Online Safety - a reminder

[Cat in the Hat]

Just a reminder to our younger members to be safe when using the internet and in particular social networking sites like Bebo and Myspace or Instant messenger programs like MSN.

Make sure your parents know what you do online, they may need a bit of help keeping up with the world of technology but I'm sure that you can teach them their way around the internet.

Be careful about the personal information you post on the internet. It is very easy to get a lot of information from people just from their Bebo site, which can get people into sticky situations. Bebo has a privacy setting which prevents other people from accessing your website unless you are on their friends list or go to their school. Be smart.

Make sure you keep your "online" friends as online friends. if they want to meet up with you in the real world, make sure you take a trusted adult with you. Dont ever go and meet an internet friend on your own.

Only chat using your webcam with real life friends. Don't chat using your webcam with people you have never met and only speak to on the internet. If they pester you to do this, they aren't ever likely to be good friends.

Visit http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk and go through the section of the website that applies to your age.

If one of your friends tells you they are meeting up with someone from the internet without their parents knowing, or are chatting to someone on the internet in a way that may be putting them in harms way, be a good friend to them and tell an adult.

If you are concerned about the behaviour of anyone who uses the internet and fear that they may be harming children or young people, report it at http://www.ceop.gov.uk or http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk