Children and Young People

Safe Surfing

Surfing the net, chat rooms, messaging and texting your friends can all be cool ways to keep connected. But you need to know the risks so that you can stay safe.

• Never use your real name in chat rooms.
• Only arrange to meet someone you have been chatting to with your parent/ carer’s permission and at a time when they can be present.
• Don’t give out personal information in chat rooms or on web sites (address, mobile number, passwords, school, the clubs you go to, photos of yourself), even if someone tells you things about themselves.
• Never respond to rude or mean messages (and don’t send any to other people).
• Be careful about accepting e-mails or opening files if you don’t know and trust the person who sent them – they can contain viruses that may damage your computer or nasty images.
• Agree some rules with your parents about what’s OK to do online and what isn’t – it will save arguments later!
• If anything makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, talk to your parents/carers about it.
• Remember, not everyone is who they seem and not all information on the Web can be trusted.
• Never give your mobile number out to someone you don’t know and, if you ever start getting annoying or offensive texts, tell your parent/carer straight away.

Think U Know (www.thinkuknow.co.uk) is a really useful and fun interactive site with sections for different age-groups. It has the latest information on the sites you like to visit, mobiles and new technology. Find out what’s good, what’s not and what you can do about it.

There are lots more tips for staying safe on the web sites listed below.

More information

SWGFL Safe (www.swgfl.org.uk/safety) Loads of information on being cyber smart, tips for chat rooms and fun activities. There are also lots more links to cool sites.

NCH (www.nhc.org.uk/itok) NCH campaigns for wider access to information and communication technology for children from less advantaged backgrounds. They also recognise that the internet enables those who would harm children to have wider and more direct access to them. Therefore they strongly promote online safety for all children.

Childline (www.childline.org.uk) Techie tips for safer surfing and mobile phones.

CBBC Stay Safe (ww.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/help/safesurfing/) Cartoons, quizzes, screensavers and wallpapers - lots of information on how to stay safe online.

Childnet International (www.childnet-int.org) Childnet is all about making the Internet safe for children and young people. It includes interactive presentations, with true stories and quizzes to help you understand the dangers, as well as online information and fact sheets.

Get Netwise (www.getnetwise.org) About . . .Kids Safety. Information on staying safe (and the risks for different age groups and activities) from the companies behind the Internet.

BlogSafety.com (www.blogsafety.com) Useful guidance about blogs for teenagers and adults (American site).

BBC Chat Guide  (www.bbc.co.uk/chatguide/) This website provides good advice on keeping safe in chatrooms and advice for bullying.

ChatDanger.com (www.chatdanger.com) A site all about the potential dangers on interactive services online like chat, IM, online games, email and on mobiles