About e-Safety
Is Connect safe?
All the sites linked to/from the Early Childhood page have been reviewed by educators for quality, age-appropriateness and safety.
Please be aware, however, that Connect Early Childhood is NOT a closed environment.
Therefore if your child connects to additional sites beyond these links, they may eventually find inappropriate content. This is always the case with the internet (except in a closed space) and shows why discussions about internet use are so important. You may wish to consider filtered internet access to create a safer environment.
Children do need to know how to get out of site they discover is inappropriate.
You may wish to download a free Hector’s world safety button from Netsafe. The button is a ‘child-activated safety tool which children can use if something on-screen upsets or worries them’ to immediately cover the screen.
Problems accessing content
Most sites aimed at younger children are highly interactive. This means they usually need additional software (plug-ins) such as Flash, Shockwave or Quick Time.
You will usually be prompted to download the plug-in and if you do this, the site should work as intended.
Some of the links are also included here:
Personal information
Some sites require users to log in to access the full site. This may be to track users, provide greater safety, enable work to be saved or (where there is a cost) charge the user.
Read all user information carefully to decide if you wish to become a member of such a site. Many sites designed for children do not ask for personal information however ‘signing up’ should always involve an adult. Teachers may choose to set up a class email account for this purpose to avoid individual users needing to sign up.
Sites vary widely:
- Free – cost
- Moderated – un-moderated
- Nickname – personal information
- Safer – more risky
Read the privacy and user information to assist with your decision making. If you do choose to sign up it may be a good opportunity to discuss basic Cybersafety with your child and remind them not to give their address, phone number etc to anyone without checking with you first.
Additional things to consider
A number of websites have been created to empower children and adults to learn about Cybersafety:
Netalert Helpline: 1800 880 176
(Interpreters available)
DEECD also has Cybersafety guidelines, advice and resources at Working with the Web.
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