Kidshield Guide - Are you Child's Photographs Safe Online?

The simple answer is no!  The Internet is a public domain and once you've published an item, whether it be a document or photograph you can expect it to remain somewhere out there in Cyberspace -  there are no time limitations online.

Many parents develop web sites and post their kids’ pictures on the Internet for their family and friends to see. Often using MySpace, YouTube, Facebook and other social networking sites.

Whilst this may create a wonderful photo and video gallery for proud parents, they need to consider the possibility that their children’s images can be viewed and inked on the Internet, and they have absolutely no control whatsoever to what happens to that image.

Often along with photos are children's name's and if parent’s post their address or even their town, that information as well. Parents could be accused of being naive, but often they just don't give the thought that there are paedophiles lurking in every corner just waiting for the opportunity to present itself.

Your children’s privacy and safety are so important. There are tools on the Internet that allow people to search names and addresses and if a predator or kidnapper has your child’s photo and your name and address, your child’s safety could be in jeopardy.  If you have posted your child's details online please take immediate steps to remove the material and any personal information you have shared.

At Kidshield we would recommend that you only share your photograph's with family and friends through a secure email route and do not post any pictures in the public domain.  If as a parent you feel compelled to share your children’s photos online, it is wise to choose web-based photo-sharing options that allow you to keep the sharing between family and friends.

Who are your kids chatting to online?

Parental Control Software

Our top pick amongst the 25 tested by Kidshield  was Net Nanny which performed head and shoulders above other parental control software.  Net Nanny is more than an internet filter, it is peace of mind:

• easy to install

• easy to manage

• provides monitoring of Instant Messaging and Peer-to-Peer Networking and lots more

• costs less than an X-Box or PS2 game

• Did everything we asked and more!

You can purchase Net Nanny directly from the Kidshield Store

Sending Pictures by E-mail and Mobile Phones

Recent figures suggest that as many as 9 out of 10 children and teens own or have access to a mobile phone, with most of the newer versions containing a camera and video capability.

Apart from the issue of cyber harassment, in which anti-bullying charities have reported a sharp increase, the problem of photo and video exchange cannot be underestimated.

When pictures or video's are exchanged on mobile phones it is likely that they may be saved in the recipient's phone as an attachment.  That picture or video can now be uploaded to the Internet without you or your child's knowledge or consent.  Imagine the scenario, as experienced by many thousands of children, that their picture is uploaded to cyberspace without their consent. Teens often take photos of someone else in a changing room, bathroom or dressing room and post it online, or even send it to others via mobile phone.  They send these mass emails to others who then send it on to their network of friends.  Some of these photo's could include nude or degrading pictures of the victim.  Social networking sites are a particular hazard when it comes to the protection of young people.

What can you - as a parent or educator - do about it?

The key to protecting our children is education, both for the bullies and victims.  Often many children who are involved in the gang who bully or exploit other children, simply do not realise the implication of their actions.  At Kidshield we believe that it is vital to educate both our children and adults to fully understand the dangers and take appropriate action to prevent the exploitation of our children.

Kidshield Educational Tools

 Kidshield believe that the key to ensuring that our children are safe is to firstly educate our adults.  That means that our educational system and parents need to work together to ensure that personal safety education is a top priority.  Parents and guardians are, in most cases, in a privileged position to guide children in the use of safety features that can help them to manage their online communication.

Kidshield have developed a range of educational tools designed to empower adults with the practical skills needed to communicate personal and online safety to young children and teens. We believe that teaching children about safety is best achieved if it is done in a way that is fun and not scary, children are more likely to become anxious or resistant if personal safety messages are delivered in the wrong manner. Read more

Downing Street says there are "genuine difficulties" in allowing the public to have more information about the whereabouts of paedophiles. 

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