Topic 24

• People could be anyone on the Internet
• Not everyone is genuine
• Some are dangerous and seek to do you harm
• They could be stalkers or paedophiles
• You need to be wary of anyone who contacts you
• Do not give out personal details
• Do not give out other details by which you could be identified
• Do not post personal details on social networking sites
• Do not post images of yourself- they may be misused

• Images can be altered to tell lies
• A picture of you can be passed to others without your permission
• Your image could be altered in an inappropriate way
• Your image could end up on a site paedophiles use
• You could be identified by your image and then stalked

• Never use swear words
• Do not use racially offensive words
• Do not use words likely to offend certain groups of people
• Ensure your material can be read by people of all ages
• Do not engage in cyberbullying 

• Do not give out personal information such as your address or phone number on a message board, blog, chat room or social networking site
• Do not use your real name when using chat rooms, etc. People may be able to identify you and find where you live
• Always report abuse or bullying
• Never reveal personal details (e.g. bank details) in response to an official looking email
• Avoid publishing pictures of yourself, as they can be misused
• Do not open attachments to emails from people you do not know- they may contain inappropriate material
• Never meet strangers unless you are with an adult you trust

There is a range of software that allows controls to be put on browsing software, such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc. These are essential in protecting what young children have access to when using the WWW. 

Having the family computer in a communal room is another measure parents can take. This allows them to monitor what their children are accessing.