Online Safety & Safeguarding Resources

Eight Top Tips for Internet Safety

1. Never give out your personal details to your online friends– you never know who may see it. This includes details such as your name, address, phone number, age, gender and what school you go to. If you need to sign up to a chatroom, messenger service or get an email account, you can always use an alias and not your real details.
2. If you need to sign up to a website for online shopping, ask your parents or carer for permission first.
3. It is better to keep your online friends online. Don’t meet up with anyone you have met online without taking a trusted adult with you. Remember, some people online don’t tell the truth about their real identity.
4. Remember, anything you put, such as videos, pictures and text, can be used, altered and shared by anyone in the world. Never send pictures of yourself, friends or family to anyone you don’t know.
5. Think before you post something online or send an email. Anyone can read what you’ve posted and your emails can always be copied or forwarded to anyone else on the internet. If you wouldn’t say it to your parents or carer, then don’t say it on the internet – you may regret it later. Never send offensive emails or post offensive content. Think about what you’re writing to people – they can easily get the wrong idea about what you write or the way you write it.
6. Most content on the internet, such as text, photos and videos, are not freely available for you to use or copy. You always need the owner’s permission first before you use their content. It’s always best to create your own.
7. Never believe spam email and texts and never reply or forward them. It’s never a good idea to open suspicious emails or text messages from people you do not know. They may contain inappropriate content, such as images, text, video or a virus. If in doubt, don’t open it – just delete it.
8. If something or someone online makes you feel uncomfortable in any way, it’s never too late to tell a teacher or your parent or carer.