ICC Help: safe-kids

Here are a few tips to keep your child's online experience safe and enjoyable. These safety tips are provided by the FBI Educational Web Publications. The ICC suggests you ask your child to make, and adhere to, the Childrens' Pledge to Online Safety that is listed towards the end of this letter. If you wish for us to restrict your child's ICC account so that he or she cannot chat on ICC at all, you can contact us either by phone or online (preferably using the account in question).

The ICC suggests:

Never give out identifying information such as Name, Home Address, School Name, or Telephone Number in a public message or personal conversation.

Never send a person a picture of you without first checking with your parent or guardian.

Never respond to messages 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.

Childrens' Pledge to Online Safety:

I promise to tell a parent or teacher if I see any bad language or pictures on the Internet, or if anyone makes me feel nervous or uncomfortable online.

I promise to stay out of any chatrooms and websites not approved of by my parents.

I promise not to meet face to face with someone I meet on the Internet without telling my parents first and getting their approval, and I promise that any approved meeting shall be in a public place with my parents present.

I promise to be online only during the times and days my parents, school, and I set aside for using the internet.

See also: rude, atmosphere, privacy, contacts