This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Net closes on chatroom paedophiles
06/02/2004
A campaign to warn children and parents of the dangers
of internet chatrooms begins in Scotland today.
Cinema and radio adverts will encourage chatroom users
to think twice about who they are communicating with.
Practical advice will also be available on how to stay
safe when using the internet and mobile phones,
including
* How to set up filtering systems on a PC and block
unsuitable material
* What to do if a child is sent unsuitable material
by e-mail or text
* And a guide to commonly used web-jargon which
parents may not understand but could be important in
protecting their child.
Launching the 2004 Think U Know campaign, Minister for
Young People Peter Peacock said:
"Used appropriately, the internet can be a fun and
educational tool that allows children to access to a range
of information from across the globe. But it is important
that they are aware of the hidden dangers associated with
internet use.
"Paedophiles can seek to use chatrooms to try and build
up friendship and trust with children by adopting a false
identity and encouraging children to give out personal
information such as their address and mobile number. They
may also eventually try to arrange a meeting - putting a
child in real danger.
"Parents also need to be vigilant, help their children
use the net safely and encourage them to speak up if they
are receiving any unwanted e-mails or text messages.
"By following the advice available at
www.thinkuknow.co.uk
and adopting a common sense approach, children can enjoy
the positive benefits of the internet, while stopping
paedophiles exploiting the anonymous nature of chatrooms
for their own evil ends."
The new campaign was welcomed by national youth
information charity Young Scot, which operates
www.youngscot.org -
the national youth information site for young people.
Deputy Chief Executive Louise Macdonald said:
"The "Think U Know" campaign is a timely and important
one for young people. It is critical that young people are
given the information they need to make the most of the
internet and all it offers in a secure way. This campaign
makes an important contribution to ensuring that they are
armed with all the relevant facts to stay safe online."
The Think U Know campaign begins in Scotland today and
will run for three weeks. It is the third year of a UK
public awareness campaign to protect children online.
The Executive is committing £120,000 to this third year
of the campaign in Scotland.
Cinema and radio adverts will run concurrently in
Scotland. This is in addition to UK-wide teen website and
chatroom advertising by the Home Office which will run
until the end of March.
As well as advice for children and young people, the
campaign gives parents/carers general web safety advice as
well as information on setting up filtering and monitoring
systems on their children's computers. It also helps
decipher some of the jargon used in relation to the
internet to help them to talk to their children more
effectively.