FOR KIDS AND TEENS - East Greenwich Township Police Department

INTERNET SAFETY:

Safety Guidelines for Children
- Do not give our personal information such as your address, telephone number, parent's work address or telephone number, or the name and location of your school.
- Tell your parents if something you come across online makes you uncomfortable.
- Never agree to get together with someone you "meet" online without your parents permission. If your parents agree to the meeting, be sure the meeting is in a public place and that you bring them along.
- Never respond to messages or bulletin board items that are suggestive, obscene, belligerent, threatening, or make you feel uncomfortable. Give a copy of such messages to your parents and have them forward it to your Internet service provider.

- Never send pictures of yourself or any other personal material to a friend you meet online without telling your parents first.- Follow the rules that your parents set for your online activities.
- There are places on the Internet that are for adults only. If you find yourself in one of those areas LEAVE and go to one of the cool places on the Internet for kids.

Internet Tips for Teens
- Don't give out personal information about your family situation, school, telephone number or address.
- If you become aware of the transmission, use, or viewing of child pornography while online, immediately report this to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.
- When "chatting" in chat rooms, remember that not everyone is who they say they are, for example a person who says "she" is a 14-year-old girl from New York may really be a 42-year-old man from California.
- If someone harasses you online, says anything inappropriate, or does anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, contact your Internet service provider.
- Know that there are rules many Internet service providers have about online behavior. If you violate these rules, your Internet service provider may give you a "time out" and disable your account either temporarily or permanently.
- Consider volunteering at your local library, school, or Boys and Girls club to help younger children online. Many schools and nonprofit organizations are in need of people to help set up their computers and Internet capabilities.
- If you are having problems at home, with your friends, or at school, a friend you have met online may not be the best person to talk with. Covenant House is a good place to call at 1-800-999-9999. They are able to provide counseling, refer you to a local shelter, assist with the police, and serve at mediators in calling your parents.
- If you are thinking about running away, call the National Runaway Switchboard at 1-800-621-4000, instead of talking to friends online. Although some of your online friends may seem to really listen to you, the Switchboard will be able to give you answers to some of your questions about what to do when you are depressed, abused, or thinking about running away.