As part of our #WakeUpWednesday campaign, we’ve created a free online safety guide for schools to share with parents and carers about Kik Messenger; a free messaging app aimed at users aged thirteen and over. Used by more than 300 million people worldwide, Kik lets users exchange messages, photos, videos, GIFs and web pages with friends, family, chatbots and even strangers.
Unlike WhatsApp, Kik doesn’t require a user to sign up with a phone number. Instead, friends can be added via their username, making it easier for users to receive unwanted contact from strangers. Police in the UK issued a safety warning earlier in the year, claiming that Kik has featured in ‘more than 1,100 child sexual abuse cases in the last five years’ and that ‘children are at risk’ on the app. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45568276)
Please feel free to share our guide for parents and carers across your social platforms:
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/natonlinesafety/status/1072800442025984000
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/NationalOnlineSafety/photos/a.1681508315488685/1932027903770057/?type=3&
WEBSITE: https://nationalonlinesafety.com/resources/platform-guides/kik-online-safety-guide-for-parents/
Interested in becoming a NOS Certified School Community?
For more information regarding our NOS Certified School Community package, developed in line with the new 2018 DfE Statutory Guidance, ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, please complete the form here: https://nationalonlinesafety.com/online-safety-certified-schools-accreditation/
Many thanks for your continued support and for helping us to achieve a safer online world for children!
Sarah Graham