Internet Safety

• Never give out identifying information such as Name, Home Address, School Name, or Telephone Number in a public message such as at a chat room or on bulletin boards.
• Never send a person a picture of you without first checking with your parent or guardian.
• Never respond to messages or bulletin board items that are:
  • Suggestive
  • Obscene
  • Belligerent
  • Threatening
  • Make You Feel Uncomfortable
• Be careful when someone offers you something for nothing, such as gifts and money. Be very careful about any offers that involve your coming to a meeting or having someone visit your house.
• Tell your parent or guardian right away if you come across any information that makes you feel uncomfortable.
• Never arrange a face to face meeting without telling your parent or guardian. If your parent or guardian agree to the meeting, make sure that you meet in a public place and have a parent or guardian with you.
• Remember that people online may not be who they seem. Because you can't see or even hear the person it would be easy for someone to misrepresent him- or herself. Thus, someone indicating that "she" is a "12-year-old-girl" could in reality be an older man.
• Be sure that you are dealing with someone that you and your parents know and trust before giving out any personal information about yourself via E-mail.
• Get to know your "online friends" just as you get to know all of your other friends.

• 1. Always have good manners and be polite when talking to someone else online.
• 2. Ask your parents to spend time with you while online so that you can show them some of the neat things you can find online.
• 3. Only use the Internet when your parents tell you it's OK, and only for as long as you are supposed to.
• 4. Don't give out personal information like your address, telephone number or school name to anyone unless you have permission from your parents.
• 5. Never meet with a cyberfriend or key pal unless your parents go with you or you have their permission to go alone.
• 6. Don't break copyright rules by taking words, pictures or sound from someone else's Web site without their permission.
• 7. Don't respond to any e-mail messages you get if they are strange, mean or upsetting to you, and tell your parents or teachers right away.
• 8. Don't send pictures of yourself or your family to anyone unless you have permission from your parents.
• 9. Stop right away if you see or read something on a Web site that upsets you and tell your parents or teachers about it.
• 10. Don't put words, pictures or sounds on other people's Web sites without their permission.