NSPCC urges parents to put online safety at top of their new year things to do

• Almost half of parents surveyed don’t have parental controls set-up on their children’s online devices.
• Parents can seek free personalised advice around setting parental controls from the O2 NSPCC Online Safety Helpline or in O2 high-street stores.

The NSPCC and O2 have urged parents to make online safety a priority if their children have received smartphones, tablets or game consoles this new year.

The advice comes as a survey of 442 parents of 5-10 year olds found that 46 per cent¹ don’t have parental controls set up on internet-enabled devices used by their children and only 30 per cent² have them installed through their home broadband.

Overall just 29 per cent³ said they were confident that the online parental controls they had in place for their children were sufficient.

The NSPCC and O2 joined forces in 2015 with the aim of helping parents keep their children safe online.

The partnership now offers advice to parents through Net Aware (www.net-aware.org.uk), the Icebreaker email series and the Online Safety Helpline.

Parents can also book an appointment with an O2 Guru in their local O2 store to get advice on keeping children safe online or setting up parental controls.

Head of NSPCC Northern Ireland, Neil Anderson, said: “The online world can be full of fun and wonder for children and no doubt tablets, smart phones and games consoles will have featured on many Christmas lists this year. But the internet is not without its risks for children who can stumble across inappropriate content or even become victims of online abuse.

“That’s why it’s vital that every parent who has bought an internet-connected device this Christmas sets up parental controls to help protect their children from online risks. It’s also a good idea for parents to have regular conversations with their children about staying safe online and how to report something that upsets them.”

Stephanie McNamee, O2 NSPCC Helpline Agent said: “With many children getting their hands on new tech over the festive period it’s a great time to set up some parental controls. Parents can use controls to block upsetting or harmful content, manage in-app purchases or how long children spend online.

“It may feel daunting but parents don’t need to be technical experts as controls are easy to set up and help is available to get started. If you’re not sure where to start, experts from the O2 NSPCC helpline can help.”

For help on a specific issue call experts at the O2 & NSPCC Online Safety Helpline – 0808 800 5002, or make an appointment to see an O2 Guru in store.