When chatting on the internet or using a forum, never give out your home address, phone number, mobile number, the name of your school or any other personal details to people you don't know. People are not always what they appear to be on the internet; spend time chatting on the net or by email, and building trust before you speak on the phone or meet in person. When you do feel comfortable and feel you have made a friend, start by swapping mobile phone numbers and save other personal information for after you've met up a few times.
Don't be pressured into meeting. If you don't feel comfortable, then wait a while. If an online friend seems pushy then there's good reason to be cautious. A decent and genuine person will be happy to wait until you feel comfortable enough to meet. Anyone who pushes for a meet soon after you start chatted online - or even on the same day - should be treated with extreme caution and distrust. Generally speaking, a person who pushes for a quick meet is likely looking for sex only. Listen to your intuition.
Don't be scared of the internet. Just be careful.
When meeting internet friends for the first time, always remember to meet in a public place where there are sure to be other people around. Preferably meet during the daytime, somewhere you are familiar with and feel comfortable.
Tell a friend or family member that you are meeting someone for the first time and let them know where you are going and what time you expect to be home. They can keep an eye on the time and check up on you should you be late.
Take a mobile phone with you or borrow a friend's if you don't have one.
Never go back to someone's house who you have just met. You may think they seem nice and can be trusted, but you can't always be sure of a persons qualities straight away. Don't risk getting into a nasty situation you can't get out of. Wait until you know them better.
If you have a webcam it's very tempting to hurriedly link up with any old Tom, Dick or Mary, just so you can have fun and use that cycloptic thing staring down at you from atop your monitor - but hang on: Make sure you are not revealing details about where you live with the images you'll be sending, and be as sure as you can be about the person on the other end of the video-feed; you might not like what you see. You can save yourself some nasty shocks and blushing cheeks if you exercise some caution in the first place.
Don't be put off making friends on the internet. It can be a very rewarding and fun experience. Bear these safety tips in mind next time you meet someone online and you have a better chance of making a genuine friend.
When chatting on the internet or using a forum, never give out your home address, phone number, mobile number, the name of your school or any other personal details to people you don't know. People are not always what they appear to be on the internet; spend time chatting on the net or by email, and building trust before you speak on the phone or meet in person. When you do feel comfortable and feel you have made a friend, start by swapping mobile phone numbers and save other personal information for after you've met up a few times.
Don't be pressured into meeting. If you don't feel comfortable, then wait a while. If an online friend seems pushy then there's good reason to be cautious. A decent and genuine person will be happy to wait until you feel comfortable enough to meet. Anyone who pushes for a meet soon after you start chatted online - or even on the same day - should be treated with extreme caution and distrust. Generally speaking, a person who pushes for a quick meet is likely looking for sex only. Listen to your intuition.
When meeting internet friends for the first time, always remember to meet in a public place where there are sure to be other people around. Preferably meet during the daytime, somewhere you are familiar with and feel comfortable.
Tell a friend or family member that you are meeting someone for the first time and let them know where you are going and what time you expect to be home. They can keep an eye on the time and check up on you should you be late.
Take a mobile phone with you or borrow a friend's if you don't have one.
Never go back to someone's house who you have just met. You may think they seem nice and can be trusted, but you can't always be sure of a persons qualities straight away. Don't risk getting into a nasty situation you can't get out of. Wait until you know them better.
If you have a webcam it's very tempting to hurriedly link up with any old Tom, Dick or Mary, just so you can have fun and use that cycloptic thing staring down at you from atop your monitor - but hang on: Make sure you are not revealing details about where you live with the images you'll be sending, and be as sure as you can be about the person on the other end of the video-feed; you might not like what you see. You can save yourself some nasty shocks and blushing cheeks if you exercise some caution in the first place.
Don't be put off making friends on the internet. It can be a very rewarding and fun experience. Bear these safety tips in mind next time you meet someone online and you have a better chance of making a genuine friend.
