TransporterMalfunction 1 Posted February 15, 2004 PARENT'S GUIDE The Internet has changed the way children learn and have fun, but with it comes a new set of problems surrounding child safety online. If you don't know what steps to take to protect your child, then look at our top tips for keeping you and your family safe on the web... Once online children can enjoy thousands of educational and entertainment websites. They also join a vast community of other children linked by a worldwide network of computers. Children love the chance to 'chat', make new friends and contact people from different places and cultures - something they might be too shy to do in real life 'offline'. But to keep them safe, your advice and supervision as a parent must cover use of the family computer. Just as you decide which TV programmes are best for your child, you should check out the websites and chatrooms that they wish to visit. For all the wonderful opportunities going online offers, there are those who may use the Internet in ways you would consider offensive, or for purposes that are actually illegal. If children enter chatrooms, they must be aware of the dangers. Remind them that although they have been chatting to online 'friends' for a long time, these people are really still strangers. It is, of course, important to keep things in perspective. While children must be made aware of 'stranger danger', the number of known cases in which child sex offenders have approached children online is extremely low compared with the rapid growth in Internet use. However, reminding your family of these web-related risks may help keep them alert to the dangers they face in the real world, too. WHAT SHOULD I DO AS A PARENT? Don't be confused by the different types of chat - whether your children are chatting via the Internet, mobiles or the TV, the rules stay the same. By discussing the potential dangers and also spending time online with your child, the risks are reduced, and chatting is great fun for all the family. As we all know, simply telling a child not to do something is asking for trouble, but if children are going to surf safely education must begin at home. Good practice learned through parental advice and involvement will help to protect your child if they sign on at, for example, a friend's house, an Internet café, a library, or a youth club. But if you do have any concerns, don't keep quiet. Reporting anything suspicious or abusive to your Internet Service Provider, the Internet Watch Foundation, or your local police will help to protect your child and also the many others who are eager to chat online. KEEPING SAFE IN CHAT Just as you would put the phone down on an abusive caller, tell your children that they should not let anyone be rude or insulting to them when they are chatting - whether they are using the Internet, a mobile or their games console. Bullying, sadly, is not eliminated online. Tell your children they are in control, and that one click of the mouse or push of a button will end the conversation and silence their abuser. They should never reply to nasty or suggestive messages, but must tell you at once if they are sent any. The same goes for suggestive or sexual pictures. You should report anything like this to your Internet Service Provider and the Internet Watch Foundation. If you are really worried, contact your local police. Alert buttons, a grab-and-print function and privacy settings - they are found in your browser and restrict who can make contact with you - can be used if problems continue. Stranger Danger The Internet is a great place for your children to have fun, but don't let them forget that people they meet in chatrooms may not be who they say they are. Child sex offenders are good at hiding their true identities while getting children to chat about themselves and give details they shouldn't. 'Grooming' is the word used to describe how child sex offenders meet children and then flatter and pester them over a long period of time, perhaps offering presents, before trying to get them to agree to a meeting in the real world. Although a chatroom says it is only for children, you have no way of checking the age of the chatters. Childnet launched its Chatdanger website after it had been contacted by the family of a 13-year-old girl who had been sexually abused by a man she met through a teenage Internet chatroom; they wanted to alert other parents to the dangers. And the number of Internet-based child pornography and child sex offender cases is growing. Sadly, even if your child is chatting to someone a similar age that doesn't mean they are safe. It's thought that adolescent sex offenders could be responsible for up to a third of all sex crime. Personal Details Impress on them that meeting up with someone they have met through a chatroom is very risky. If, however, they cannot be talked out of it insist that you go with them to meet this new friend. Make sure the meeting is in a busy place, such as a café or shopping centre. Advise your child to use a nickname when they enter a chatroom, and under no circumstances should they give their home address, telephone number, e-mail address or school's name - or those of a close friend - to anyone they meet on the Internet, unless they have spoken to you first. They should not give their password to anyone, including friends, nor should they send anyone a picture of themselves. Impress on them that meeting up with someone they have met through a chatroom is very risky. If, however, they cannot be talked out of it insist that you go with them to meet this new friend. Make sure the meeting is in a busy place, such as a café or shopping centre. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TransporterMalfunction 1 Posted February 15, 2004 TEEN'S GUIDE BE WARY - PEOPLE MAY NOT BE WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE Even the most web savvy of us can be caught out by people who aren't who they say they are, so don't take things at face value when meeting people in chatrooms. It can be scary but people such as child sex offenders do use chat to make contact. It's unlikely they'll tell you the truth about who they are, instead they'll probably pretend to be the same age as you - a potential mate. They'll spend months chatting, gaining your trust and pretending to be friendly and sympathetic - a process called 'grooming'. So keep your wits about you, trust your judgement and if someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable when you are chatting, let an adult know about it. True mates will be happy for you to tell your parents about your friendship whereas someone with dodgy intentions may want to keep your chats a secret. DON'T GIVE OUT PERSONAL INFO Would you give a complete stranger your name, address and telephone number? No - then why do it in a chatroom/messageboard then? It's easy for people to hide behind e-mail or text messages. Think of all the hassle you'd have to go through if you started receiving abusive texts and had to change your moby number. You can avoid that grief by never swapping phone numbers in chatrooms. But remember, if you do give away personal details, don't panic. Let your parents know. Pest texts sent to your mobile can be traced back to the true sender and the mobile service provider will be able to help. Most e-mail programmes allow you to block out messages from people you don't want to hear from, so give that a go too, they are usually easy to use. DON'T PUT YOUR MATE IN A STICKY SITUATION BY POSTING THEIR DETAILS Never give away your friends' details online - their addresses, e-mail addresses, mobile numbers or anything that could identify them offline. Never discuss their details in a chatroom, particularly information that they may have told you about themselves in confidence or anything that could possibly get them into trouble. BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT MEETING ONLINE FRIENDS FACE TO FACE You should never meet up with someone you have only met in a chatroom no matter how long you've known them or how tempting it seems, because this is really, really risky. But if you are determined to meet up with a friend then NEVER go it alone. Always take a parent, older brother, or other trusted adult with you and ALWAYS tell an adult where you are going, and what time you'll be back. YOU ARE IN CONTROL - LET SOMEONE KNOW IF YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE ONLINE Familiarise yourself with the help that's at hand - most chatrooms have an 'alert' button you can press if you feel concerned about another chatter's behaviour or you could keep a record of worrying conversations by hitting 'print screen'. Ultimately just remember this simple fact: you're in control and can leave a chatroom or log off whenever you like. OTHER WAYS TO PROTECT YOURSELF If you do start chatting regularly with someone, let a parent or friend know Stick to public chatrooms Never go off into a private discussion area alone Never say anything in a chatroom that you wouldn't say in public Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
