School's out for the summer - which means children have lots more freetime and may be spending some of that online. The Mail has teamed up with the NSPCC to provide parents with advice about online safety this summer. Keep an eye out for our weekly column in the paper and online every week. 

NSPCC Campaigns Manager Emma Motherwell takes a look at the apps and sites children are using and how you can help keep them safe

Oxford Mail:

The summer holidays are a wonderful opportunity to enjoy being out and about but when even the most active adventurers get tired out and need some time away from the sunshine.

And as we start handling numerous requests to play on tablets, consoles and smart phones, how can we ensure our children are staying safe online?

The internet is a fantastic place for children and young people to socialise, explore their interests, and learn, but every parent should be aware of the risks.

We know children are becoming more concerned about online safety from the increasing number of calls to Childline, and we have seen a growing number of cases where children and young people have been targeted by adults through popular apps and social media platforms.

Last year, 2016/17, Childline volunteers delivered more than 12,000 counselling sessions about online safety and abuse and there was a 20 per cent rise in the number of page views to advice about sexting.

While online abuse may be a top concern for parents, the internet can also present other risks such as cyberbullying, feeling unhappy about body image and being exposed to adult or inappropriate content when gaming.

So, it is incredibly important that parents talk to their children about being safe online and spotting the signs of inappropriate behaviour or content.

Parents and children should:

* Explore sites and apps together

* Talk about things they might see online which make them feel uncomfortable

* Talk about what is, and is not, ok to share online

* Reassure them that you won't overreact – you're just looking out for them To help parents explore the sites, apps and games their child uses the NSPCC and O2 have created Net Aware, which looks at the safety of the sites children use most, as well as giving guidance on age suitability.

Here, parents and young people can find out how to set privacy settings and how to block or report online. The partnership also encourages parents to be Share Aware and to talk to their children about what is and is not suitable to share online.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be looking at various apps, games, social media and livestreaming sites that young people are using and providing practical advice about working together to help children use them safely.

Call our Online Safety Helpline for advice an all things online safety, including setting up parental controls, on 0808 800 5002. You can also book an appointment with an NSPCC-trained O2 Guru in store for support, whether you’re an O2 customer or not. Net Aware is available as an app or at www.net-aware.org.uk ENDS Box off suggestions 1. Follow our TEAM tips to help keep your child safe online: * Talk to your child regularly about what they are doing online and how to stay safe. Let them know they can come to you or another trusted adult if they’re feeling worried or upset by anything they have seen. You can use our conversation starters to support you when starting these conversations.

* Explore your child’s online activities with your child. Understand why they like using them and make sure they know what they can do to keep themselves safe.

* Agree your own rules as a family when using sites, apps and games. You can use our Family Agreement template to help you get started.

* Manage your technology and use the settings available to keep your child safe.

2. Parents who have discovered that their child has been sharing sexual images of themselves should:

* stay calm and try not to get angry with the young person.

* ask who the image has been sent to and where it has been shared.

* encourage them to delete images from their phone or own social media accounts.

* contact the site hosting the images of their child if they have been posted by someone else.

* suggest their child contacts Childline, who can work with the Internet Watch Foundation to try and get images removed if they’ve been shared more widely.

* discuss issues of consent and trust in healthy relationships or friendships. The NSPCC has also launched a #knowyourselfie campaign to encourage young people to think before they share.

3. Following the NSPCC’s #WildWestWeb campaign, then Digital Secretary Matt Hancock announced that laws will be brought in to regulate social networks, to keep children safe and prevent harms such as grooming.

The charity is now campaigning to ensure those laws are sufficiently robust to prevent grooming and to truly keep children safe. It is calling on Government to:

- Create mandatory safety rules that social networks are legally required to follow;

- Establish an independent regulator to enforce safety laws and fine non-compliant sites

- Require social media sites to publish annual safety reports;

- Force platforms to develop technology to detect grooming using algorithms

Oxford Mail: