Online Safety

Safeguarding alert – The Game

It has come to my attention that there is “A game” being circulated via Facebook to children which contains several different actions for them to complete, including the encouragement of self-harm and hurting others. 
 
Whilst many of our children will, I am sure, be confident in ignoring these messages, I am also conscious that around the country there have been several incidents where dares via social media have led to a child’s death. 

Safeguarding ALERT – Monkey Web

Safeguarding advisors have been alerted to an extremely dangerous website and app called ‘Monkey’, which allows users to have video calls with strangers. The platform markets itself as ‘an alternative to Omegle, with a TikTok vibe’. Our online safety experts reviewed and tested this platform and have found that it contains large amounts of inappropriate, disturbing, and harmful content transmitted via web cameras. More safeguarding details can be found here regarding the website

Online Safety Documents

Omegle Guidance - Internet Matters

Omegle has been a headache for those concerned with protecting children for a decade and a half. On first glance the site is a simple internet chatroom, reminiscent of platforms from the internet's early years. It has no registration or account system. Being designed with the originally innocent objective of getting strangers to talk to each other, but this allows under-18s to easily use the platform, without needing parental assistance, money or even an email address. This already creates a dangerous situation to young pupils, but its insistence on users needing a webcam to chat places anyone underage in an extremely vulnerable place. To find out more about Omegle and the risks it poses, please follow the links below: 

Internet Matters: https://www.internetmatters.org/hub/news-blogs/what-is-omegle-what-parents-need-to-know/

Childnet: https://www.childnet.com/blog/what-is-omegle-key-things-parents-and-carers-need-to-know/