Online Safety

Download: Online Safety Policy 2023-2024 [PDF]

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about AI-enabled Scams

Please find the National College guide for ‘What Parents & Educators Need to Know about AI-enabled Scams’ below.

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AI isn’t just transforming the way we learn and work, it’s also reshaping the tactics scammers use online. From generating convincing phishing emails to fabricating influencer videos, criminals are using AI to make their scams more convincing than ever. Young people, who often embrace new tech quickly, can be especially vulnerable.

This guide highlights several AI-enabled dangers – including romance scams, deepfake audio and video impersonations, and fake job offers – and explains how to spot and report them. With clear tips for verifying content, thinking critically, and using trusted platforms, it’s essential reading for parents and educators to help young people stay one step ahead of the scammers.

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Apple iPads

Please find the National College guide for ‘What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Apple iPads’ below.

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iPads are a familiar fixture in many households and classrooms, offering access to educational tools, entertainment, and the internet in one sleek package; however, with great versatility comes notable risk. From accidental spending and data privacy breaches to excessive screen time, there’s plenty for parents and educators to consider before handing over the device. While Apple offers built-in safeguards such as ‘Screen Time’ and ‘Family Sharing’, these features must be correctly set up and actively managed to be effective.

Our #WakeUpWednesday guide walks you through these options and highlights some of the more surprising ways children can get around restrictions – including with Siri – while offering practical advice on how to help keep young users safe and healthy online.

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Nintendo Switch 2

Please find the National College guide for ‘What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Nintendo Switch 2’ below.

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Nintendo’s long-awaited Switch 2 has finally arrived, blending fresh hardware with fan-favourite franchises. From Mario to Pikachu, the familiar mascots are back – but so too are evolving online features, in-game purchases, and potential exposure to mature content. As ever, it’s essential that parents and educators understand the risks to young players.

Among these are GameChat voice communication, camera-based gaming, and potential access to mature-rated titles. This guide outlines what to watch out for and how to keep children safe, engaged and having fun.

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about YouTube Kids

Please find the National College guide for ‘What Parents & Educators Need to Know about YouTube Kids’ below.

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YouTube Kids promises a safe, child-centric experience with colourful visuals, age-filtered content, and robust parental controls. Designed to appeal to younger viewers, the app has grown rapidly, being used by tens of millions of children worldwide. But is it as safe as it seems?

Despite YouTube Kids’ safeguards, reports have highlighted worrying issues, such as inappropriate content slipping through filters, subtle advertising, and the use of manipulative design to keep children engaged. Our guide explores how to navigate these pitfalls, offering practical advice for making sure children get the most from the platform – without the risks.

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Violent Content Online

Please find the National College guide for ‘What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Violent Content Online’ below.

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With around 70% of teens reporting they’ve seen violent real-life content on social media in the past year, this guide shines a light on a disturbing – and increasingly common – aspect of young people’s digital lives. From shocking videos to hate speech, many children don’t go looking for this material, it finds them via algorithms or peer sharing. 

The guide outlines key concerns, including the mental toll of repeated exposure, shifts in behaviour, and the worrying normalisation of harmful ideologies. It also explains how such content can escalate from screen to street, and why some young people may feel pressured to share or even create violent media themselves.

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Minecraft

Please find the National College guide for ‘What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Minecraft’ below.

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With its limitless opportunities for building, exploring and collaborating, Minecraft remains a global gaming phenomenon. Its broad appeal lies in how open-ended it is – but this also means it’s not without risk. From chatting with strangers on public servers to the grief of having a beloved creation destroyed, young players can face challenges if left unsupervised. Minecraft can also become a time sink for enthusiastic players, with late nights spent crafting and constructing, potentially impacting school and social lives. 

We’ve created this free guide to help parents and educators understand how to keep young gamers safe – from choosing age-appropriate game modes to setting boundaries around screen time and spending.

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Bluesky Social App

Please find the National College guide for ‘What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Bluesky Social App’ below.

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Bluesky is a microblogging social media platform that gained popularity after separating from Twitter in 2021. Since accounts must be public, this opens the door to potential trolling, cyberbullying and the spread of misinformation.

We’ve created this free guide, offering parents and educators advice and guidance on the tools available to keep children safe while using the popular social media platform Bluesky.

Online Safety Newsletter – Issue 2

Please find the MGL Online Safety Newsletter – Issue 2 below:

Download: Online Safety Newsletter – Issue 2 [PDF]

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What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Streamers

Please find the National College guide for ‘What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Streamers’ below.

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Livestreaming is now a major part of children’s entertainment, evolving from gamers sharing screens into a booming industry with diverse personalities. While watching streamers can be entertaining, it comes with no small number of risks for children, such as misinformation, negative influences, and inappropriate content. With over 2.5 million viewers on Twitch – the current most popular streaming platform – at any one time, this guide highlights the potential dangers associated with watching livestreams and the importance of staying informed.

We’ve created this free guide – also available in podcast format – to provide parents and educators everything they need to know about streamers and how to keep children protected.

What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Roblox

Please find the National College guide for ‘What Parents & Educators Need to Know about Roblox’ below.

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Whilst they can be a great way for friends to socialise, online games like Roblox that allow multiplayer gameplay with strangers are always fraught with a variety of dangers that can expose children to inappropriate or harmful content. Roblox enables people to play anonymously, which can often be something that attracts people to misuse the game and potentially put young people at risk of harm.

In addition to interacting with random strangers across the world, other factors such as in-game purchases and potential scams can also pose a financial risk. It’s important that parents and educators remain aware of the risks associated with this popular title and how it can be used safely. This free guide – also available in podcast format – offers parents and educators expert advice on what can be done to ensure that young people have a safe and enjoyable experience with Roblox.