Being Safe on the Internet

Plan's Child Protection Online Safety Guide

Eleven Rules for Children

1. Never tell anyone you meet online any personal details, such as your home address, your telephone number, your school’s name or mobile/telephone number, unless your parent or carer specifically gives you permission.
2. Never send anyone your picture, credit card or bank details, or anything else, without first checking with your parent or carer.
3. Never give your password to anyone, not even a best friend.
4. Never arrange to meet anyone in person without first clearing it with your parent or carer, and get them to come along to the first meeting, which should always be in a public place.
5. Never hang around in a chat room or in a teleconference if someone says or writes something which makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, and always report it to your parent or carer.
6. Never respond to nasty, suggestive or rude e-mails or postings. It’s always okay to immediately end a conversation online without explanation if it is making you feel uncomfortable. Always remember to speak to your parent or care giver.
7. If your receive spam or junk email and texts, never believe them or reply to them. And remember if someone makes you an offer which seems too good to be true, it probably is.
8. It is not a good idea to open files from people you don’t know. It could be a virus or worse – an inappropriate image or video.
9. Always tell your parent or carer if you see offensive language or distasteful pictures while you are online.
10. Always be yourself and do not pretend to be anyone or anything you are not.
11. Remember, what gets posted online becomes public and can't always be removed! So, make sure what you post online does not reveal anything about you that you're not comfortable sharing. For example, don't post things about your family, friends, teachers etc. that you would be uncomfortable with everyone reading!

If you feel upset about anything you have seen on the computer (such as something you think may be illegal or inappropriate) or if someone has said something which you feel is rude, inappropriate or if you are being bullied online, you should report to:

• Your local police or children’s aid society.

If this has happened on visiting a Plan site/chat room you may also report to Plan Canada’s Child Protection Officer at 1-800-387-1418 ext 201 or childprotection@plancanada.ca