Help & Information

Staying Safe Online

It’s important to know how to stay safe when you’re using the internet. You should never give out any personal information when you’re online to people you do not know face to face – no matter who you think you’re talking to!

Stay Safe Mobile

• Only give your number out to close friends you know and trust

• Never send inappropriate images of yourself to anyone

• Be aware of how easy it is to edit and change any photo and/or video clips you send

• Be careful of the images you share and who you share them with. Anyone can put your picture on an unsuitable website where it can be viewed by many

Stay Safe Blogs

Blogging can be great fun and is a way of sharing your thoughts, feelings and opinions with your friends. When you set up your blog.

• Password protect it and keep your password safe

• Only allow people you know well (and trust) to view your blog

• Don’t make your blog public

Stay Safe Social Networking Sites

With the increase of social networking sites, online activity and messaging apps, online bullying is on the increase. A survey by Ditch the Label, showed that 47% of young people who took the survey have received nasty profile comments and 62% have been sent nasty messages via smartphone apps.

Most apps and social networking sites have age limits – and these age limits are there for a reason. They also state that bullying, abuse, harassment, impersonation and identity theft will not be tolerated and are banned.

• Never share any personal details with anyone you meet online

• Never use your personal details on gaming sites

• If you don’t know them in the real world don’t add them to your online platforms

• Never send your photo to anyone or use a webcam with someone you have met online

• Never arrange to meet someone you have met online

• Make sure you know how to block someone on all of the social media platforms and gaming sites that you use.

If someone you have met in a chat room or on a gaming site is asking you a lot of questions or asking to meet you, TELL an adult you trust immediately. You should always keep in mind that people who use the Internet can pretend to be anyone they like. They can lie about their age, their interests and whether they’re male or female. No matter how long you’ve been chatting, remember that they’re still strangers; you don’t really know them at all. There are a lot of people online who are not who they seem to be and their intentions are harmful.

Be careful when you chat online. It is very easy to give out personal information about ourselves without realising it. Before you send your message, have another look at it and make sure it is basic and doesn’t contain any details that may give someone an idea of who or where you are.