|
Common problems
Young people make friends easily, and are often willing to give
out personal details like their email address, home address and
phone numbers to characters they meet online, especially if the
child is using the Internet from a place they think of as "safe",
like home or school. Most schools try to block children from getting
onto chat services using the school Internet connection, but this
is not foolproof and children may just go to a friend's house or
other place instead.
The content of chats may also be a problem. Children may be exposed
to inappropriate language and ideas, such as explicit sexual talk.
They may be encouraged to send photos of themselves, even indecent
pictures, and may be sent obscene images. Also, they may come into
contact with people whose intentions are bad; there have been cases
of young people being approached online by adults or adolescents
who aim to develop a relationship with them in the real world, a
relationship that might end in criminal activity such as rape.
The best advice for responsible adults is to talk frequently to
young people about their experience of chatting online, getting
then to explain what they do and discuss any problems that come
up. Parents may recommend safe chat services or moderated chat rooms,
but youngsters will often still opt for other unsafe alternatives.
Parents may also try to use filtering or blocking software to stop
children getting to chat sites, but this is difficult to achieve
with success.
In particular, children should understand about "stranger
danger", personal details and privacy, and that it is best
to be a little cautious. They should think first before giving out
personal information like an email address, phone number and home
address. If they do arrange real life meetings with people they
have met online, they should always tell an adult, take along someone
they trust, and meet somewhere public.
If young people do have a bad experience, do report it so that
it can be investigated. If it happens in a chat room, contact the
operator of that website first. If it led to a real-life problem,
contact the police.
|
