Interactive session hosted by police encourages children to be safe online

Do you feel like you and your child are fully educated on keeping safe online?

Do you want to learn more about the social media platforms your children are using?

Are you concerned about how much time your child spends on social media?

If the answer is yes to any of these questions, Northamptonshire Police is hosting a Facebook Live session for children and their parents/guardians on all things online safety where you will be able to ask the questions that concern you about your child’s online life.

On Tuesday, May 11, at 4pm, Detective Superintendent Rich Tompkins will be joined by online safety expert, Simon Aston, and together, they will answer questions submitted by the public on all things online safety.

Topics the pair will cover during the session will range from how much time parents should allow their children to spend on social media and how healthy limits around the use of social media can be set, to the alternatives to blocking and banning sites as well as the signs of cyberbullying.

Head of Public Protection at Northamptonshire Police - Detective Superintendent Rich Tompkins, said: “In this digital age it is almost a certainty that your child will use some form of social media or online activity, so we have organised this session for you to ask us any questions you may have on the subject.

“As police officers, we often deal with the negative consequences of social media use including young people being groomed, and exploited or exposed to harmful content and we want to do everything we can to prevent this from happening.

“I am lucky to be joined by Simon Aston during this session who is a local expert, working on online safety. I would encourage parents and guardians to get involved and take this opportunity to ask any questions that may be concerning you about your child’s online life.”

The session will be held at 4pm on Tuesday, May 11, on Northamptonshire Police’s Facebook page. If you can’t make the session live, please send your question to [email protected] and we will ensure it gets answered during the session.