Other information and advice
What if you have concerns about content, products or services that aren’t mentioned elsewhere on ParentPort?
There isn’t a regulator you can complain to in every area, but many industries have guidelines or Codes of Practice to help make sure that companies operate appropriately on certain issues.
The ParentPort regulators have compiled some useful information below on what you can do if your concerns don’t fall into the areas we regulate.
Want to know how to keep children safe online?
Is your child being bullied online?
Concerned about the songs and music videos your children are listening to online?
Has your child had inappropriate contact online?
Want to know what you can do about criminal online content?
Concerned that an item of children’s clothing is inappropriate?
Concerned about other retail products?
Concerned about the way magazines are displayed in shops?
Concerned that your child can buy inappropriate content via a mobile phone?
Want to know how to keep children safe online?
The
internet can be a great place for children and young people to learn, play,
socialise and express themselves in all sorts of creative ways. But just like
the real world there are risks and sometimes things can go wrong. By taking a
few simple steps you can help minimise these risks.
Lots of help and advice for parents as well as educational materials for children of all ages are available at www.thinkuknow.co.uk. This site is run by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre.
Here are some simple steps you can take:
- Install a web-safe browser on computers. Make sure children set their profile settings to “private” on any social networking sites. Privacy is key so remind your child to keep private information private on all the sites they use.
-
Talk
to your child’s mobile phone operator about filtering software to block
inappropriate content and websites. - Talk to your child about their online life and about online safety. Always make sure your child feels they can come to you or someone they trust if they’re worried about anything they encounter online. Teach young people how to block someone online and to report inappropriate or suspicious behaviour.
- Importantly, don’t be scared by the technology and find out more at www.thinkuknow.co.uk
The UK Safer Internet Centre also provides a range of safety information and advice for children and parents, including a parent’s guide to Facebook and Childnet's award-winning Know IT All for Parents. Click here to find out more.
Is your child being bullied online?
If
you’re concerned about online or cyber-bullying, the
BeatBullying
website is a useful source of help for parents.
There’s help and support for children aged 11-16 from CyberMentors at www.cybermentors.org.uk.
Concerned about the songs and music videos your children are listening to online?
The
internet has revolutionised the way we buy and listen to music.
You can now access millions of songs and music videos at the click of a button, on everything from PCs and laptops to games consoles and mobile phones.
But there may be some material that you would prefer your children not to see or hear.
That’s why the BPI and its member record labels have developed an updated labelling scheme to help parents identify songs and music videos that might be inappropriate for children.
The Parental Advisory Scheme strives to give you the information you need to guide what your children listen to online or purchase in-store.
Find out more about the Parental Advisory Scheme and how you can use it.
Has your child had inappropriate contact online?
If your child has experienced sexual contact while online, offensive chat which has made them feel uncomfortable, or you think someone is trying to meet up with them, you can report this directly to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre.
This contact could’ve happened in a chat room, on a message board, on instant messenger or a social networking site. It could also be on a mobile phone, through a games console or computer. It could be messages, images or conversations over webcam. You can report inappropriate contact with your child on the internet.
Go to CEOP’s Safety Centre by following this link www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/parents or clicking the button below:
Want to know what you can do about criminal online content?
You
can report child sexual abuse images hosted anywhere in the world, criminally
obscene adult content hosted in the UK and non-photographic child sexual abuse
images hosted in the UK, to the Internet Watch Foundation, the UK’s reporting
hotline, at www.iwf.org.uk.
Concerned that an item of children’s clothing is inappropriate?
Although
shops and other retailers have to comply with many regulations, there’s no
single regulator that oversees all their operations.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is the leading trade association for retailers, from the large high street shops and department stores to independents, selling products through town centre, out of town, rural and virtual stores. The BRC has developed good practice guidelines for retailers on age-appropriate clothing for children.
You can find the guidance here.
The BRC advises that if you feel that a retailer who has signed up to these guidelines is not meeting their commitments, you should contact the retailer directly. Details of each retailer’s feedback procedures will be available on their website and in-store.
Concerned about other retail products?
The BRC recommends that if you’re concerned about other products that you don’t think are appropriate for children, your first step should be to speak to an assistant in the store where the item is being sold, or ask to see the store manager. If it’s a larger store or a chain, you could also write to the head office of the store to express your concerns.
Concerned about the way magazines are displayed in shops?
A
number of the organisations representing the supply and sale of magazines have
worked together to develop guidance for retailers on the display of magazines
that may be inappropriate for children.
The Press Distribution Forum (PDF) is one of these organisations and the guidelines can be found on the PDF’s website. Click here for the guidelines.
If you’re concerned about the way a shop has displayed magazines, your first step should be to report your concerns to the manager of the shop. If it’s a larger store or a chain, you could also try writing to the head office of the retailer to express your concerns. It’s worth mentioning the guidance and why you think the shop in question needs to be made aware of it.
Concerned that your child can buy inappropriate content via a mobile phone?
Some
of the content you can buy through mobile phones isn’t suitable for children.
The major UK mobile phone networks have worked together to develop guidance to
help them identify content that’s only appropriate for over 18s, so it can be
blocked until customers have proved they are 18 or over. The companies that
provide this type of content for sale are responsible for giving it a rating
using a classification system set up by The Independent Mobile Classification
Body (IMCB).
The IMCB suggests that if you want to complain about inappropriate content that your child has been able to buy via their mobile phone you should first contact their mobile phone network. However if you’re not satisfied with the response you get, the IMCB can then investigate your complaint.
Find out more about the guidance and how to make a complaint
Concerned that your child has been misled into buying premium rate charged content on their mobile phone?
Premium
rate services in the UK are regulated by PhonepayPlus. Their Code of Practice
covers both the promotion of the service as well as the content.
The PhonepayPlus website contains lots of valuable information about these services including a Number Checker, and information about how you can complain. Alternatively you can call them on 0800 500 212.