A Teen's Guide To Surfing The Web
Your identity should be kept private.
Always avoid giving out your name, mailing address, telephone number, and any
information that would help someone find your actual identity. That includes not
revealing the name of your school or work!
Never make plans to meet the friend you "meet" online.
You are placing yourself in a very dangerous situation when you agree to
actually meet the person you meet online. If you are determined to meet this
person, talk it over with your parents and never go to the meeting by yourself.
Arrange to meet in a public place, such as a restaurant or a mall that YOU are
familiar with, and NEVER go alone. As an added precaution, have a parent
accompany you on the first meeting.
Never respond to any chat room message, email or news group
message that makes you feel uncomfortable or is hostile, belligerent or
inappropriate.
If you get such a message, don't respond. Show it to your parents or an
adult. Answering, even negatively, only encourages the sender.
Report harassment.
If someone sends you messages or images that are obscene, lewd, filthy, or
indecent with the intent to harass, abuse annoy or threaten you, this may be a
crime and it should be reported to your Internet Service provider (ISP) and the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Cyber Tipline by calling
1-800-843-5678.
www.missingkids.com
Talk with your parents about ground rules for surfing the
Web.
There should be an agreement between you and your parents about your online
activity. What time you may go online, length of time and what activities you
can participate in need to be talked about and agreed to. You need to understand
their concerns for your safety and they need to be assured that you will come to
them and report any activity that may jeopardize your safety.
Safety steps to take once you and your parents have agreed
to meeting your "online" friend.
Make the meeting on YOUR terms:
- YOU pick the place of the meeting. Make sure the location is a well-lit,
public place that you are familiar with so that you know how to contact
security if help is needed.
- YOU arrange for your own transportation to and from the meeting place. DO
NOT agree to let your friend take you home or go to another location. Bring
money to call home or a cab, if needed.
- YOU bring a friend or a parent for your safety. Suggest a "double date" if
your parent is unable to go so that you have additional support, if needed.
ALWAYS pay your own way on the first meeting.
- YOU set the conditions of the first meeting and don't let your new
"friend" change them.
- YOU be prepared to report to your parents and to the police if your new
"friend" attempts to make you do anything you do not want to, go anywhere you
don't want to go, or in any way jeopardizes your safety. You should be
prepared to furnish a positive identification of your "friend" to the police,
if needed.
Safety Alert!
Did you know that....
- The chat room is the most dangerous area on the Internet? The people
you meeting online may not be who they say they are. Predators and pedophiles
can and do surf the Web looking for victims.
- Every email has a return address and some you receive may contain a fake
return address? Anything you say online cn be copied and forwarded to others
you do not know.
- Without meaning to you may give out enough personal information that puts
you and your family at risk?
- There are laws and legislation to protect you from becoming a victim
resulting from an Internet encounter?
Safely Surfing the Web and the Law
Should you encounter any of the following while you are online, you should
automatically contact your local law enforcement agency, the FBI, and the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
- You or anyone in the household has received child pornography.
- You have been sexually solicited by someone who knows that you are under
the age of 18 years old.
- You have received sexually explicit images from someone that knows you are
under the age of 18 years old.
If any of these occur, keep the computer turned off to preserve any evidence.
Unless directed to by the law enforcement agency, do not attempt to copy any of
the images and/or text found on the computer.
For further information or to report a crime:
Mesa Police Department
480-644-2211
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
602-279-5511
National Center for Missing and Exploiting Children
1-800-843-5678
or visit online at
www.cybertipline.com
This information provided by
www.fbi.gov
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