When the internet attacks

When the Internet Attacks!

 

A complete stranger, a creepy-looking man you've never even seen before, has your photo on his computer. He looks at it all the time when he's alone, and he has sent it on to a vast network of similarly seedy guys . It's okay, you can come out from under your bed now. This scenario isn't likely to happen if you're careful while you're on the internet. Think about it. You wouldn't print your cash card PIN number on the front of your t-shirt and walk through town waving your wallet around. Nor would you turn around as you were exiting the bus and announce to all the passengers that you'll be home alone for the next couple of hours.

 

That would be crazy. And it's just as important you keep yourself safe while surfing the net. Of course, keeping safe is differ-ent for older kids than for younger. Liz Butterfield of The Internet Safety Group of New Zealand says, "Teenagers as young adults have greater autonomous access to the technology as a rule than younger children schools, libraries, friends' houses, cyber cafes and through their mobiles.

 

They may engage in more of the social forums online, such as text chat, ICQ, IRC and IM, than younger ones. For many teens they may be using the net with minimal or no monitoring." So what are the dangers? One of the main things to watch for is grooming. This is what it's called when someone you've 'met' online, perhaps in a chatroom, is working to gain your trust by pretending to be friendly and having lots in common with you, when all they really want to do is lure you away somewhere alone.

 

WATCH WHERE YOU CLICK

 

You also want to avoid accidentally find-ing violent or graphic images or websites be careful what you open. Or, someone could invade your privacy, perhaps mis-using a photo of you for example, splicing your head onto a naked body and sending the pic all around the world.

 

And you need to watch out for text chain letters and spam, text or chatroom bully-ing, and identity theft (where someone finds out details about you and pretends to be you). The Department of Internal Affairs Child Safety website lists the three main dangers as exposure to inapprop-riate material, physical molestation and harassment.

 

Disturbing stuff. So what can you do? First, educate yourself.

 

If you un-derstand grooming, for example, you'll be able to recognise it in a chatroom and stay clear, Liz says, or even report that person to the chatroom moderator. Second, think before taking any ac-tion online. "For example, if a teen has taken a slightly raunchy photo of him-self, he needs to stop and think before sending it to his current love interest.

 

How would he feel if that photo ended up going around school or posted on the net? Another example is a teen sending an obscene message to a classmate he or she is having a spat with how will that be received and what could happen as a result?

 

Things can happen very fast online." Other important things to keep in mind: don't give out personal information or photos, don't meet anyone in person without your parents present even if you're being nagged or teased, make sure your parents know what you're up to online, never reply to spam or text spam and don't respond to explicit or bullying messages in chatrooms.

 

And, of course, don't send these kinds of messages yourself! It may seem like a lot to remember, but the Department of Internal Affairs website has a list of rules that are easy to follow. And on the New Zealand Police website you'll find clear explanations of online scams, so you can avoid being sucked in by spam.

 

While you're thinking about your own wellbeing, it may a good idea to look af-ter your younger brothers or sisters when they're online. No, really - your parents will love you for it. Try downloading Hector the Protector from the NetSafe website.

 

Hector is a safety button that looks like a dolphin swimming in the top-right cor-ner of your screen. If kids accidentally come across an upsetting website, they can click on Hector, and he'll bring up an underwater scene to cover the screen.

 

FAMILY HELP

 

Make sure your siblings know how to keep themselves safe. The DIA website's list of safety rules include "I will not give out personal information such as my ad-dress, telephone number, or the name and location of my school, without my parents' permission" and "I will tell my parents right away if I come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable".

 

It could be useful to pin up these rules next to the computer for younger kids to look at and to help you remember them. Because teens are sometimes the computer experts in the family, you might be also able to help safeguard any family information on your computer.

 

"Often teens are the most knowledgeable about technology in their house-hold, so the whole family may be relying on their awareness of what needs to be done about security," says Liz. "After all, that home computer may hold family photos, financial records and so on.

 

Also, many teens like peer-to-peer file sharing for trading music files, but may not be aware how many viruses and pieces of spyware can be included with a download. An updated antivirus program, operating system and firewall need to be in place before any file shar-ing happens."

 

Luckily, most of the time hanging out on the net is perfectly safe and fun, so don't stress too much. Just be sensible and you'll be fine. Most of all, don't for-get that there are plenty of people who can help you.

 

"It's important to know that there's help available," says Liz. "No one has to put up with behaviour that can some-times be outrageous, and sometimes very hurtful and frightening.

 

If teens aren't comfortable talking to their parent or caregiver about the situation, they could talk with their school guidance counsellor or even call NetSafe toll-free (0508 NETSAFE). We can help them sort the problem out, including report-ing a more serious case to their phone service provider and/or the police."

 

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