This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Children encouraged to 'chat safer'
23/12/2004
Parents are being urged to log on to ensure their kids
stay safe online this Christmas, as part of a campaign
designed to protect children from chatroom paedophiles.
A new website, backed by leaflets and radio advertising,
offers a parental guide to safter chatting.
It is part of the Executive's £100,000 Child Protection
on the Internet campaign and has the backing of former
Hear'Say star Myleene Klass who has experienced the dangers
of internet chatrooms.
Education Minister Peter Peacock, who discussed the
issue of Internet chatrooms with young people, said:
"The internet is a wonderful resource, opening doors to
an amazingly rich and varied world of information and
entertainment.
"We want young people to use it and to do so safely. It
is important that both parents and children are aware of
the potential dangers of those who would exploit this
resource.
"As computer and software sales soar in the run-up to
Christmas and the new year, it's vital that parents know
where to get reliable advice to make sure their children
are surfing safely. That's what our website will
provide."
Singer Myleene Klass discovered the downside of the
internet after a man impersonated her when chatting to a
Hear'Say fan in an online chatroom. Myleene realised what
was happening and alerted the Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Children after she received a letter from the
girl, thanking Myleene for talking to her.
She said:
"Speaking from my own personal experience, I would like
to urge children to be aware when using the internet. It
can be fun to surf the net as long as you are safe when
doing so.
"Make sure you limit all information by not including
your school uniform, your surname and even you mobile
telephone number. And if you really must meet with somebody
from the net ensure your parents go with you."
John Carr, internet advisor for children's charity NCH,
said:
"The Executive is to be congratulated on this important
initiative. This is a very welcome resource that I am sure
will be well used by both parents and children alike. It is
also very timely given that many children will receive
computers for Christmas and others will be spending more
time online over the dark winter months ahead."
Louise Macdonald, Deputy Chief Executive at Young Scot,
said:
"The internet is a fabulous resource for young people
for both information and for fun. The Young Scot website
receives over 1.9 million hits each month, proving that
young people in Scotland want to access the wealth of
information that is online.
"We welcome this initiative from the Scottish Executive
to support young people to use the web safely and to help
parents and those working with young people to have more
confidence in the web."
The chatsafer website is designed to be easy to use and
offer advice to parents on how to help their kids surf
safely and monitor their web chat.
Top tips for safer surfing include:
- Remember, everyone you meet online is a stranger,
even though they might seem like a friend
- Always use a nickname when logging on and never
give out personal details (name, home or school
address, telephone number, personal email or mobile
number) that would allow someone you meet online to
contact you
- Never arrange to meet someone you make friends with
online but if you are going to, take a trusted adult
and meet in a public place
- Try to have online conversations in public. People
are less likely to hassle you if other people can see
them doing it
- Accepting emails or opening files from people you
don't know can get you into trouble - they may contain
viruses, nasty messages or links to things you don't
want to see
- Talk to an adult you know well and ask for help if
you're worried or upset about anything you've seen or
been sent online
The campaign is designed to complement a UK-wide Home
Office campaign.
Child protection software is available to block or
filter material that comes into your computer. Some
software is free, while some is included in a broader
package or available to buy over the counter. A
comprehensive list of protection software is available at
www.getnetwise.org.
Research by NCH shows that nearly half of parents in
Scotland do not believe the net is dangerous for their
children and 52 per cent allow children to surf
unsupervised.
According to the Association of Chief Police Officers
Scotland, around two instances of children being groomed on
the internet are reported each month.
The
Protection of Children and Prevention of Sexual Offences
(Scotland) Bill, which is currently making its way
through the Scottish Parliament, will strengthen the law on
sexual grooming by making this a specific offence, as well
as bringing forward a range of other measures to protect
children from potential sex offenders.