The internet

The internet provides a useful educational tool for both adults and children. However, there is also adult material on the internet that is not suitable for children.

• Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may be able to advise you on filters which prevent children from accessing adult or unsuitable material
• Keep computers in family areas (and not in a child's bedroom) so that you can monitor how your children are using the internet
• Know what your children are doing online and ask them to teach you any applications you've never used before
• If your child receives spam or junk mail, remind them never to believe them or reply to them

Chat rooms

Chat rooms are often a fun way for children to gain social skills, ‘meet' new friends and improve their computer and literacy skills. But they can be misused and this can pose a threat. When they use chat rooms, encourage your children to:

• Never give out personal information, including address, phone number and email address
• Teach your children how to block someone online and report them if they feel uncomfortable
• Help your children to understand that some people lie online
• Arrange to meet someone in the chat room if they get on well with them, rather than contacting and meeting them in person
• Use a ‘moderated' chat room, where someone ‘referees' – this protects them from abusive people. You can also buy software to monitor your children's conversations yourself

If your children become so friendly with someone they chat to online that they want to meet in person, you should always go with them. Arrange to meet in a public place where there are lots of people around. Children and teenagers should never arrange to meet anyone they have met online without a responsible adult being with them.

For more information:

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP)'s ‘Think U Know' website