Guidelines for Parents

Any responsible parent or guardian would never leave their children alone in a strange area, let them visit a new city unsupervised or allow them to meet a total stranger. However, every time kids log on to the web without supervision they face the same potential dangers are they do in all the situations above.

Parents play in central role in ensuring that children are safe when surfing the net; this is particularly important when they are using Internet chat rooms, as they are able to chat to strangers who may not always be who they say they are.

Make sure you are involved with your child's choice of chat room; a good chat room should have a very clear Terms and Conditions and Privacy Statement which should be upheld and enforced. It should remind users of the dangers and display prominent safety tips. It is usually a good idea to choose a moderated chatroom, which has a co-ordinator who oversees the discussion and ensures that the rules of the chat room (such as no bad language, propositions or other inappropriate behaviour) are observed.

Familiarise yourself with any chat room your child is involved with to know how it works and to ensure that it offers a safe experience. You should also follow the guidelines listed below to reduce any potential risks to their safety online.

• Agree reasonable guidelines for the use of the Internet and chat rooms with your children, write them down and position them in a visible place near the computer.
• Position computers in an area where it is easy to monitor what your child is doing. If possible have the computer in a family room, such as the kitchen or the living room.
• Most chat is text based and appears immediately on the screen. However, audio- or video-based chat may also be offered. Discourage children from using headphones whilst using the computer as they may be listening to inappropriate conversations.
• Make sure that you become familiar with all the services and programs your child uses online. If you don't know how, ask your child to show you, they'll enjoy teaching you some new things!
• When signing up for a chat room, help your child to choose a suitable nickname that protects their identity and does not have any sexual or other connotations. Make sure that you limit any details in their personal profile.
• Make sure that your child understands the importance of telling you about any pictures or language that they feel uncomfortable about or that makes them upset whilst online.
• Get to know your child's online friends in the same way you would their other friends.
• The Internet has its own language including abbreviations such as L8R (for later) and acronyms such as PAW (Parents Are Watching). Take some time to learn this language so you are aware of what your child is chatting about.
• If your child wants to meet up with a friend that they have met online, make sure that it is in a public place and that you or another responsible adult is present.
• If you or your children feel threatened or abused whilst using chat rooms you should report it immediately. Tell the police of anything you see which is distasteful or ask advice about whether to report it.