Parents urged to deliver online safety message with Xmas presents

An increasing number of youngsters now have private access to the Internet that is not supervised by parents and are taking advantage of the wealth of entertainment, information and communication opportunities that are available to them.

However, young Internet users may be less aware of the subsequent risks, particularly when it comes to chatting to strangers via social networking sites.

Lancashire Constabulary is urging parents to have open discussions with their children about using the Internet safely, so that the youngsters can make sensible and informed decisions while online.

Detective Superintendent Ian Critchley, head of public protection for Lancashire Constabulary, said: "Surfing the web is a popular form of entertainment for young people and for those who receive Internet-enabled devices for Christmas it will be even more exciting.

"It is very important that parents who buy such items as presents make sure that their children are exercising caution online, especially if they are being used without direct supervision. Ultimately, arming youngsters with information about Internet safety is a lesson for life - not just for Christmas."

The following guidance for parents has been developed by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre -

• Help your children to understand that they should never give out personal details to online friends they do not know offline.
• Explain to your children what information about them is personal: i.e. email address, mobile number, school name, sports club, arrangements for meeting up with friends and any pictures or videos of themselves, their family or friends. Small pieces of information can easily be pieced together to form a comprehensive insight into their lives and daily activities.
• Make your children aware that they need to think carefully about the information and pictures they post on their profiles. Inform them that once published online, anyone can change or share these images of them.
• It can be easy to forget that the Internet is not a private space, and as a result sometimes young people engage in risky behaviour online. Advise your children not to post any pictures, videos or information on their profiles, or in chat rooms, that they would not want a parent or carer to see.
• If your child receives spam or junk email and texts, remind them never to believe their contents, reply to them or use them.
• It's not a good idea for your child to open files that are from people they don't know. They won't know what they contain - it could be a virus, or worse - an inappropriate image or film.
• Help your child to understand that some people lie online and that therefore it's better to keep online mates online. They should never meet up with any strangers without an adult they trust.
• Always keep communication open for a child to know that it's never too late to tell someone if something makes them feel uncomfortable.

(Issued by Lancashire Police)