Many adults can find it difficult to advise their children on how to stay safe on the Internet and when using mobile phones. Chat rooms, Facebook and MSN are all attractive and familiar to young people, but they often lack the maturity to recognise that feeling safe is not the same as being safe.
The SMART Rules St Joseph & St Bede School encourages our pupils to follow the SMART rules, which are recommended by Childnet International and KidSMART.
We encourage all adults with a responsibility for the care of young people to support these rules. You can learn about the SMART rules by accessing the “Know it All” website and we have included a copy of this leaflet.
5 smart rules to keeping safe
1. Keep safe by being careful not to give out personal information when chatting or posting online. Personal information includes your email address, phone number and password.
2. Meeting someone you have only been in touch with online can be dangerous. Only do so with your parents’ or carers’permission and even then only when they can be present. Remember online friends are still strangers even if you have been talking to them for a long time.
3. Accepting emails, IM messages, or opening files, pictures or texts from people you don’t know or trust can lead to problems – they may contain viruses or nasty messages!
4. Someone online might lie about who they are, and information on the internet may not be true. Always check information with other websites, books or someone who knows.
5. Tell your parent, carer or a trusted adult if someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, or if you or someone you know is being bullied online. You can report online abuse to the police at www.thinkuknow.co.uk
Visit Childnet’s Kidsmart website to play interactive games and test your online safety knowledge. You can also share your favourite websites and online safety tips by Joining Hands with people all around the world.
