Be Safe - be Happy Week 2023

At the heart of our SJF ethos and mission is the belief that everyone has the right to feel happy, safe and loved every day of their lives. We do lots to support and affirm our children so that they can understand this.

Linked to this, the children are encouraged to express their feelings and we try hard to support them so they know what to do if someone or something ever makes them feel unhappy, unsafe or unloved. The children are reminded constantly to ‘Tell! Tell! Tell!’ if they have a worry. They are reassured that they can share a worry with anyone they feel comfortable talking to, knowing they will be heard and helped.

A key strand of this ongoing focus is our annual ‘Be Safe - Be Happy Week’, which always takes place at the start of Term 2. Across school our children will participate in a range of sessions that promote personal safety and reinforce key messages around wellbeing.

The week is all about affirming and reassuring our children. It is not about frightening them. The highlighting of potential risks and dangers is always done in age-appropriate ways with messages being balanced positively with advice to help them in different situations. ‘Tell! Tell! Tell!’ is always a key part of this messaging.

Be Safe Be Happy Week 2022: Keeping Children Safe Online

Social media sites and apps are created to connect people across the UK and the world. This can be both good and bad. It is positive when friends and family are reunited and are able to stay connected; it can be positive when suitable new friendships are formed; or when people are brought together because of appropriate and shared and interests and hobbies.

However, there is a flipside that can be negative because of the real risks posed to users, including vulnerable children, with or without the knowledge of their parents/carers. This includes the threat of connecting online with dangerous predators and those who seek to bully, control and harass them. It is for this reason that most social media sites, claiming to be responsible, impose age restrictions. Unfortunately, even these - as we have seen in the news - are not always enough to protect children.

We recall the tragic story, last year, of Molly Russell, the young lady who suffered in silence, and ultimately ended up taking her own life as a direct result of the influence of social media (please click here). Her parents have spoken bravely about the impact of social media on their daughter’s wellbeing, and of how her loss affects them every day, in the hope that lessons will be learned so no other children will suffer as Molly did.

We have been advised by the local authority that parents/carers who allow, or enable, their children to bypass age-limits etc. in order to sign up to social media sites are, potentially, putting them at real risk of harm.

It is acknowledged that it can be really hard for some parents/carers to resist because their children feel pressure from friends to have their own social media presence - and they are not interested in the more secure and age-appropriate platforms, which are aimed at children. Unfortunately, more schools, including ours, are having to deal with complaints from children and/or parents/carers about inappropriate comments/images shared by children with one another on sites like WhatsApp, TikTok, Snapchat, Roblox etc. out of school.

We therefore advise, strongly, that parents/carers resist requests to allow or help their children bypass the rules restricting access to adult social media sites, even if their children apply lots of pressure. It is so important to remember that age limits exist to protect the children - not to ruin their social lives. There is pressure to grow up too fast. You will note that none of the sites mentioned, are aimed at primary-aged pupils.
Be aware.

Getting online can be very easy, especially with no supervision. Children can use XBOX and PlayStation-type consuls; PCs, laptops and tablets; smart televisions, phones and watches; the free Wi-Fi accessible in restaurants, libraries, shops, places like Meadowhall, motorway services and other public spaces.

It has been reported that under-age children in our city have even managed to get online using their next-door neighbour’s Wi-Fi.

This can make it very difficult for parents/carers to monitor what their child view or are exposed to, even when they are determined to be vigilant.