Staying safe on the internet

Staying safe on the internet

The internet is fun! The internet is useful! But we need to be safe.

We need to beware of strangers on the street. And we need to beware of strangers on the internet.

Click on the links below and watch the videos that are aimed at 4-7 year olds to learn about staying safe online.

Before you watch Jessie & Friends with your child

Before watching the Jessie & Friends animations with your child, read our advice on what else you can do to keep your child safe online. 

Jessie & Friends is also available to watch with subtitles or with British Sign Language interpretations.

Jessie & Friends is a safe and age appropriate resource

The Jessie & Friends animations are age-appropriate and do not depict any situations where adults communicate with children online. Instead, they show safe, non-scary situations which help young viewers identify things which might worry them online. For example, in Episode 3 an older sister tricks three younger children into losing an online game. In this way young viewers learn how to identify online behaviour which is ‘not right’, and how to get help by telling an adult they trust. This learning will help keep them safe from many risky situations which they may encounter online. 

Each animation has been specifically created for different age groups:

Episode 1 - Watching Videos  (4-5 years) 

The series begins with Jessie and her dog, named Dog, as they watch videos online using a tablet. Together they learn that while the internet can be enjoyable and fun, there are sometimes things online that can be upsetting or scary. Jessie learns that she can always speak to a grown-up who will be able to help her and put down the tablet if there is anything she sees or hears online that makes her feel worried, scared or sad.

Episode 2 - Sharing Pictures (5-6 years) 

Here we meet Mo and Tia, who together with Jessie complete the friendship trio. At Tia’s birthday party they use Tia’s older brother Kyle’s mobile to take fun photos of themselves. The trio agree to send their photos to Tia’s nan but also a few other people whose numbers are saved in Kyle’s phone. When the photos are shared with other children at their school without their permission, they turn to their teacher for help. The three friends learn about how images can get shared more widely than you first expect, and the importance of consent.

Episode 3 - Playing Games  (6-7 years) 

Jessie, Tia and Mo are playing the exciting online game Avelzon where they are trying to beat their nemesis Dr Yekl. A ‘friendly’ unknown gamer starts chatting  to Jessie in the game and offers to help the ‘Supertotalmegaheros’ in their quest. However Jessie soon discovers that the gamer’s intention is not to help the friends, but to trick them into losing instead. Jessie, Tia and Mo learn that when playing online games they should keep their personal information private, only talk to people they know in real life and that they can tell an adult they trust if anything happens that makes them worried.

Read the storybooks together!

There’s a  storybook for each episode to help you to keep the conversation going. You can download each storybook below.

Jessie & Friends: Watching Videos - The Storybook

Jessie & Friends: Sharing Pictures - The Storybook

Jessie & Friends: Playing Games - The Storybook

What next?

Visit the CEOP Education 4-7s website with your child. Featuring characters from Jessie & Friends, the 4-7s website helps children to recognise worrying or scary situations online through four interactive badges covering: watching videos, sharing pictures, online gaming and chatting online. Children collect stars and certificates by answering questions to help characters Jessie, Tia and Mo to 'Tell A Grown Up' when something happens online that is worrying, scary or upsetting.

Some useful information to help you in conversations with children at home

Safe	Keep safe by being careful not to give out personal information when you’re chatting or posting online. Personal information includes your email address, phone number and password.
Meeting	Meeting someone you have only been in touch with online can be dangerous. Only do so with your parents’ or carers’ permission and even then only when they can be present. Remember online friends are still strangers even if you have been talking to them for a long time.
Accepting	Accepting emails, instant messaging messages, or opening files, pictures or texts from people you don’t know or trust can lead to problems – they may contain viruses or nasty messages!
Reliable	Someone online might lie about who they are and information on the Internet may not be true. Always check information with other websites, books or someone who knows. If you like chatting online it’s best to only chat to your real world friends and family.
Tell	Tell your parent, carer or a trusted adult if someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, or if you or someone you know is being bullied online.