Childline: Supporting children starting the milestone of going into Year 7
Moving from primary to secondary school is a huge milestone for children and brings with it new independence.
As they start Year Seven, children will often be traveling further to school, managing levels of homework they’re unused to, and many will be using personal devices and social media for the first time.
All of these things can cause anxiety, but children starting secondary school are also often given their first smartphone around this age. As they begin using social media platforms, and joining new online gaming or chat groups, these devices help them stay connected but can expose children to cyberbullying, scams, or inappropriate content for the first time.
If your child is about to start at secondary school, now is a good time start having regular conversations about how they use the internet. Help them to understand security settings and privacy controls, how to identify suspicious messages, how to block and report others, and the importance of never sharing personal information or images.
The NSPCC and Childline websites have lots of resources which can help with this, so it could be worthwhile exploring them together. Encourage children to talk to you if something makes them feel uncomfortable and remind them that not everyone online is who they claim to be.
If your child is joining messaging platforms or gaming with new classmates, help them set clear boundaries. Talk about respectful communication and how to deal with exclusion, trolling or pressure to share personal details or images.
It is also worth discussing and setting limits to screen time, when and where it’s OK to use their phone, and which apps are appropriate for them to use or download.
Starting secondary school should be a positive experience, but our counsellors know it can be daunting – as can a young person’s first steps into the online world.
But by staying involved, taking an interest in your child’s online world and reminding them they can speak to you, a trusted adult or our Childline counsellors whenever they need to, you can help them feel more in control as they enter the next chapter of their school life.