Be careful who you trust online and remember that online friends are really strangers. People online, no matter how long you have been talking to them or how friendly they are, may not be who they say they are.

Meeting someone you have only been in touch with online can be dangerous. If you feel that you ‘have to’ meet, then for your own safety you must tell your parent or carer and take them with you – at least on the first visit – and meet in a public place in daytime.

Stay in charge in chat. Keep your personal information secret when chatting online (name, address, telephone number, mobile number, private email address, picture), even if people ask for this. Although it can be tempting to reveal more than you normally would in online friendships, giving out personal information can make you vulnerable.

Check your profile and make sure it doesn’t include any personal information (name, address, telephone number, mobile number, private email address, picture).

Get away from an unpleasant situation in a chatroom by logging out (this just takes one click) or by changing your screen name.

Think before you answer private messages. It can be harder to end a conversation in a private chat than in a public chat. A private chat may end up being more personal than you like.

Use a nickname, not your real name, and a nickname that is not going to attract the wrong type of attention.

Look out for your friends and do something if you think that they are at risk.

Tell your parent or carer if someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried.

Do you know everyone on your friends or contacts list? Think carefully about who is on your list. People on IM, like in chat, may not be who they say they are, so a friend of a friend is not necessarily a friend.

Keep your personal information secret when talking to someone you don’t know in the real world. Also think about what visible information you have, for example in your Profile or Member directory.

Use a nickname, not your real name, and a nickname that is not going to attract the wrong type of attention.

Keep your username and password private, and change your password on a regular basis

Don’t reply to abusive messages. Don’t send abusive messages either. It’s best not to say anything on IM that you wouldn’t say to someone’s face.

Don’t accept messages from people you don’t know.

Meeting someone you have only been in touch with online can be dangerous. If you feel that you ‘have to’ meet, then for your own safety you must tell your parent or carer and take them with you – at least on the first visit – and meet in a public place in daytime.

Don’t pass the buck - if someone you have accepted on your buddy or contacts list is acting weird, don’t pass them on to a friend. You could be putting your friend at risk. Just block them and report them to an adult.