The Internet is a great place to chat with people all over the world and make new friends, to learn about every subject possible and to have a great deal of fun. However, do take care – you could be at risk if you do not
follow some simple steps…
- Always keep your personal details (name, address) private. It’s like giving out the keys to your house!
- Your personal password is your own special identity, so keep it secret and don’t share it – even with your best friend or someone who sounds official.
- Making new e-pals whilst on line is cool, but tell your parents about who you have met and introduce them to your new friends.
- If you want to meet someone you have met in cyberspace, ask your parents/carer’s permission, and then only when they can be present.
- There’s great stuff on the Net, but some bad stuff too! So always tell a parent or teacher if you come across anything which makes you feel uncomfortable.
- Chat can be fun, but don’t hang around in a chat room if someone makes you feel uncomfortable or worried. Remember you’re in charge out there!
You have rights! Know you rights and make sure others respect them. You might want to print out ICRA’s Children’s Bill of Rights for the Internet and keep it by your computer to remind you of those rights.
It doesn’t hurt to let your parents or guardians know what you’re doing. In fact, you might find that once they realise you know how to act responsibly, they’ll be a lot happier about your surfing the internet. ICRA have a Family Internet Online Safety Contract you can print out, so that you and your parents can let each other know what’s expected and what’s not.
Remember: You have a right to feel safe and to be safe on the Internet!
Next steps
These tips on this page were the result of extensive research and a report produced by Childnet International and Fleishman Hillard as part of a EC funded research study. Our sincere thanks to Childnet International for their permission to reproduce them here.