Online Safety

Use of chat rooms and messaging is very popular but it is easy to abuse because you never really know to whom you are talking online. Here are some tips to help you keep safe:

• Never use your real name in chat rooms.
• Never ever tell anyone personal things about yourself or your family.
• Never arrange to meet up with someone you’ve only spoken to online.
• Never respond to nasty or rude messages.
• Do not access sites that are meant for adults.
• Agree some rules with your parents.

There are many sites with useful information on internet safety. Here are a few suggestions at which you and your children could look.

Chatdanger
How to keep safe in chat rooms and instant messaging. With specific tips on:

• how to keep/save a copy of the conversation
• how to block/ignore people
• how to report something you feel uncomfortable about to the chatroom provider.

ClickThinking
The Scottish Executive's guide to personal safety on the internet.

Think You Know
A very accessible website for children to learn about internet safety.

Online Safety - Information for parents
A site sponsored by the European Union.

Childnet International
The section for Parents and Carers provides a presentation which highlights the gap that exists between children’s real experience online and adult awareness of these experiences. The presentation contains information about positive ways young people are using different technologies, what the risks are to users and it outlines practical advice in avoiding or minimising risks when using online and mobile technologies.

Kaspersky
This commercial company has plenty of advice for parents about online security in addition to advice on keeping children safe.