Key Advice on Dealing with Online (Cyber) Bullying from Derbyshire County Council:

• Talk to your child and understand how they are using the internet and their phone.

• Use safety tools and parental controls – if you're not sure how, contact your service provider but please note that these tools are not always 100% effective.

• Be alert to your child being upset after using the internet/phones – they may be secretive, change relationships with friends. But be aware that your child is just as likely to be a bully as to be a target.

• Role model positive online behaviour for your child. It's important that they know how to act safely and responsibly online and are aware of what content is acceptable and unacceptable to post or share.

• If your child is a victim of online (cyber) bullying, remember, it's not their fault so removing the technology or banning them from websites could make them less likely to speak to you in the future if they experience a problem.

• Remind your child not to retaliate to any online (cyber) bullying.

• Work with the school to resolve the issue if other pupils are involved.

• Keep any evidence of online (cyber) bullying e.g. emails, online conversations, texts, screen prints of sites/chat messages – try and include time/dates and even locations etc. where possible.

• Report online (cyber) bullying immediately:

1. Contact the service provider (e.g. the website, gaming site or mobile phone company) to report the user and if possible to remove the content

2. If the bullying is being perpetrated by other pupils then contact the school so they can take action in accordance with their anti-bullying and behaviour policies.

3. If the bullying is serious and a potential criminal offence has been committed then consider contacting the police.

Useful links for children, young people and parents/carers

• CEOP Safety Centre

• Derbyshire Police Information

• DfE Preventing and Tackling Bullying

Information from ChildLine:

The ChildLine Schools Service offers key messages about keeping safe. It can be beneficial for these messages to be reinforced at home. The NSPCC has developed some guides for all parents of primary school aged children to speak to your child about keeping safe - called the Underwear rule.

You can find guides to the Underwear Rule to help you have simple conversations about keeping safe from abuse at www.nspcc.org.uk/underwear<http://www.nspcc.org.uk/underwear>.

You can speak to an advisor for further advice or request a hard-copy guide for parents and carers by phoning the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000. You can also visit www.nspcc.org.uk/parents<http://www.nspcc.org.uk/parents> for other advice on keeping your child safe.

For information regarding Domestic Abuse, please click on this link.