Report to the People
Protection of Children Online
If you were one of the parents who bought a computer for your children at Christmas or in the sales, I'm sure you'll agree it was a wise - if substantial - investment.
The Internet can help research homework. A word processor or desktop publisher can present projects professionally. Using a computer on a daily basis helps your children develop the IT skills which are a must in today's job market. And lastly, and purely co-incidentally, it keeps them off the streets and out of trouble.
While not the overriding factor, the last of these is important to many parents.
The irony, however, is that in addressing one set of dangers, you open the door to another. While it may seem as if your children are safer at home where you can keep an eye on them, they may be at risk from some of the Internet's hidden threats.
In addition to the well known issues about content on the Internet, chat rooms - where users exchange messages with each other in real time - can pose a small, but serious, risk.
The anonymity chat rooms offer can allow paedophiles to use them to meet and "groom" young people for abuse. You may recall the case of a 33-year-old man who was imprisoned for having sex with a 13-year-old girl he met, and with whom he built up a relationship, in a chat room.
But this does not mean it is time to put the computer back in the box and take it back to the shop. As a new Internet child safety campaign makes clear, these dangers can be completely avoided if you and your family follow a few simple steps.
The campaign, a £1.5 million UK-wide initiative backed in Scotland by £300,000 from the Scottish Parliament, underlines the importance of never giving out personal details such your phone number (including your mobile), your address, or even the name of your school, in a chat room.
Other good tips include moving computers from a child's bedroom to a family room. Also, children should be encouraged to leave a chat room immediately if made to feel uncomfortable by anything that is said.
Chat rooms and the Internet can be hugely useful and great fun. And by taking a few common sense steps, we can make sure we continue to enjoy them safely.
Want to know more about protecting your children from hidden dangers on the net? Call UK Online free on 0800 77 1234 for an information booklet, or log on to www.wiseuptothenet.co.uk
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