Chat-Guide for pupils

Written by Beate Schöning, Journalist and head of NetKids e.V.

Before you start visiting chat rooms in order to meet friends or to meet new people, you should be wary of the following:

• Never pass on information regarding your name, address, telephone number, school, passwords or other personal information. Please discuss exceptions with your parents or teachers.
• Never answer questions, remarks or notices in an online dialog that contains words which you do not understand, seem strange to you or scare you. Should receive such a notice, print it out and show it to your parents or teachers.
• Please always tell your parents or teachers if you find something strange or if something scares you.
• Never meet alone with someone for the first time if it is someone who you only know through the internet. Should you really want to meet these people it would be wise to take along your parents, older brothers or sisters or any grown up person at least for the first meeting. It is best to meet at a public place.
• Never send a picture of yourself or of others via email or Messenger. Also never put your picture in a profile. If you still should want to send a picture please make sure the picture only shows you and if possible is not to recent (passport picture).
• Should you receive pornographic images or anything else which you find disturbing, please report the matter with your parents or with a teacher.
• Never visit a website that charges fees without having granted permission by your parents first. Also do not accept online invitations to other websites. These can result in getting caught up in an expensive dialler.
• Never fill in questionnaires that are sent to you by someone. It is often the case that these contain very personal questions that are no ones business. Answering these questions could also make it easier for this person to find you.
• Never give bank details or credit card details when online - no matter where you are.
• Always remember that you have no way of knowing for sure that the statements of someone with whom you chat are true or not - unlike with your real friends from school or a club. He or she will always - whether you like it or not - always remain a stranger on the net!
  
  Copyright by B. Schöning 2003
  www.kindersindtabu.de