Internet safety tips for parents:

1. Get involved

For younger children, be the one to introduce them to the internet. Look for websites together and try to achieve a positive attitude towards surfing the net. For the older ones, get them to show you what they’re up to online. While there is a range of internet filtering tools available to help protect children from accessing inappropriate content online, there is no substitute for your involvement.

2. Agree on the ground rules

Talk together about the internet and agree on some guidelines for its use. Agree how long should be spent online and what kind of websites are ok to visit.

3. Be careful with personal information

Young people should choose carefully what personal information and photos they post online. Once online, information and photos can be used by anyone without permission.

4. Talk about meeting online friends

Young people are making friends online but if they decide to physically meet them they should only do so in the company of an adult or someone they trust.

5. Teach your child about ‘source criticism’

All of us who use the internet should be aware that not all information found online is correct. As with newspapers we shouldn’t believe everything we read online.

6. Let them explore

Remember, it is not always their fault if young people come across unsuitable content on the web. They might mistype a web address or click on the wrong link by mistake. Encourage kids to tell you about inappropriate content they might stumble upon.

7. Report illegal material

It is important that we all take responsibility for the web and report material which we believe could be illegal to www.hotline.ie. By doing this you can help to prevent illegal activities online.

8. Encourage respect for others

When communicating with people online we should apply the same informal rules as we do for dealing with people in the real world.

9. Know their Internet use

It is important to understand how children use the internet and know what they like to do online, whether it’s on their mobile phone or computer. Let your child show you which websites they like visiting and what they do there.

10. Remember the positives

The internet is educational, entertaining and fun for young people. Remember that the positive aspects of the internet outweigh the negative aspects. Encourage your child to be web wise and explore the internet to its full potential.