Kirkby Stephen Grammar School

KSGS Social Media Safety Guide for Parents & Carers

KSGS Social Media Safety Guide for Parents & Carers

Social media plays a huge role in young people’s lives, but it also brings risks that can affect their wellbeing, safety and learning. This guide is designed to help parents and carers understand those risks and take practical steps to keep children safe online.

Why Social Media Safety Matters

Children and teenagers are exposed to:

  • Inappropriate content
  • Online bullying or unkind messages
  • Pressure to share photos or personal information
  • Contact from strangers
  • Addictive scrolling and late‑night phone use
  • Peer pressure to post or behave in certain ways

Many of the issues we deal with in school begin online — often outside school hours — and then spill into friendships, behaviour and mental health.

Working together, we can help children develop healthy, safe online habits.

Age Restrictions for Social Media Platforms

Most social media platforms have legal age limits to protect young people:

Platform

Minimum Age

TikTok

13+

Instagram

13+

Snapchat

13+

Facebook

13+

YouTube

13+ (18+ for unsupervised accounts)

WhatsApp

16+ (UK law)

If your child is using these platforms below the minimum age, they are doing so against the platform’s terms of service and without the safety features designed for older users.

What Parents Should Do

Here are the most effective steps you can take:

✔ Check your child’s phone regularly

Look at:

  • Messages
  • Group chats
  • Apps they’ve downloaded
  • Photos and videos they are sharing
  • Who they are talking to

This is not invading privacy — it is safeguarding.

✔ Review privacy settings

Ensure:

  • Accounts are private
  • Only friends they know in real life can follow them
  • Location sharing is turned off
  • “Who can message me?” is set to friends only
 

✔ Talk openly about online behaviour

Discuss:

  • What is safe to share
  • How to respond to unkind messages
  • Why they should never talk to strangers
  • The importance of telling an adult if something feels wrong
 

✔ Set boundaries

Examples:

  • No phones in bedrooms at night
  • Screen‑free time before bed
  • Agreed daily limits
  • No posting photos of others without permission

Signs Your Child May Be Struggling Online

Look out for:

  • Sudden changes in mood
  • Becoming secretive about their phone
  • Not wanting to go to school
  • Increased anxiety
  • Staying up late on devices
  • Withdrawal from friends

If you notice these signs, talk to your child and contact school if you need support.

How KSGS Supports Online Safety

In school, we:

  • Teach online safety through the curriculum
  • Address issues that arise in group chats or social media
  • Work with families when concerns are raised
  • Liaise with external agencies when needed
  • Promote safe, respectful online behaviour

We ask parents to work with us by monitoring devices at home.

Helpful Websites for Parents

These trusted organisations offer excellent advice:

If You Have Concerns

Please contact us. We are here to help and will always work with families to support children’s safety and wellbeing.