Social networks are ways of bringing people together using technology to informally (‘socially’) communicate (‘network’). There are loads of social networks out there and you should be a certain age to use some of them.

Lots of social networks have privacy settings which are tools that you can use to help control who sees the information that you share online. Most social networks also have ‘report abuse’ and ‘block’ tools to help you take control of how others behave towards you.

Any information you share online like photos, videos or comments can stay online for a very long time. When you share something online other people can copy it which means that they then have control of it. This means that even if you delete something you’ve shared, someone else might have it.

Reporting and blocking

If you’re using social networks find out how you can report and block people. If someone is doing or saying something that you don’t like or if they’re making you feel scared or uncomfortable, it’s up to you what you do depending on how you feel, but you can report them online, save the evidence, block them and tell an adult you trust.

Remember that you can choose your online and offline friends. If you don’t want to be friends with someone online anymore, remove them from your social networks.

Online friends

Offline the world is filled with a whole range of people some of them nice, some of them mean, some of them just plain dangerous. Online it’s just the same so it’s smart to be careful when choosing your online friends.

Keeping secrets can be fun but some secrets can be dangerous. If a stranger or a friend you have only met online asks you to keep a secret then you need to tell an adult you trust straight away because they might not be who they say they are. People who respect you will never ask you to keep secrets from other people who are close to you like your friends and family.

Sharing information

Technology means that the things we share online can be seen by lots of people. Information can also be shared really quickly. It’s always smart to think before you post. Ask yourself what could happen if other people like your family or your teachers saw what you were sharing online.

General things to think about for you and your family

Use the tools available to keep your family and your devices safer

Set up parental controls. Some systems have them built in and are free, others you can pay for. You may want to look at several options and decide what’s best for your family.
Keep your technology (including phones) up to date with security software.
Use strong passwords that include letters, numbers and symbols and use different passwords for different accounts.
If you’re using social networks, check out the privacy settings and make sure they are activated.
Report online abuse.

Be careful of what you share online

Read the terms and conditions for social networks. There might be a lot there to read but you could be agreeing to hand over control of your online content if you don’t.
Never share personal information like phone numbers or email addresses online.
Be cautious about the type of information you might be sharing with people you only know online.
Be careful about the types of images you post and share as once they are out there you’ve pretty much lost control of that content.
Use webcams carefully. If you’re talking with people you know and trust offline you may be confident, but remember that webcam ‘conversations’ can always be recorded.

Create a great online reputation

Our children learn things from us so how we as adults behave online affects how our children behave. In terms of your own online reputation, nearly all of the advice for children is relevant for adults.

Search for yourself and members of your family online. This will help you manage what information is available about you in the public domain.
Treat others online as you would like to be treated.
Delete old accounts that you’re no longer using.
Be careful what you share.
Know who you’re sharing information with.
Understand that whatever you share online you might lose control of.
Always report abuse.

Sextortion is a form of revenge porn that employs non-physical forms of coercion to extort sexual favours from the victim.

You can also get help from:

• PAPYRUS provides confidential advice and support and works to prevent young suicide in the UK.
• Samaritans to talk any time you like in your own way and off the record
• Get Safe Online
• Revenge Porn Helpline
• Skype advice on protecting yourself from blackmail
• Thinkuknow

What to do if you’re a victim of sextortion

If someone threatens to share explicit images of you unless you pay them money:

1. Dont panic. Contact your local police and internet service provider immedaitely. The police will take your case seriously, will deal with it in confidence and will not judge you for being in this situation.
2. Don’t communicate further with the criminals. Take screen shots of all your communication. Suspend your Facebook account (but don’t delete it) and use the online reporting process to report the matter to Skype, YouTube etc. to have any video blocked and to set up an alert in case the video resurfaces. Deactivating the Facebook account temporarily rather than shutting it down will mean the data are preserved and will help police to collect evidence. The account can also be reactivated at any time so your online memories are not lost forever. Also, keep an eye on all the accounts which you might have linked in case the criminals try to contact you via one of those.
3. Don’t pay. Many victims who have paid have continued to get more demands for higher amounts of money. In some cases, even when the demands have been met the offenders will still go on to post the explicit videos. If you have already paid, check to see if the money has been collected. If it has, and if you are able, then make a note of where it was collected from. If it hasn’t, then you can cancel the payment – and the sooner you do that the better.
4. Preserve evidence. Make a note of all details provided by the offenders, for example; the Skype name (particularly the Skype ID), the Facebook URL; the Western Union or MoneyGram Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN); any photos/videos that were sent, etc. Be aware that the scammer’s Skype name is different to their Skype ID, and it’s the ID details that police will need. To get that, right click on their profile, select ‘View Profile’ and then look for the name shown in blue rather than the one above it in black. It’ll be next to the word ’Skype’ and will have no spaces in it. DO NOT DELETE ANY CORRESPONDENCE.

Parental controls are tools that can be used to filter, control and monitor internet activity. Parental controls are one tool that can be used and having them doesn’t mean that regular chats around online activity shouldn’t take place.

Activating parental controls

Internet Matters.org has produced guides to setting up parental controls across a number of platforms. You can find out more by clicking the image.

The following parental control checklists have been created by the South West Grid for Learning…

Many gaming devices now mean that children and young people can play online against people they know and people they don’t know (which can include adults). As well as just playing games together people can also interact in other ways. It’s important to make sure that games are suitable for their age and that children understand how they can stay safer.

Online gaming things to think about

• Does my child’s gaming device have parental controls that I can use?
• Who is my child interacting with? Are they adults or children?
• If my child is playing games online with strangers, what types of things can we both do to help make that experience safer?
• What type of language are people using in the games and is it appropriate for my child?
• Does my child understand the risks of sharing personal information (e.g. name, email address, phone number) when gaming?
• Does my child know what to do if they are being bullied by another player?
• Does my child know what to do if another player does something to make them feel uncomfortable or frightened?
• What type of content is my child viewing?

Online gaming things to talk about

If you don’t play online games you might not be sure how to talk about gaming with your child but there are some things you can ask them like:

• What type of games do you like most? (for example Action, Fantasy, Adventure, Fighting, Racing etc).
• Can you choose the type of character you play in the game?
• What are the characters like?
• What types of things can you do in the game?
• What types of people can you meet in the game?
• What types of things do people like to talk about?
• If someone is being a bully or making you feel uncomfortable, how can you report them in the game?
• Can I have a game with you? (Having a go on the game is a pretty good way to learn, you might have fun but you should probably expect to lose!).

How old?

The PEGI system gives age ratings to products to help adults decide if a game is suitable for their child. As well as age ratings, products feature ‘descriptors’ which show why a product has received a certain age rating. For example this might be because it contains violence (including sexual violence), discrimination, depictions of alcohol and drugs, or bad language.