Playing Safe Online, Useful Information for Parents
This is our guide to the wide range of information and advice about online safety for families. This complements advice about how to use parental controls to set limits on behaviour, with helpful guidance and good practice for video games use. It also provides a starting point for when things go wrong.
For information about ensuring in-app purchases are appropriate in your family Ofcom has an excellent set of videos.
The best place to start is with the UK based bodies and video game creators.
- PEGI Good Gaming Guide
- Fundamentally Children Good App Guide
- Think U Know: Parents' and Carers' Guide to the Internet (Video)
- Safer Children in a Digital World: The Report of the Byron Review
- Ofcom Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report
- UK Safer Internet Centre - Advice and Resources
- BBFC Video Games Report
- UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS)
- UK Gov Stay Safe Online
- Children on Virtual Worlds: What Parents Should know
- Get Safe Online: Guarding Children
- Childnet International Know it All
Particular video game providers also give advice and guidance about safe ways to enjoy games online and offline:
- Club Penguin Guide to the Wonderful World of the Web
- Little Space Heroes Parents Guide
- Moshi Monsters Parents Information
- Parents Guide to Nintendo
- Xbox Parental Controls
- PlayStation Family Security
If you are after more information, or perhaps a second opinion it is also worth spreading the net wider. Although some of this wider information is aimed at non-UK territories, it still provides some excellent advice.
- ESRB Parents Guide to Video Games
- ESRB Resources for Parents
- Canada's Centre for Digital and Media Literacy - Videogames
- Netsmartz Safety Tips
- Cyber Smart Guide to Online Safety
- Common Sense Media Game Advice for Parents
When something does go wrong you can usually report the issue to the website or online service in question.
- PS3
- Xbox 360
- Xbox One
- CEOP
- CyberMentors Bullying Help and Advice
- UK Gov Online Bullying Advice
If you have found any other useful information online, do leave a comment and we'll update our list.