Internet Safety
Many of us conduct our lives online these days, whether it's speaking to friends on social networking sites and posting our latest thoughts and musings on Twitter. While there's nothing wrong with this there can be risks - and particularly for children and young people.
Think Before You Post
We often share lots of personal information without thinking of the potential consequences; is the person you've been chatting online to really who they say they are or the age they claim to be? Have you posted photographs of yourself on a social network site that could come back to embarrass you years later or even hinder you when looking for a job?
West Mercia Police is urging everyone to 'Think Before You Post' and learn how to surf safely to avoid some of these problems.
There are five SMART rules for staying safe when online:
S is for SAFE
Keep safe by not giving out personal information to others such as your email address, phone number, home address or school photos.
M is for MEETING
Don't agree to meet up with someone you have only been chatting to online and you don't know in the real world. Make sure you have a parent or carer's permission and they can come along to the meeting.
A is for ACCEPTING
Don't accept emails, pictures, files or texts from people you don't know or trust. This could lead to problems as they may contain viruses or nasty messages.
R is for RELIABLE
Information you may find online may not be true and people can lie about who they are.
T is for TELL
Tell a parent, carer or trusted adult if someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, or if someone you know is being bullied online.
Top Tips For Parents
- If the computer is in a private room in the house such as a child's bedroom, consider moving it to a family area where you can see what is going on and the sites being visited.
- If your children use sites such as Facebook or Bebo, make sure they change the default security settings so they are not sharing their profile and photos with everyone.
- Talk through the risks your children may face if they disclose lots of personal information online. It's better to keep this sort of information offline - their friends in the real world are already likely to having this information anyway.
- It's a good idea for your children to only chat online with their friends and people they know offline, that way you and they can be sure of who they are talking to and that it is now
- Webcam images and clips are classed as personal information and can be recorded and copied, as well as shared with other people. If your children are using webcams, it's a good idea for them to only talk to people they know in the real world.
You can find lots more hints and tips by downloading this e-Safety leaflet (Adobe Reader required).
Protect Yourself On Facebook
- Do you sometimes struggle to find answers to things that worry you online?
- Had bad wall posts from people you don't know?
- Had a chat conversation that went sour?
- Seen something written about you that isn't true, or worse?
- Has your account ever been hacked, even just as a joke?
Make sure you download the ClickCEOP application on Facebook to embed into your user profile a tab which has shortcuts to information about online safety and a link to allow you to report inapporpriate content.
Find out more at: http://apps.facebook.com/clickceop/
Concerned About Something You've Seen Online?
If you are concerned about websites that have criminally obscene images, depict child abuse or incite racial hatred, you can report them to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).
Read more about the work of the Internet Watch Foundation and how to report websites.
Find Out More
Parents can download a useful advice leaflet on internet safety at www.childnet-int.org/blogsafety and web users of all ages can find a wealth of other useful advice at www.thinkuknow.co.uk.
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