to be in fear of MOMO or it will kill him in his sleep, causing distress to the boy and his friends.
It is understood the original artwork used by the hackers has been taken from a designer in Japan who has no connection whatsoever with the MOMO challenge.