Ballakermeen High School is hosting a presentation this week to give parents advice on how they can help their children stay safe online. The presentation – on October 23 at 6.15pm – is part of an Isle of Man Constabulary initiative which is being supported by the school and Manx Telecom. Parents will be given advice on the dangers children can face when using the internet, and in particular the risks posed by using social networks and chatrooms. There will also be a presentation which demonstrates some of the danger signs parents should look out for if their children use social networks.
Manx Telecom experts will give advice on how Live Parental Controls features on the latest Netgear routers can be used to tightly control access to the internet and protect families from unsavoury content and phishing scams.
The presentation was organised in response to requests from parents at the school and is being organised by PC Michael Griffiths. He said:
“The internet is now part of everyday life, and children use it at school and at home. While it has many benefits, there are also dangers. The feedback we have from schools is that many parents feel that they simply do not have enough technical expertise when it comes to managing internet access, so these presentations are very much focused on educating parents and giving them the knowledge and skills and support they need.”
Voirrey Barron, Marketing Communications Manager at Manx Telecom, said:
“Internet security can be a daunting proposition for all parents. However, by using the tools available and correctly supervising internet access they can do a great deal to protect their children. We already provide a great deal of information online about internet safety – and our Customer Service and Tech Bench staff regularly give advice to customers on how to set up Live Parental Controls. We have also given internet safety presentations to primary school pupils at the annual Crucial Crew week for several years, so in many ways these latest school presentations are an extension of our work in this area and we welcome the opportunity to support this important initiative.”
A similar presentation will be held at Queen Elizabeth II High School in Peel on November 18. Any other schools interested in hosting one of the presentations should contact PC Michael Griffiths by emailing michael.griffiths@gov.im or calling 631291. Advice from Manx Telecom on internet safety can be found at http://www.manxtelecom.com/about/corporate-responsibility/child-protection.aspx.
